10/29 @11:00 AM ET, Online via Zoom
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11:00 AM ET - Panel Kick-Off: Emerging Direct to Consumer Markets
Moderator: Kerry Black, South Dade Chamber of Commerce
Panelists: Gretchen Schmidt, Margie Pikarsky, Sam Accursio, Penny Parham, James Kohnstamm, Nick Sharp, Helena Pernas
11:45 - Audience Q&A
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12:15 - Closing Remarks
Host: Tyra Phillips, Dade County Farm Bureau
Penny Parham
Administrative Director, Department of Food and Nutrition
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Panelist
Ms. Parham directs all food and nutrition services for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the 4th largest school district in the nation. Ms. Parham oversees school breakfast, lunch, afterschool meal and snack programs, Head Start and summer mealservices, the District Wellness Policy, school food service facilities and equipment, personnel and training for over 2,500 food service employees, service and supply contracts and manages an annual budget exceeding $190 million.
Gretchen Schmidt
Editor In Chief
Edible South Florida
Panelist
Gretchen Schmidt is editor of Edible South Florida, an award-winning publication exploring our food and drink, farms, artisans, events and communities.
Sam Accursio
Owner
Accursio and Sons Farms
Panelist
Sam Accursio Jr. is an experienced farmer from Homestead, Florida, farming 2,500 acres of green beans, zucchini, squash, pickling cucumbers. The farm was started in 1948 by his father who drove a taxi during the day and grew Accursio Farms at night. Sam Jr. has been running the farm for almost 40 years. He is joined by his two sons in managing the growing operation today.
Sam Accursio is chairman of the Agriculture Advisory Board to the Miami Dade County Commission. Service on previous boards include 1st National Bank of Homestead, Dade County Farm Bureau and South Florida Water Management District. He is passionate about family first and then agriculture including the emerging future of agriculture.
James Kohnstamm
Economic Development VP
The Beacon Council
Panelist
James Kohnstamm is an experienced economic development professional who began with the Miami-Dade Beacon Council in 2008. As Senior Vice President in the Economic Development Department, Kohnstamm consults with local, national and international business leaders on the economic trends and attributes of Miami-Dade County and develops customized services to expanding and relocating business to facilitate job generating investments. With a focus in the Aviation industry, Kohnstamm has directly managed over 100 economic development projects that have generated over 4,700 jobs and $1 billion of investment for Miami-Dade County.
Margie Pikarsky
Owner
Bee Heaven Farm
Panelist
Margie Pikarsky is the heart and soul of Bee Heaven Farm, a 5-acre diversified family farm, certified organic since 1997. Her passion for growing things and firm belief that humans should step lightly on the planet drive her farming philosophy. Margie runs the farm with a small dedicated crew. Since 2002, she has been reconnecting consumers to locally-grown organic food via her multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) and farmers markets servicing Miami-Dade and upper Keys from November-May.
Margie founded Redland Organics in 2003, a loosely-organized organic and sustainable grower group in the South Florida area, and in 2012 started the annual GrowFest! event at the Redland Fruit & Spice Park. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Dade County Farm Bureau.
Kerry Black
CEO
South Dade Chamber of Commerce
Moderator
Kerry Black is the CEO of the South Dade Chamber of Commerce. She started her career in corporate leadership and sales and transitioned to pastoral and international ministry work, serving communities in Latin America and South Florida. Whether it is strengthening relations between local government and community with stationed military personnel in South Florida, Kerry's life's mission has been to build relationships between individuals of all backgrounds in order to maximize their fullest potential for success.
Nick Sharp
Owner
Threefold Cafe
Panelist
Born in Australia and moved to the Miami in 2012. Nick was previously the CFO of a privately owned dairy commodity trading company before opening the Australian café, Threefold Café in Coral Gables in 2014 with his wife Teresa. Since then, the Threefold family has expanded to 3 locations and the group also owns a coffee roasting company (Deco Coffee Co), a restaurant (Someone’s Son) and opening in October another location: Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen which will be an upscale brewpub, also in Coral Gables. Nick has served as a board member of the Coral Gables BID for 3 years and is currently on the Executive Board of that organization and is active with various community organizations including the City of Coral Gables, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Coral Gables community foundation.
Tyra Phillips
Executive Director
Dade County Farm Bureau
Event Host
Tyra Phillips grew up in Rouses Point, NY. She had the best of 3 worlds as her hometown bordered Canada and Vermont, both places she spent much time in. From a very young age Tyra fell in love with horses and began rode out of barns in all three places. Shortly after leaving the Police Department, she began her own business as a background investigator. Since then, she has worked in the non profit world and is now the Executive Director for the Dade County Farm Bureau.
Helena Pernas
Director, Food & Menu Programs
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Panelist
Ms. Pernas, under the direction of Ms. Penny Parham, directs and oversees the procurement, ordering and management of all food items for Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Child Nutrition Programs. She analyzes and evaluates all breakfast, lunch, and afterschool meal menus and recipes to ensure they adhere and meet all federal nutrition guidelines and regulations. Ms. Pernas supervises management of all commodity, commodity-purchased and purchased food items to ensure minimal warehouse inventory levels are maintained, while utilizing all commodity allocations in a timely manner. She directs staff with the input and review of DoD produce orders, and ensures participation with Farm to School produce. Ms. Pernas keeps up with the newest food trends, while always striving to maintain a wide variety of healthy, nutritious food choices available daily to all students.