Food Policy For Breakfast Series: Urban Agriculture: Federal, State and Local Policy Initiatives

Urban Agriculture: Federal, State and Local Policy Initiatives

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9:00 am Coffee and Light Breakfast Buffet

9:30 am Panel Discussion

Panelist Information:

Blake Glover: Blake Glover is the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) New York State Conservationist, based in the NRCS state office in Syracuse. Glover has worked with the agency for 22 years. He began his NRCS career in his home state of Missouri as a cooperative education student and started full-time with the agency in 2002 as a Soil Conservationist in Northeastern Missouri. He spent eight years with the agency in Missouri before being selected as the Area Program Manager in Flagstaff, Arizona, with the service area including underserved tribal communities of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and Havasupai Tribe. In 2011, Glover became the Area Conservationist for the southern half of New Mexico stationed in Las Cruces. Glover started as New York State Conservationist in 2019. Glover has completed temporary leadership assignments in Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Montana. A native of Holts Summit, Missouri, Glover earned a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from Lincoln University, Missouri, an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Glover and his wife Olga have three children: Kristian, Julia, and Kole.

Leslie Glover II: Leslie Glover II is the Program Manager and Senior Technical Advisor to the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production at USDA, serving as a subject matter expert providing information and advice on vision, strategy, budget, program analysis, and policy. Since his youth, Leslie Glover II, has believed in the principles of careful stewardship of our earth and its resources, and pursing the instruction given by its Creator to be productive, put back more than you take, keep things right and order, and taking a small seed and creating a harvest. He currently resides in Maryland and is married to Dr. Melanie Glover. They have two beautiful daughters, Victoria, and Nadia.

Qiana Mickie : Qiana Mickie is New York City’s inaugural Executive Director of the Office of Urban Agriculture. Under Qiana’s leadership, the office aims to advance urban agriculture and equity to actively address climate, health, and food disparities in the city’s natural and built environment. By collaborating with interagency leaders as well as the breadth of urban agriculture stakeholders, Qiana has developed innovative initiatives to foster healthy, culturally relevant food production, educational trainings, and economic development opportunities for farmers and producers in the city. In the first year of her tenure, Qiana has developed initiatives such as reimagining Farm to School in NYC, building a M\WBE pipeline for small and socially disadvantaged businesses, and bolstering land security of community gardeners. She recently released NYC’s first urban agriculture report and action plan. Qiana is also the Founding Principal of QJM Multiprise and the former Executive Director of Just Food. For over 12 years, Qiana has also worked on local, state, federal, and international policy on issues such as food sovereignty, land stewardship, and health. Qiana has a B.S. in Marketing from Hampton University and received her Food Hub Management certification from the University of Vermont. She serves on the USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Federal Advisory Committee, International Council of Urgenci, and the Coordination Committee of the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) for the United Nations.

Brian Steinmuller: Brian Steinmuller has been serving as the Assistant Director of the Division of Land and Water Resources, and the Soil and Water Conservation Committee (SWCC) of the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) since 2009. As the Assistant Director, Brian, is responsible for the daily operations of the Division of Land and Water Resources, including working with the SWCC, County Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Agricultural Protection Programming. Brian also works closely with the policy team at AGM to advance climate and agricultural conservation programs. Brian Steinmuller started his career in Conservation Programs and Policy with the Department and State Committee in December of 2001. Brian has a deep passion for agriculture and conservation.

The panel will be moderated by Annette Nielsen, Executive Director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center.

Hosted by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center

Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work

East Harlem Campus, 2nd Floor Auditorium

2180 Third Avenue (at 119th Street) New York, NY 10035

We look forward to seeing you there!