Regenerative Food Network Webinar
Regenerative Food Network Webinar
Hosted by Jesse McDougall and Abbey Smith
I met Jesse McDougall a few years ago, when Judith Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Planet and Water in Plain Sight recommended I reach out to Studio Hill Farm in Vermont to learn about their regenerative practices and to explore joining the Savory Global Network. Given Judith’s descriptive review of the farm, I had to learn more. The work of Jesse and Cally McDougall, the farmers at Studio Hill Farm, does not stop at the boundary fence of the farm. Jesse is working with others across the Northeastern United States to build a regenerative food network.A what?Exactly.It is like nothing I have ever seen before, and it is designed using regenerative practices like putting farmers first and connecting consumers in urban areas with rural producers in a way that supplies nutrient-dense food to urban centers and boosts the economies of rural communities. And it is powered by a fleet of electric vehicles powered by solar energy. They have literally redesigned the food supply chain, from the soil up.Join us to learn more about the Regenerative Food Network and what could be the way we produce, buy and distribute food in the future. [button1 size="small" width="standard" link="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uaQ-Ss1srs8yN7xePjyKBspQPd14PlZ6/view?mc_cid=aa635ddca9&mc_eid=83dcf0ab8c" animate="none" color="default" color_custom="off" color_text="#ffffff" color_text_hover="#ffffff" color_bg="#ffffff" color_bg_hover="#ffffff" border_radius="0"] WATCH THE REPLAY [/button1]
Learn About the Hosts
Abbey Smith serves as the Savory Global Network Coordinator. She is also owner and operator of the Jefferson Center for Holistic Management with her husband, Spencer. The Jefferson Center is an organic cattle ranch and Savory Network Hub in Fort Bidwell, California.She spent two months in South Africa living with families on holistically managed cattle farms after graduating magna cum laude from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in animal science and a focus in communications and ethnic studies. She attended graduate school at the University of Nevada, Reno where she received a master’s degree in interactive journalism. At UNR, she wrote a business plan for an online business to connect consumers and producers of local food. Through the competition, Abbey met her former employer of nine years and was recruited into the online/digital business world. During the last nine years she rose to a position of leadership within the company, Swift Communications, and was involved in many new ventures. She loves to work in in fast-paced, team environments working on projects in emerging markets. Before graduate school, she served as the director of a non-profit organization for natural resource conservation called The River Center in Modoc County, California. This position taught her how to manage a budget and bring groups of people together, often times with conflicting viewpoints, in order to find common ground.She grew up on a commercial cattle ranch in Indian Valley, in Plumas County, California. Her loving, large, loud family has lived in the valley for seven generations. Family is a source of joy to her. Her goal in life is to build a beautiful world for her daughter, Maezy, which is why she and Spencer are working to advance Holistic Management.Living in the rural community of Surprise Valley, California and being involved in a global organization is a dream come true. Abbey serves on the Surprise Valley Education Foundation board and is involved in local food groups. She enjoys doing yoga, throwing kettlebells around, gardening, riding horses and hiking with her daughter. Her happiest moments are on the ranch with her family. She loves running and runs alone, except when in Africa.
Watch the Replay
[button1 size="small" width="standard" link="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uaQ-Ss1srs8yN7xePjyKBspQPd14PlZ6/view?mc_cid=aa635ddca9&mc_eid=83dcf0ab8c" animate="none" color="default" color_custom="off" color_text="#ffffff" color_text_hover="#ffffff" color_bg="#ffffff" color_bg_hover="#ffffff" border_radius="0"] WATCH THE REPLAY [/button1]