Events
Urban Food Sovereignty Summit

4th Annual Tampa Bay Urban Food Sovereignty Summit – Building Local Food Sovereignty
This event will heighten the awareness of urban food sovereignty at USF, the larger Tampa Bay community, and reinforce the university’s role as the learning and research hub for urban food sovereignty in the region. This event brings together students, faculty, local food activists, NFP groups and leaders, government officials, faith leaders, farmers, community gardeners, and the public for robust discussions, educational experiences, and research opportunities. We look forward to seeing you there!
AGENDA AT A GLANCE
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Kick-off Event with Keynote Speaker
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Charles William Young Hall - CWY
12303 USF Genshaft Drive
Tampa, FL, 33620
Parking available on campus in Lots 21 and 37.
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location:
USF Botanical Gardens
12210 USF Pine Drive
Tampa, FL33612
Parking available .
REGISTRATION
Please register for this event by October 17, 2022
* Registration is encouraged and not mandatory.
MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Thursday, October 20

Dell deChant is a Master Instructor in the Department of Religious Studies at USF, where he has served since 1986. The author of three books, over 35 articles in professional publications, and chapters in twelve books, deChant's specialization is religion and contemporary cultures. His research focuses on religious, literary, and ecological expressions of Agrarianism in American popular culture. He is the Convener of the USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group, a founding member of the Pasco County Food Policy Council, and a board member of Florida Food Policy Council.

Rev. Dr. Gabriel Morgan is the pastor of St Paul Lutheran Church on Central Ave, the chair of the Care for Creation Committee for the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality, and a member of the board of Lutherans Restoring Creation.

Erica Hardison is board president for One Community Grocery Co-op, a start-up cooperatively owned grocery store in St. Pete’s Southside neighborhood. She has worked in St. Petersburg for over 20 years to promote meaningful change in a variety of areas based on her foundational goal of making the lives of all people better through sustainable, cooperative and collaborative development. Her experience as an educator, small business owner, and community organizer, has honed her natural ability to solve problems and think logically, creatively, and globally, while acting locally.

Erica Hall, M.S. CED, MBA, ARM, is Board Chair/Executive Director of the Florida Food Policy Council, a statewide food policy council addressing gaps in Florida’s food system. Erica is also Executive Committee Vice-Chair of the Suncoast Sierra Club, Co-Chair of the Sierra Club Florida Chapter Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Food Security Advisory Committee. Erica is working with the League of Women Voters and the City of St. Petersburg to develop a Food Policy Council for the City of St. Petersburg.

Alex Baron is Community Wellness Coordinator at Harvest Hope Park Garden run by the University Area CDC. His love for nature and food started at UCF while working at for UCF’s Wellness and Health Promotion Services and its Arboretum. After graduating, he joined Brick Street Farms, a hydroponic shipping container farm in St. Petersburg. Wanting to connect more with local communities, he shifted focus to community gardens and found Harvest Hope Park Garden, where he educates volunteers about gardening and create spaces for individuals to connect with nature, food and each other.

Dhalia Bumbaca is Director of Development & Programming at The Well Incorporated. Dhalia joined The Well after co-founding WellFed Community, a social enterprise addressing food sovereignty, that now is part of The Well's ecosystem. Dhalia is also currently a co-host of The Well's new podcast, Tampa Talk, aimed at sharing local news with Tampa residents. A proud USF Bull, Dhalia received her undergraduate degree and Master's degree at the University of South Florida and continues to work closely with students, faculty, and staff in order to provide opportunities for community relationships.

Jon Dengler is CEO of The Well Incorporated. As an entrepreneurial founder Jon has helped build and launch several of the programs and social enterprises that now constitute the Well’s ecosystem. Jon is the host of The Work Ethic Podcast, a series of long form interviews with a wide range of voices from differing vocations. He is also a columnist and editor for Word on the Streets, a local weekly digital publication for Tampa residents. Jon has been recognized nationally for his social entrepreneurship efforts. He was one of 15 U.S. fellows to be recruited by Red Bull Amaphiko for their social enterprise academy, he is one of 5 recipients of the Sorcerer Scholarship with Gary Vaynerchuk, and he was listed in Real Leaders 2018 list of 100 Visionary Leaders among names like Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie, and Nobel Peace Laureate President Juan Manual Santos of Colombia.

William Schanbacher, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at USF and co-founder of the USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group. He is the author of three books and a forthcoming book with Whitney Fung, Food Insecurity: A Reference Handbook (ABC-CLIO, forthcoming, 2022), which addresses the history of food insecurity in the United States through the lens of food sovereignty and food justice. His research and teaching interests concentrate on religious and social ethics, globalization and poverty, food justice, and anti-racism in the food system.
EVENT PROGRAM
October 20, 2022 - 5:00pm to 7:30pm
Time | Agenda |
---|---|
5:00pm | Mix and Mingle |
6:15pm | Welcome Address - Dell deChant, USF Convener USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group, Religious Studies Department |
6:25pm | Food Sovereignty and UFSG projects - William Schanbacher, Ph.D., USF Assistant Professor of Religious Studies |
6:35pm | Food Sovereignty and Food Production as a Mission for Religious Communities - Rev. Dr. Gabriel Morgan, Pastor of St Paul Lutheran Church, Chair of the Care for Creation Committee for the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality, Member of the Board of Lutherans Restoring Creation |
6:45pm | Valued Voices: Creating Equitable Food Policies & Systems - Erica Hardison, Board Member Florida Food Policy Council, Erica Hall, Board Chair/Executive Director Florida Food Policy Council |
6:55pm | Food is Power - Dhalia Bumbaca, Director and Developer of the Well Incorporated and Jon Dengler, CEO of the Well Incorporated |
7:05pm | What’s Growing on in the University Area?- Alex Baron, Community Wellness Coordinator at the University Area CDC |
7:20pm | Speakers Question and Answer Session |
7:30pm | Closing Remarks - Dell deChant, USF Convener USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group, Religious Studies Department |
Saturday, October 22, 2022 - 10:00am to 1:00pm
Time | Agenda |
---|---|
10:00am | Doors Open |
10:00am | Food Sovereignty 101 – Will Schanbacher |
10:30am | Table 1 Presentation - Pasco County Food Policy |
11:00am | Table 2 Presentation – The Well Incorporated |
11:30am | Table 3 Presentation - Sweetwater Organic Community Farm |
12:00pm | Open Table Visits |
12:30pm | Closing and Final Thoughts |
You will be able to visit and learn more about the local resources for Urban Food Sovereignty by visiting the following additional tables joining us!
- Gone Juicing – Sam Hamlin and Elaine Winter
- New Port Richey FarmNet - Amelia Maseda, Jake Pieterse and Steve Hays
- Eckerd College Community Farm - Dave Himmelfarb, Environmental Studies Instructor and Faculty Director, Eckerd College
- Sustainable Living Project – Georgea Snyder
- USF Agrarian Club – Craig Sands and Reagin Graham
- Sweetwater Organic Farm - Chris Kenrick
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
- Sustainable Living Project
- St. Pete Youth Farm
- Sweetwater Organic Farm
- Coalition of Community Gardens
Special Thanks to ResearchOne for their continued support of USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVENT?
For more information about USF’s 4th Annual Urban Food Sovereignty Summit, please contact CAS RSVP.