From Field to Market: Mapping Distribution Pathways for Local Producers

From Field to Market: Mapping Distribution Pathways for Local Producers is a two-hour hands-on workshop hosted by The Capital Market, in partnership with the Prince George’s County Urban Farm Incubator, focused on supporting local farmers and value-added food businesses make sense of today’s shifting food distribution landscape.

As emergency procurement programs like LFPA sunset, many producers are being asked to operate in markets where pricing, volume, and access no longer align with the true costs of growing food.

Through facilitated conversation and guided activities, this session supports farmers, value-added producers, and buyers in examining real tradeoffs, identifying viable combinations of sales channels, and developing a strategy for rebuilding volume, spreading risk, and strengthening long-term market resiliency.

Morning refreshments & afternoon lunch are provided.

Workshop Agenda

• 9:45am - Participant check-in; breakfast and light refreshments
• 10:00am - Welcome, Introductions,
• 10:10am - Panel Opening and Discussion
• 10:40am - Audience Q & A with Panel
• 10:50am - Bio Break
• 11:00am - Activity: Mapping Distribution Pathways for Local Producers
• 11:50am - closeout and shareout

Panelists:

This panel features leaders from different sectors of the local food supply chain to discuss their role and offer guidance to growing farmers with related business goals. With their experience in farm production, direct-to-consumer sales, aggregation, added-value production and online marketing, this team collectively holds a wealth of knowledge they are ready and willing to share in alignment with their committment to community.

Gail Taylor, Three Part Harmony Farm

Gail Taylor is founder and steward of the first commercial farm in Washington, DC, Three Part Harmony Farm. For the past 14 years, she has managed a successful 100-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), sold at farmers markets, and has also been a champion advocating for equitable food policy for urban farmers in the region. Her work has recently expanded to Prince George's County with Spice Creek Enterprise in Brandywine, MD. The Patuxent River agrarian corridor will serve as a produce retail space while extending the capacity of their farm and others like it to serve the community with training opportunities and knowledge sharing.

Thelonius Cook, Mighty Thundercloud Edible Forest, Mid-Atlantic Black Farmers Caucus

Thelonius Cook is the mastermind behind the 7.5 acre sustainable farm in Hampton, Virginia and Eastern Shore, VA. He plants cultural niche products like callaloo, hibiscus, turmeric, and ginger and has managed a thriving CSA, sold at farmers markets, and developed value-added products like Ginger Switchel, Hibiscus Jam and baby food sold to distributors and at markets. He is also the Board President of The Mid-Atlantic Black Farmers Caucus, a regional cooperative of Black Farmers working towards food security for distressed communities while building an economically viable and environmentally sustainable food system. Through innovative marketing, like an online Black Farmer Marketplace, aggregation, and technical assistance, this initiative is focused on creating new market opportunities and income for Black farmers.

Takoma Park Food Co-Op

The Takoma Park Silver Spring Food Co-op promotes healthful living by offering wholesome foods, high-quality produce, and community resources in a clean, friendly and cooperatively owned grocery store. Their mission is to ensure that their customers have access to goods produced in socially and environmentally responsible ways, with an emphasis on local and organic foods, at reasonable prices and in a welcoming community marketplace setting.

Chris Bradshaw, Dreaming Out Loud

Chris is the founder and Executive Director of Dreaming Out Loud. Dreaming Out Loud has been rebuilding urban, community-based food systems, helping to increase access to healthy food and improve community health since 2008. Through their food hub, they procure from farmers and value-aligned food producers from the DC area and across the region to redistribute through their CSA and farmers' markets. In September, Dreaming Out Loud opened its first full-service grocery store and community space, Marion Barry Avenue Market and Cafe, in Southeast.

Moderator

Ashley Drakeford, Maryland’s Intergovernmental Commission for Agriculture

Ashley Drakeford is a lifelong Prince George’s County resident and community advocate committed to building more just and connected local food systems. She is a co-founder of The Capital Market and was recently appointed to the State of Maryland Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee, as well as Governor Wes Moore’s Intergovernmental Commission for Agriculture, where she helps shape policies that support urban growers and community-based agriculture. A graduate of North Carolina A&T State University with a B.A. in Cultural Thought, Ashley is driven by a deep commitment to getting involved, giving back, and connecting people. She also serves as a Board Member of EndoBlack, a Black women-led organization advocating for Black women and women of color impacted by endometriosis.

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