Interested in mobile food vending, Chad Snader evaluated different value propositions and developed a business plan for a food truck that would be a bridge between eaters and local food producers, addressing the challenges of local sourcing, menu development, pricing, and transparency.

Courtney Bonzo researched the pedagogy of food literacy to create a hands-on primer focused on families. Through activities that can be done together, she empowers families with a foundation for understanding food systems sustainability.

Sherri Pinero discusses her innovative Capstone project, a guide to creating a hospital-based edible educational garden, framed around nutrition and culinary programs. A model now being embraced by Kaiser Permanente, Sherri’s guide provides a socially responsible health education model that supports environmental nutrition dietary recommendations.

Cassie Greenberg brings her own business experience forward in her Capstone, a working template for business consultants interested in helping small local farms and food businesses become successful. She talks about how plugging into her step-by-step guide sets business consultants on a path to become involved in the food movement while also helping food entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of growing a values-based business.

Working for Slow Food Denver, Hannah Keitel noticed there was an opportunity to improve the impact of food security work in the city by engaging a variety of stakeholders with an asset-based collaborative network map. She discusses the model and network mapping tool she developed in her Capstone to facilitate diversity, improved communication, more opportunities, and strategic partnerships

Brooke Franklin’s experience of managing a school hydroponic tower garden in her bioregion led to her choice of capstone topic, in which she tackles a comprehensive review of research that on the barriers to having a school garden program and what facilitates success.

Molly Fenske shares her experiences in creating a guidebook to opening dialogue opportunities between consultants and dairy farmers that addresses operational challenges and strategies that will enable them to implement sustainable solutions that are visible to consumers.

After 25 years in the culinary industry, Mike Dewes, Culinary Director of the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier, VT, has created a Veteran-focused Culinary Sustainability Program and discusses the impact of veteran-focused food systems education focused on sustainability.