Youth Forum & Expo: Food, Farming and Active Living

Sarah Pappas | Baum Forum

Sarah grew up interested in youth empowerment, multi-cultural food experiences, and climbing trees. As a young adult, her food systems work began with an AmeriCorps service year working with the NYC teen nutrition program EATWISE. In 2008, Sarah built on her passion for equitable food access by learning to farm as an Apprentice in Ecological Horticulture at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. In 2007 and 2008 she helped organize conferences with the excellent grassroots network of youth in agriculture, Rooted In Community. She is currently very excited to be bringing young activists and educators together for the Youth Forum & Expo. After the conference, she will be growing food and cultivating young farmers at the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, an educational non-profit farm. Sarah also enjoys cooking, eating, and sharing all manner of vegetables; knitting (for the revolution); biking; and inspirational sports movies. [Photo: Sarah Baker]

Ryan Wood | Baum Forum

Ryan is engaged with sustainability education and is practically married to environmental justice. Before joining the Baum Forum he worked, usually for free, with a diverse range of non-governmental organizations around the NYC area, including Sustainable South Bronx, Community Food Security Coalition, and the Village Community Boathouse. He moonlights each spring as a caucus member of the Youth Major Group of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. During his liberal arts undergraduate education at The New School, he chaired a campus ecology group, Renew School, and he takes full credit/blame if the name of the group made you smile/cringe. He also wrote environment science and advocacy articles for the school newspaper, the Free Press. During his free time he writes pop-philosophy and awful poetry, composes music a six-year old would be ashamed of, builds boats, takes pictures of garbage, and explores the beautifully convoluted points where NYC’s nature and urbanity interact. [Photo: Matthew Sussman]

Shanon Morris | Teachers College, Columbia University

Shanon basically lives in the gym but when she isn’t in the gym she is saving the day as a Registered Dietitian. She is currently working at a community based organization for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS called Iris House. She received a bachelors of science from Howard University in nutritional sciences, where she played Division One lacrosse on a full athletic scholarship. Shanon is currently finishing up her Masters of Science from Columbia University, in Applied Physiology and Nutrition. In the future, she aims to work with aspiring and professional athletes, helping them perform to the best of their ability. She hopes to empower people to make lasting lifestyle changes to improve all over health.

Hilary Baum | Baum Forum

Hilary produces educational seminars, conferences and special events focusing on critical issues in food and farming. Her major project for 2009 is Youth Forum & Expo: Opportunities in Food, Farming and Active Living. She is president of Baum Forum/ Public Market Partners, a not for profit corporation, and was the founding coordinating director of Food Systems Network NYC, a collaboration of agencies and individuals engaged in work that furthers access to wholesome, regional food. Hilary has been involved in the development of farmers’ and public markets, agricultural marketing programs, and community supported agriculture, and is co-author of Public Markets and Community Revitalization. She is a board member of Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, the Hawthorne Valley Association, Riverdale CSA, and was an advisor to the NYC Wholesale Farmers’ Market.