Michael Hamm is the C. S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University and head of the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU. Mike is affiliated with the Departments of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies; Crop and Soil Sciences; and Food Science and Human Nutrition. His appointment encompasses teaching, the Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension. The work of the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU is focused on small and medium scale family farm viability, equal access by all members of a community to a healthy diet, and dispersing animals in the countryside. Prior to moving to MSU he was Dean of Academic and Student Programs for Cook College, Rutgers University. As a faculty member at Rutgers University he was co-founder and director of the New Jersey Urban Ecology Program, an effort that brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds to address sustainable food systems in New Jersey. He was also faciitator for the New Jersey Cooperative Gleaning Network since 1998 and the founding director of the Cook Student Organic Farm from 1993 to 1998. He was board member and board president of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey. He does research in the areas of community food security, community and sustainable food systems.

Anne Conwell is an East Lansing native. Following graduation from MSU with a liberal arts degree, she moved to Ohio, then Virginia. In 1978 she returned to her roots and began a career at MSU. That twenty-five-plus-year career has been spent in four colleges, the latest being the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. As secretary to Mike Hamm, the current C.S. Mott Chair of Sustainable Agriculture, and secretary to Richard Harwood, the former C.S. Mott Chair, she has had a fifteen-year indoctrination to the production and consumer sides of sustainable agriculture.

Kimberly Chung is an assistant professor in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. Kim is trained as a nutritionist and agricultural economist. Her work with the Mott Group focuses on increasing civic engagement around issues pertaining to food security, with specific emphasis on marginalized and underprivileged populations. Kim teaches graduate courses on Qualitative Research Techniques as well as Community Resource Development. She is particularly interested in community-based and participatory approaches toward research.

Susan Cocciarelli

Susan Cocciarelli is an academic specialist with focused efforts on community-based finance, asset building, agri-business, effective land use, and market niches and linkages to a sustainable community food system. Susan provides technical assistance, research efforts, and effective practice-sharing toward these efforts. Susan’s work experience includes technical assistance in developing and direct governance of two microenterprise loan funds in Michigan; the development and implementation of Individual Development Accounts programs in schools, community based service organizations, community development corporations, and low income credit unions; and Board development and training to emerging community development corporations. She currently is coordinating a statewide EITC-Financial Education-Financial Services Learning Demonstration initiative in Michigan communities.

Michigan State University
302C Natural Resources
East Lansing, MI  48824
Phone - (517) 432-4525
cocciare@msu.edu

David Conner

David Conner is a research specialist studying economic impacts of community-based food systems and marketing of sustainable raised products. David holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics and a Masters in Extension Education, with an educational background in food distribution and marketing, farm management, consumer economics, and adult education. His areas of interest include organic agriculture, food entrepreneurship and value chain development.

Michigan State University
303 Natural Resources
East Lansing, MI  48824
Phone - (517) 353-1914
connerd@msu.edu

Colleen Matts

Colleen Matts is an Outreach Specialist for farm to school.  Colleen has an educational background in agriculture and food policy and community development around local and sustainable food systems.  Prior to joining the Mott Group, Colleen coordinated outreach and communication efforts for an immigrant farming project and worked as a consultant on projects focusing on farm to hospital, local dairy marketing, and organic dairy policy and production.  Her work with the Mott Group involves coordination of farm to school efforts through a statewide coalition comprised of school food service staff, farmers, distributors, state agencies, community organizations, and commodity groups.  

Michigan State University
303 Natural Resources
East Lansing, MI  48824-1222
Phone - (517) 432-0310
Fax - (517) 353-3834
matts@msu.edu

Vicki Morrone

Vicki Morrone is an outreach specialist to serve organic vegetable and field crop producers. Her educational background in plant pathology and plant science provide a framework for her work in production and pest management outreach and research programs serving Michigan organic and transition producers of field crops and/or vegetables. Vicki’s interests include cover crop systems, sustainable and organic integrated pest management, outreach to new farmers, sustainable agriculture in developing countries and integrated farming systems.

Additionally, Vicki’s role includes the promotion and facilitation of research opportunities with MSU faculty, and to create outreach programs to deliver information to farming communities.  Information and events on organic ag production can be found at Michigan’s organic web site www.michiganorganic.msu.edu.

Michael Score

Michael Score is an agricultural educator with Michigan State University Extension. His M.A. in rural sociology and B.S. in crop and soil sciences provide a background in agronomy, land use, public policy, leadership development, and agricultural economic development. Mike’s work within the Mott Group includes the establishment of Food Buyers Clubs in urban communities, regional agricultural economic development, and the evaluation of pasture-based livestock systems.

MSUE Agricultural Educator
P.O. Box 8645
Ann Arbor, MI. 48107
East Lansing, MI  48824-1222
Cell Phone - 403-1025
Fax - {734} 222-3990
score@msu.edu

Anne Scott

Anne Scott serves as director/project coordinator for the Michigan Youth Farm Stand Project as part of the Mott Group. She received her MSU undergraduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning.  During this period she performed an independent study of urban agriculture in Detroit, completed her capstone course with a farmers' market redevelopment study for the Fulton Street Farmers' Market in Grand Rapids and concluded her undergraduate work with an intensive farming internship at the MSU Student Organic Farm.  Also during this stage, she served as an intern for the Lansing Planning and Neighborhood Development Office, and the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition. As a Lansing resident, Anne has been a volunteer in several Lansing community development projects related to housing rehab in low-income neighborhoods. Anne’s interests are youth engagement in community development and land use planning for food systems.

Michigan State University
303 Natural Resources Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-0751
scottann@msu.edu

Susan Smalley is an extension specialist for Sustainable Food and Farming Systems. Her work focuses on how to develop and enhance farmers’ markets, with interests in local food, sustainable farming, organic farming, direct marketing, and sustainable food and farming business development. Susan has additional experience in non-formal education and leadership development, including Myers-Briggs, experiential learning and new instructional approaches. She serves as the Michigan coordinator for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and the coordinator for small and part-time farming.

303 Natural Resources Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1222
Phone - {517) 432-0049
Fax - (517) 353-3834
smalley3@msu.edu

STUDENTS

Betty Izumi will complete her PhD in 2008 from Michigan State University where she works and studies with the CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems. She received her Master’s in Public Health and her Registered Dietitian credential at the University of California, Berkeley and her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics at the University of British Columbia. Betty’s research examines the complexity of farm to school programs, which collectively comprise a national and local effort to integrate locally grown foods into public K-12 schools, from the perspectives of farmers, food service professionals, and food distributors. Prior to moving to Michigan in 2004, Betty worked with the Oregon State University Extension Service in the Portland metro area where she collaborated with government agencies, schools, and non-profit organizations to address issues such as lack of access to healthful foods and barriers to farming among recent immigrants. Broadly, her interests include nutrition, food access, community-based food systems, sustainable agriculture, and community-based participatory research approaches. Betty will be part of the 2008-2010 cohort of the Kellogg Health Scholars Program and will be at the University of Michigan School of Public Health training site.

Betty T. Izumi, MPH, RD
Doctoral Student
C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems
Michigan State University
Department of CARRS
131 Natural Resources Building
East Lansing , MI  48824-1222
Phone - (517) 420-6619
izumibet@msu.edu

Kathryn Colasanti

Derrick Kiyabu