{"id":21208,"date":"2025-11-19T11:46:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T16:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/?page_id=21208"},"modified":"2026-01-09T13:22:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T18:22:49","slug":"2026-rhode-island-food-system-summit","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/2026-rhode-island-food-system-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Rhode Island Food System Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Giving-Promo.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Giving-Promo.jpg 840w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Giving-Promo-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Giving-Promo-768x594.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Giving-Promo-364x282.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Giving-Promo-500x387.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Meet the Moment: What are we doing now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>January 13, 2026 <\/strong>(snow date \u2013 January 20, 2026) <br>9 am \u2013 4:30 pm&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parking will be available on the street along Flagg Rd, or in Lots 6\/7 (Fine Arts). This lot is near the intersection of Flagg Road and Old North Road.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>University of Rhode Island, Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences, 120 Flagg Road, Kingston, RI and lunch is included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please join us for the 2026 Rhode Island Food System Summit\u2014our first time since the pandemic to gather in person as a statewide community of leaders, innovators, and changemakers. This convening on the URI campus is more than a meeting; it is a powerful act of coming together to \u201cmeet the moment\u201d in building a resilient, equitable food future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our keynote speaker,&nbsp;<strong>Melissa Cherney, CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank<\/strong>, embodies the theme as she steps into leadership at one of the state\u2019s most vital institutions, guiding Rhode Island toward a new era of food security and justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two dynamic panels will anchor the Summit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mobilizing for Food Security: Community Solutions in Action:&nbsp;<\/strong>will&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>feature grassroots, nonprofit, and business leaders who are tackling hunger and inequity with creativity and courage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthening the Middle of the Local Supply Chain&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;will highlight strategies to connect farmers, fishers, and makers with distributors, institutions, and wholesale buyers to unlock generational wealth and shared prosperity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Breakout sessions will spotlight projects aligned with Rhode Island\u2019s food strategy, offering participants the chance to learn from innovative initiatives, share ideas, and build new collaborations. These sessions are designed to spark dialogue, strengthen partnerships, and provide momentum for&nbsp;<strong>Relish Rhody 2.0<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This&nbsp;year&#8217;s Summit is a forum for hope and collective resolve. Together, we will honor the remarkable work of our colleagues, confront generationally novel challenges, and chart a path forward with confidence\u2014knowing that Rhode Island\u2019s food system can and will rise to the moment with unity and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Special Thanks<\/strong><br>This year\u2019s Summit is made possible by the generosity of our Presenting Sponsor,&nbsp;<strong>Vicente\u2019s Tropical Supermarket<\/strong>. Thanks to their support, the 2026 Rhode Island Food System Summit will be free to attend for all participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>At-a-Glance Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>8:00 AM<\/strong>&nbsp;Registration &amp; Networking Breakfast<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>9:00 AM<\/strong>&nbsp;Welcome &amp; Keynote (Melissa Cherney)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>9:35 AM<\/strong>&nbsp;Panel 1: Community Food Access<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>10:30 AM<\/strong>&nbsp;Breakout Sessions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>11:30 AM<\/strong>&nbsp;RI Farm-to-Campus Lunch &amp; Displays<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1:00 PM<\/strong>&nbsp;Panel 2: Strengthening the Supply Chain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2:00 PM<\/strong>&nbsp;Breakout Sessions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>3:15 PM<\/strong>&nbsp;Closing Remarks &amp; Next Steps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>4:30 PM<\/strong>&nbsp;Happy Hour at Local Business<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Registration is free<\/h2>\n\n\n<a class=\"cl-button  \" href=\"https:\/\/www.givecampus.com\/schools\/UniversityofRhodeIslandFoundation\/events\/2026-rhode-island-food-system-summit\" title=\"\">register here<\/a>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:43px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sponsors:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-1024x383.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21243\" style=\"width:336px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-1024x383.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-300x112.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-768x287.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-1536x575.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-2048x766.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-364x136.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-500x187.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-1000x374.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-1280x479.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-2000x748.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/Vicentes-Super-Market-High-Res-scaled.jpg 2560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"414\" height=\"151\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/press.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21244\" style=\"width:345px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/press.jpg 414w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/press-300x109.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2130\/press-364x133.jpg 364w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meet the Moment: What are we doing now? January 13, 2026 (snow date \u2013 January 20, 2026) 9 am \u2013 4:30 pm&nbsp; Parking will be available on the street along Flagg Rd, or in Lots 6\/7 (Fine Arts). This lot is near the intersection of Flagg Road and Old North Road. University of Rhode Island, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5144,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-21208","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5144"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21208"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21310,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21208\/revisions\/21310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}