Who We Are

The Rhode Island Food Center at the University of Rhode Island is a resource center where members of the Rhode Island food system can seek answers, find partners, create innovations, and educate consumers. The center is a program of the URI Business Engagement Center (BEC) in partnership with the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences and the URI College of Business.

The Food Center serves as a place where farmers, growers, producers, distributors, servers, retailers, supporters, and other pioneers can easily access URI’s agricultural resources, wider food expertise, researchers, students, and business support programs. The center provides URI students with unique opportunities to connect with the industry and get practical experience in the food sector.

Each year, the Food Center hosts the Rhode Island Food System Summit, an regional event that focuses on bringing together stakeholders to address issues and challenges within the Rhode Island, New England, and even national food system. To stay up-to-date on all Rhode Island Food System Summit announcements, sign up for our mailing list.

Read the URI Land Acknowledgement.

Staff

 

Contributing Faculty & Staff

 

 

Other Contributing Faculty & Staff

• Christy Ashley, Associate Professor of Marketing, URI College of Business Administration
• Azure Cygler, Coastal Research Associate/Fisheries and Aquaculture Specialist, Coastal Resources Center/RI Sea Grant
• Cathy English, Professor and Chair of Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, URI College of Health Sciences
• Marta Gomez-Chiarri, Professor and Chair of Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
• Art Gold, Professor and Chair of Department of Natural Resources Science, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
• Heidi Hetzler, Program Coordinator of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education
• Maria Peterson, Assistant Professor in Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
• Kristy Horan, Volunteer Coordinator for Rhode Island 4-H
• Sejal Lanterman, Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for URI Cooperative Extension
• Becky Sartini, Associate Professor in Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
• Tom Sproul, Associate Professor in Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
• Lisa Tewksbury, Research Associate in Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
• Carol Thornber, Associate Dean of Research and Professor in Department of Natural Resources Science, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
• Kate Venturini, Regenerative Landscape Design Specialist for URI Cooperative Extension
• Vanessa Venturini, Program Development Specialist for URI Master Gardener Program
• Heidi Wright, Program Coordinator for Rhode Island 4-H

External Partners

• Rhode Island Food Policy Council
• Program Director of Food Strategy at CommerceRI
• Young Farmers Network of Southeastern New England
• Rhode Island Farm Bureau
• Rhode Island Fruit Growers Association
• Rhode Island Raised Livestock Association
• Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association
• New England Farmers Union
• Rhode Island Association of Conservation Districts
• Rhode Island Farm Energy Program
• Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture
• USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
• USDA Rural Development
• USDA Farm Services Agency
• Farm Credit East
• Rhode Island Small Business Development Center
• Rhode Island Agricultural Council
• Farm Fresh Rhode Island
• Rhode Island Resource Conservation and Development Council
• Southside Community Land Trust
• Northeast Organic Farming Association of Rhode Island
• Northeast Organic Farming Association of Massachusetts
• Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut
• University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management Program
• University of Connecticut Biodiversity Education & Research Greenhouses
• University of Massachusetts Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment