Reflections from the American Farmland Trust NY/NJ Spring Council Meeting
On Thursday May 15th, the Foodshed Alliance was honored to collaborate with the American Farmland Trust NY/NJ Annual Spring Council Meeting, hosted at the iconic Marksboro Mills in Warren County, NJ. It was more than a meeting — it was a gathering of the community surrounding the resurgence of the local grains movement, from across New Jersey and New York, bringing together newcomers and seasoned leaders alike to grow a shared vision of a regenerative, regional food system.
The day was full of deep discussion and renewed purpose – kicking off with a 100% local breakfast of cheeses from Jersey Artisan Co., buns, muffins, and breads made from River Valley Community Grains flours, all prepared by Marksboro Mills bakers Judy of A Local Bite and Michael of Rustic Grains bakery. Teas and coffee came from local roasters, Campagna Coffee.
The event progressed to a robust panel of emerging veterans in the Local Grains Movement, so participants could hear from Farmers, Nonprofit leaders, as well as millers and retailers, all working together in this space.
The key voices on the panel included our own Kendrya Close, Executive Director of the Foodshed Alliance; Larry Mahmarian, Co-founder of River Valley Community Grains; Heidi Dolnick, Founder and Owner of United Mills Flour & Grain; Klaas Martens, Organic Farmer at Lakeview Organic Grains in NY and AFT Board Member; Scott Morgan, Organic Farmer at Morganics Family Farm and NOFA-NJ; Ruthie Perretti, Founder of Marksboro Mills and Foodshed Alliance Board Member; as well as moderator: Elizabeth Dyck of OGRIN (Organic Growers’ Research and Information-Sharing Network).
The focus of the panel discussion was threefold:
- Build awareness around new opportunities that exist for small grains
growers; - Foster connectivity amongst major players in the regional NY and NJ
small grains space – across a spectrum of expertise; - Explore market opportunities and potential: for farmers, investors,
entrepreneurs, non-operating landowners, and more.
Following a thoughtfully curated, and again 100% local lunch. Participants broke into two groups to take turns touring the nearby grain fields and equipment yard at Ruthie’s Farm; as well as River Valley Community Grains’ milling operations at Marksboro Mills.
Throughout the entire day we explored:
- The urgency of protecting farmland to enable regenerative practices
- The revitalization of a regional grain economy rooted in stewardship and sustainability
- The critical role of state policy in prioritizing working farms and empowering farmers
- How collective action is essential to building the systems that support soil health, farmer success, and strong local economies
For those of us just beginning to experiment with growing small grains in New Jersey, this was a truly energizing moment. We learned from some of the Northeast’s most established natural growers, who generously shared wisdom, techniques, and the hard-earned lessons of decades of work in this space.
We’re especially grateful to our hosts at Marksboro Mills and River Valley Community Grains — Ruthie Perretti, Larry Mahmarian, and Lenny Bussanich — for creating the space for these critical conversations, and to longtime partner American Farmland Trust-NY/NJ for bringing us all together, your professionalism, and ongoing support.
As we debriefed the next morning, one thing was clear: this is just the beginning. We’re committed to keeping the dialogue going, building stronger connections between growers, processors, millers, bakers, and supporters; all working together to ensure farms and farmers not only survive but thrive.
The main takeaway from this meeting is that we are all stronger together, and future collaboration is absolutely the key to collective success. Because restoring a regional grain economy — and a regenerative food system — takes all of us.
To stay in touch about the regenerative grains work; be sure to sign up for our email newsletter, follow us on socials, and check in on our Grains webpage as we update it!
