SERA47: Local and Regional Food Systems Extension and Research: network development, emerging issues and policy development

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[02/15/2021] [02/14/2023] [02/12/2024] [02/27/2025] [01/23/2026]

Date of Annual Report: 02/15/2021

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/13/2021 - 12/15/2021
Period the Report Covers: 12/01/2020 - 12/14/2021

Participants

The registrant breakdown is as follows:
● 1862 Land Grant: 48
● 1890 Land Grant: 25
● 1994 Land Grant: 1
● Non-Land Grant: 4
● External to Higher Education: 15
The institutions and organizations represented included:

● Alabama A&M University
● Alabama Cooperative Extension System
● Americorps
● Aramark
● Clemson University
● Colorado State University Extension
● Delaware State University
● Florida Food Policy Council
● Florida A and M University
● Georgia Organics
● Hometown Foods, LLC.
● Iowa State University Extension
● Langston University
● Lincoln University
● Louisiana State University & LSU AgCenter
● Mississippi State University
● North Carolina State Extension, NC State, & NC A&T State University
● Oklahoma State University
● RAO Community Health
● Rural Organizing.org
● Southern Rural Development Center
● Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center
● Texas A&M University
● Tuskegee University & Cooperative Extension
● University of Arkansas & Extension
● University of Florida/IFAS Extension & University of Florida
● University of Kentucky
● University of Maryland Eastern Shore
● University of Puerto Rico, Agricultural Experiment Station
● University of Tennessee Extension
● University of Virgin Islands
● USDA Ag Marketing
● USDA – NIFA
● Utah State University
● Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, & Virginia State University

Actual meeting attendance throughout the annual meeting included:
• Day 1: 66
• Day 2: 31
• Day 3: 53

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

Meeting Overview.docx

Accomplishments

Activities.  The SERA-47 group in 2021 had four working groups to accomplish the objectives of the proposal.  Each working group had two core leaders to plan and guide the various activities. Resource bank, working group. <ul> <li>This working group identified, created, and shared funding opportunities relevant to the SERA-47 group. Funding opportunities were posted at <a href="https://sera-47.extension.org/funding-opportunities/">https://sera-47.extension.org/funding-opportunities/</a>. One of the challenges we experienced associated with this activity is that this information needs constant updating in a time-sensitive manner.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>The working group created a new topic on Food Production with information and links in six areas: 1) small-scale horticultural food crop production, 2) small-scale animal production, 3) marketing plan, 4) marketing channels, 5) value-added products, and 6) financing. The website is developed by Oklahoma State University Extension and is a collection of resources from several institutions. <a href="https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/local-food-systems/resources.html">https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/local-food-systems/resources.html</a>.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>To understand the creation of a directory of personnel associated with local food systems, the working group members reached out to Courtney Long, a Community Food Systems Program Manager with Iowa State University Extension. Courtney shared an overview of the “Food System Practitioner and Educator Resource Database.”</li> </ul>       Strengthen impact evaluation, working group. <ul> <li>The working group spent the majority of the year working through several discussions and iterations on the new SERA-47 proposal, effective 10/01/2021 through 09/30/2026.</li> </ul>   Successful models, working group. <ul> <li>To increase understanding of the models and best practices associated with land grant work in local and regional food systems work, team members finalized an interview protocol, assigned and trained state contacts to collect data, and explore grant funding opportunities. Interviews were completed in 3 states and 2 more states are in progress. The Internal Review Board proved to be an expected hurdle for two states, which has delayed data collection. The timeline to complete the project has been extended.</li> </ul>   Learning communities, working group. <ul> <li>The team members held two “Tea and Coffee hour” sessions over zoom to bring together growers, specialists, agents, and consumers from the southern region to understand how farmers adapted to the pandemic situation, what problems consumers and growers faced, and how extension helped or could have handled the situation differently.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>The group hosted five bi-monthly learning webinars during 2021 on topics that included building local and equitable food systems from farm to institution, marketing strategies, and managing a business during the pandemic.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Highlighted the SERA 47 working model, accomplishments, and ongoing work of the SERA 47 members via zoom through a Panel Session at the Just Food 2021 Conference hosted by the Agriculture, Food, and Human Value Society <<a href="https://www.food-culture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/JUST-FOOD_Abstract.pdf">https://www.food-culture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/JUST-FOOD_Abstract.pdf</a>> and through a Planned Workshop in a hybrid format, at the American Society for Horticultural Sciences Annual Conference. <<a href="https://ashs.confex.com/ashs/2021/meetingapp.cgi/Session/10683">https://ashs.confex.com/ashs/2021/meetingapp.cgi/Session/10683</a>>.</li> </ul>

Publications

Settle, Q., Morrison, C. C., Felter, L., & Taylor, J. (2021). Identifying the 10 most pressing issues facing local food systems in the southern region. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 9(1), 208-217.   Zoumenou, V., Coleman, M., Samtani, J., Lamie, D., Settle, Q., Dankbar, H., Cole-Crosby I., Settle, Q., Hossfeld, L., Burney, J., Garner, R., Vines, K., Carro-Figueroa, V.,  Welborn, R. (2021). SERA 47: A USDA multistate Extension and Research Group- 5 years of Experiences: Lessons Learned. HortScience 56(9):S172.

Impact Statements

Resource bank, working group. - Funding announcements and links to granting agencies provided opportunities for SERA members to collaborate on funding proposals. One federal-level proposal was submitted to USDA-NIFA by the SERA-47 group but was not funded after review. - The Food Production topic provides a useful resource for the southern region’s local food systems stakeholders. - Plans are underway to work with Iowa State University for creating a directory. Strengthen impact evaluation, working group. - The recent renewal of SERA-47 provides continuity to outreach and collaborative efforts in progress and will promote more applied research on the emerging needs of our stakeholders, challenges, and barriers faced by local, regional food (LRFS) system entrepreneurs. As our recent pressing issues survey showed, many regional experts believe that further LRFS goals would require policy changes in several fronts ranging from market promotion, farmland protection, land tenure legislation, demographic and labor market issues, and community nutrition education. Accordingly, research and extension activities aimed at providing evidence for public policy recommendations at the local, state, or regional level have also been incorporated as a new important project thrust. This effort will help institutionalize resilient local food systems and offer systemic support for local food producers and businesses. Finally, continued efforts to bind together this unique interdisciplinary, inter-institutional group of LGU research and extension faculty and staff will help to develop an informed base of leadership within the region that are capable of better positioning our system to build capacity to serve our constituencies with important local, regional, and national food system initiatives. Successful models, working group. - Team members developed a strategy to publish the findings in 2022. A Ph.D. student working with Karen Vines at Virginia Tech is assisting with interviews, transcription, and data analysis for the project Learning community, working group. - We had 35 participants in the first tea and coffee hour, and 20 in the second session. The participants liked hearing from each other and were able to relate to others’ experiences as well as learn from the conversations. - The webinars reached out to an audience of 232 across university faculty and researchers and extension staff from 1890 and 1862 institutions, USDA staff, community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, producers, and farmers. - Tea and Coffee hour sessions, webinars, and annual meeting events are posted recently on youtube at <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3AiY2-BDtmV_Zij6ZZPzPdCqBtipan-s> - Showcasing the work of SERA-47 members through conference presentations has helped extension services become familiar with what the SERA-47 group does and with each other’s expertise and research areas.

Date of Annual Report: 02/14/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/14/2022 - 12/16/2022
Period the Report Covers: 12/01/2021 - 12/01/2022

Participants

Bloom, J Dara, Breazeale, Nicole,Buckingham-Schutt, Lyndi,Burney, Janie L, Campbell, Catherine, Cistrunk, Kenya, Coker, Christine E, Coleman, Marcus, Dankbar, Hannah, Dixit, Naveen Kumar, Garner, Russ, Green, John J, Hossfeld, Leslie, Hu, Bizhen, Hughes, David w, Lamie, Ronald, Motsenbocker, Carl, Murphree, Millie, Ohletz, Janel Louise, Philyaw Perez, Amanda, Samtani, Jayesh B, Settle, Quisto, Vines, Karen, Weinstein, Meredith, Welborn, Rachel C, Woods, Timothy A, Woods, Kristin, Zoumenou, Virginie

Participants Attachment:

2022 Annual Report.pdf

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

2022 Annual Report.pdf

Accomplishments

The SERA-47 resource platform was highlighted by Dr. Jayesh Samtani in a local food systems workshop titled "Team engagement to foster local food systems research and outreach" at the 2022 American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference held on August 1, 2022 in Chicago, IL. Dr. Marcus Comer and Russ Garner preseented a 20-mintue session "strengthening the souther region extension and research system to support local & regional foods needs and priorities" under building partnerships and collaboration track at the agriculture marketing summit in Pensacola, FL  Throught the above activities, over 100 people were informaed of the recent activites of SERA-47 group. Stakeholders are more aware of resources and activities that are ongoing in the southern region in the local food systems arena. One arrendee commented after the annual conference "Thank you for the opportunity to attend! I made a lot of notes of books to read and new ways of approaching marketing, evaluation, and needs assessments from presenters. It was a very worthwhile program."

Publications

N/A

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 02/12/2024

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/11/2023 - 12/11/2023
Period the Report Covers: 12/19/2022 - 02/06/2024

Participants

See attached for participants at the December 2023 annual SERA-47 virtual meeting.

Brief Summary of Minutes

See attached meeting notes.

Accomplishments

--Active Listserv – 208 members --General Membership Virtual Meetings – three (3) to discuss research and Extension interests and proposal development opportunities. --Activities: Activity 1. HBCU Agriculture Business Innovation Center Webinar An overview of the HBCU Agriculture Business Innovation Center at North Carolina A&T State University was presented by Kenrett Jefferson-Moore.  The presentation provided the overall goal, objectives and expected outcomes of the center. Project partners include Alabama A&M University, Kentucky State University, and West Virginia State University with stakeholder, technical, and executive advisory board that covers four regional territories serving Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  The webinar was held on September 7, 2023. Activity 2. SERA-47 Annual Meeting Overview SERA-47 Local & Regional Foods annual meeting allowed Extension and research colleagues in the Southern region to come and share the great work they are doing and explore how it might be expanded throughout the region. The 2023 annual meeting for ‘Local and Regional Food Systems’ took place virtually via Zoom and was hosted by the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University. The objectives of the 2023 Annual Meeting were to: ●     Learn what is happening across the nation and region through lightning talks. ●     Learn how colleagues can better collaborate across disciplinary and state lines through the USDA’s Regional Food Business Centers. Activity 3. In-Person Meeting in Collaboration with the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA) and Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (SAAS) SERA-47 Local & Regional Foods met in person during the SRSA and SAAS meetings in Atlanta, Georgia on February 5, 2024. This meeting was to foster discussion among extension and research colleagues in the Southern region to come and share the great work they are doing and explore how it might be expanded throughout the region.  The discussion was led by Russ Garner and Kenrett Jefferson-Moore served as reporter.  The agenda included the following items: ●     What is SERA-47? ●     SERA-47 Overview. ●     Current Priorities. ●     2024 Leadership. ●     SERA-47 2023 Activities. ●     Building Collaboration between SERA-47, SRSA, SAAS, and SRDC. ●     Discussion among Attendees on Current Interests in Local and Regional Food Systems.

Publications

N/A.

Impact Statements

Through the above activities, over 200 people were informed of the recent activities of SERA- 47 group through the listserv, webinar, virtual meeting, and face-to-face meeting.
Stakeholders are more aware of resources and activities that are ongoing in the southern region in the local food systems arena. One of the in-person meetings mentioned that they appreciated the strengthening of collaborations between 1890 and 1862 Land-Grant institutions.

Date of Annual Report: 02/27/2025

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/10/2024 - 12/10/2024
Period the Report Covers: 03/01/2024 - 02/28/2025

Participants

2024 Leadership:
Chair: Russ Garner, Communities Unlimited
Co-Chair: Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, North Carolina A & T State University
Secretary: Kaylee South, Virginia Tech
Administrative Support: Grace Langford and John J. Green, Southern Rural Development Center
Administrative Advisors: Dr. Scott Senseman, Oklahoma State University; Dr. C. Dale Monks, North Carolina State University
NIFA Representatives: Mallory Koenings, NIFA: USDA; Lydia Kaume, NIFA: USDA

Active Listserv:
# of members: 186

Virtual Annual Meeting: 23 participants. Please see the attached list of annual meeting attendees.

Brief Summary of Minutes

Brief summary of minutes of annual meeting:

The Local and Regional Food Systems (SERA-47) Multi-State Initiative’s Annual Meeting took place virtually over Zoom on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm CT (11:00 am to 2:00 pm ET). SERA-47 and non-SERA-47 members were encouraged to attend the meeting. The meeting started with a 30-minute kickoff including Welcome, Introductions, Overview of the SERA-47 Multi-State Initiative by Chair, Russ Garner. He reviewed the history of SERA-47 and highlighted past accomplishments such as the online resource bank. He also touched on current objectives including to: 1) increase interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations and networking efforts among Extension and research food system professionals across our region and beyond; 2) identify current and emerging issues specific to food system development in the Southern region; and 3) assess local food system policy opportunities for expansion, environmental change, and economic development issues, make policy recommendations, and develop best practices for communities across the region. All attendees introduced themselves.

The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) Updates were given by Dr. John J. Green. He included in his update an introduction to SRDC with an emphasis on core capacity building, specific work, and programs of the organization. This included its role with SERA-47 to facilitate work on the 5-year plan, support meetings, and monitor future opportunities for related issues.

A call for speakers had been sent out to the SERA-47 listserv to give 7-minute presentations on local food systems projects. Five speakers were selected to present during the Lightning Talks on Local and Regional Food System Issues. Presenters, organizations, and presentation titles are below:

Moderator – Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech, SERA-47 Secretary

Timekeeper – Grace Langford, SRDC, SERA-47 Admin Support

Dr. James Barnes, Department of Agricultural Economics - Mississippi State University; Make Marketing Easier: An online course with everything you need to know to grow your local foods Extension program

Dr. Dawn Brewer, Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition - University of Kentucky; Developing Partnerships to Work Towards Meeting Objectives of the Waste Not, Want Not (WiN-WiN) Kentucky Feeding Network Program

Drs. Pratyoosh Kashyap and Kim Niewolny, Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation; Increasing Access to Wholesale Markets: Meeting Technical Assistance Needs of Black, Hispanic, and Tribal Producers

Dr. Maria Bampasidou, Agricultural and Applied Economics - Louisiana State University; Lessons learned from Educational Initiatives for New and Beginning Horticulture Farmers

Eleanor Green, The Green Garden at Twin Gum; Navigating Small-Scale Livestock Production and Marketing: Snapshots from a Diversified Operation
Navigating Small-Scale Livestock Production and Marketing: Snapshots from a Diversified Operation

The presenters were asked questions from the other participants and shared contact information, active surveys, and other ways to engage with their programs. A discussion example: one presenter requested collaborators reach out to her to study social capital, specifically with new and beginning farmers.

After the lightening talks the SERA-47 Administrative Advisors Address was given by Dr. C. Dale Monks (North Carolina State University) and Dr. Scott Senseman (Oklahoma State University). Dr. Monks provided words of support to SERA-47 for what had been accomplished and the objectives of the group. He pointed out lessons learned from COVID-19. He discussed the lesson that local food systems in the NC area were not set up for harvest, storage, and marketing of affordable food. He also pointed out that it is not a “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to the many different areas of horticulture. He also touched on the impact of farmland from Hurricane Helene that hit NC, the issue of land loss due to urban expansion, and challenges of succession in its relation to local food systems. Dr. Senseman congratulated the group on their great work over the years and focused his address on administrative matters. He reminded the group to update the list of individuals who participate in SERA-47, encouraged increasing engagement across the U.S., and to reach out if assistance is needed to recruit members.

A special session was held with the title “1890 Land Grant Institution Feature and Centers of Excellence.” This session was moderated by Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore (North Carolina A&T State University), Co-Chair of SERA-47. The speaker in this session was Dr. Cherese Winstead, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Science, and Technology at Delaware State University and Center Director for the 1890 Center of Excellence and gave a presentation entitled “Emerging 'Internet of Things' Technologies (E-IoT) for Smart Agriculture.” Her presentation sparked conversations around drone use, multidisciplinary experiential learning programs, and connecting farmers with the younger generation.

The last session of the annual meeting was “Call to Action/Adjourn.” The session included an address from the incoming Chair (Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore). She pointed out we will soon be approaching the last year of the current strategic plan. Future goals for this year are to re-activate working groups around areas of interest such as topics brought up earlier in the annual conference and continuing the Tea and Coffee Hour Webinar which picks back up in March 2025. She reminded the group of the in-person meeting during the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA)/Southern Association of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) Conference in February and introduced the new leadership team: Chair Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, and Co-Chair Kaylee South. The call to action included announcing the open Secretary position on the leadership team, providing information on how to join SERA-47, and invitation to join the SERA-47 listserv. Participants also discussed the option to designate the in-person meeting during the SRSA to be the official meeting of SERA-47 to allow special designations within the system to support travel. The meeting was adjourned with another call to participate.

Accomplishments

Accomplishments:   Activity 1: SERA 47: Tea and Coffee Hour Webinars The SERA-47 Tea and Coffee Hour Webinars were re-established in 2024. These webinars are designed to have members and outside speakers present on outreach and research activities being done to support local food systems and provide discussion among webinar attendees and the speakers. The webinars are recorded and posted on the <a href="https://sera-47.extension.org/webinars/">SERA-47 website</a> and shared through the listserv. They are hosted once a quarter. Below are the two webinars that were hosted within the reporting period. A webinar was not held in Q4 due to the virtual annual meeting being held during this time. The outcome of these webinars included engaging the membership base of SERA-47, building connections with non-members, and developing content for the website.   June 13, 2024; Presenter: Brenda Williams, Healthy Foods Coordinator, Communities Unlimited (CU); Title: Communities Unlimited; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFKEBFH8FMo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFKEBFH8FMo</a> 12 webinar attendees and 14 views of the webinar recording.   September 12, 2024; Presenters: Amber Vallotton and Lenah Nguyen with Virginia Cooperative Extension; Title: Virginia Farm to School Program; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5CXgbwsWbM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5CXgbwsWbM</a> 6 webinar attendees and 10 views of the webinar recording.   Activity 2: Website Update   The SERA-47 website was updated during this reporting period to provide an informational and updated site for members and the public to easily access information about the group and resources that the group develops. Outdated resources and information were removed from the website to streamline the user experience. Additionally, two members of the leadership team (Administrative Support, Grace Langford, and Secretary, Kaylee South) were trained on how to update the Extension Foundation hosted website to keep materials current. The website hosts the current leadership team, annual meeting information, and webinars. The website link is here: <a href="https://sera-47.extension.org/">https://sera-47.extension.org/</a>     Activity 3: Hosted a Session at the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA)/Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Annual Meeting   The SERA-47 leadership team submitted a proposal to organize and host a panel session during the joint SRSA/SAAS Annual Meeting and was accepted.   Title: SERA-47 Multi-State Project on Local and Regional Food Systems Panel Irving, TX; February 3, 2025   The panel included immediate past Chair Russ Garner, current Chair Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, and John J. Green. They provided an overview of SERA-47, plans for the future, how to join the group, and ways to get involved. There was time for Q&A, and then informal networking. Fifteen people attended the session, including 4 current members and 9 who were interested in joining.

Publications

SERA-47 was included in the publicly disseminated Annual Report of the Southern Rural Development Center entitled, “Connecting Communities Since 1974.” https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2025-01/2024.annual.report.final_.comp_.pdf   SERA-47 leadership has discussed pursuing a local and regional food systems special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences where John J. Green serves as Editor.

Impact Statements

During this reporting period, ~ 200 people were impacted in a variety of ways related to the SERA-47 objectives. Our listserv, webinars, and annual meeting all worked toward improving collaborations between individuals and groups with various Extension and research areas of focus. Examples include connecting various local food system Extension and outreach groups during the webinars to learn from challenges and solutions implemented to build successful programs to strengthen the food systems in their areas. Activities also promoted collaboration between 1890 and 1862 Land-Grant institutions, and non-land grant university and nonprofit organizational participants. This is reflected in the membership, the leadership team, and the speaker selections for the Virtual Annual meeting. During the webinars and the virtual annual meeting, current and emerging issues in the Southern Region were raised, such as impacts of extreme weather events. The group plans to continue building the impact through further developing the current working groups and building new ones around current topics of interest.

Date of Annual Report: 01/23/2026

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/09/2025 - 12/09/2025
Period the Report Covers: 03/01/2025 - 01/23/2026

Participants

2025 Leadership:
Chair: Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, North Carolina A&T State University
Co-Chair: Kaylee South, Virginia Tech
Secretary: Courtney P. Brown, Oklahoma State University
Administrative Support: Grace Langford and John J. Green, Southern Rural Development Center
Administrative Advisors: Dr. Scott Senseman, Oklahoma State University; Dr. C. Dale Monks, North Carolina State University; and Dr. Aaron Smith, University of Tennessee (appointed following Dr. Monks’s retirement)
NIFA Representatives: Mallory Koenings, NIFA: USDA; Lydia Kaume, NIFA: USDA

Active Listserv:
Address: sera47@lists.msstate.edu
# of members: 185

Virtual Annual Meeting: 22 participants. Please see the attached list of annual meeting attendees.

Brief Summary of Minutes

The Local and Regional Food Systems: Annual Meeting of the SERA 47 Multi-State Initiative took place over Zoom Meetings on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 10:00 am to 11:30 pm CT (11:00 am to 12:30 pm ET). SERA 47 and non-SERA 47 members were encouraged to attend the meeting. The meeting started with a 30-minute kickoff including Welcome, Introductions, and an Overview of the SERA 47 Multi-State Initiative by Chair, Kenrett Jefferson-Moore. She provided an introduction to SERA 47, introduced the leadership team, and prepared everyone for the annual meeting. All attendees introduced themselves. Kenrett was followed by John Green who discussed the next stage for SERA 47 and Local and Regional Food Systems’ (LRFS) new S-project proposal objectives. Discussion centered on proposed objectives for the next project cycle, including expanding research and Extension resources related to aggregation, processing, and distribution infrastructure; strengthening the local and regional food systems workforce through training, education, and leadership development; increasing research-based production, marketing, and sustainability resources for producers; and addressing emerging gaps related to demographics, infrastructure, consumer behavior, and education. Members also discussed the formation of four working groups: (1) Successful Models of Local and Regional Food Systems, (2) Sustainable Agriculture in Local and Regional Food Systems, (3) Marketing Local and Regional Food Systems, and (4) Building Resilient Communities and Food Security. John also emphasized the importance of formally joining SERA 47 through NIMSS to support approval, reporting, and impact documentation.

The SERA 47 Administrative Advisors Address was given by Dr. Gary Thompson (University of Arkansas), Cindy Morley (University of Arkansas) and Dr. Aaron Smith (University of Tennessee). Each advisor provided words of support to SERA 47 for what had been accomplished and the objectives of the group. Further discussion focused on the shift in proposal focus and development, with participant questions addressed and clarification provided regarding how these changes will impact the direction of SERA 47. Next, Courtney Brown formally introduced and described each of the SERA 47 working groups and invited participants to join the groups aligned with their interests. To promote increased learning and collaboration, SERA 47 outlined expectations for the newly identified working groups, including hosting an initial meeting to establish annual objectives and communication structures, organizing one Tea & Coffee Hour webinar, and assisting with planning future annual meetings through working group updates and leadership identification. The discussion also included reminders to complete the working group survey and introductions from current working group chairs, Eleanor Green and Dr. Tim Woods, who shared ideas and plans for their respective groups.

A call for speakers had been sent out to the SERA 47 listserv to give quick presentations on local and regional food systems projects. Five speakers were selected to present during the Lightning Talks. Presenters, organizations, and presentation titles are below:

Moderator – Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech, SERA 47 Co-Chair

Timekeeper – Grace Langford, SRDC, SERA 47 Admin Support

Hannah Dankbar, NC State Extension Local Food Program - NC State University; Small Farm Boot Camp: NC State Extension

Dara Bloom, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences & Community-based Food Systems for the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) - NC State University; Getting to Scale with Local Food Purchasing in Farm to ECE: Buying Models to Grow the Market

Virginie Zoumenou, Dietetics and Nutrition in the Department of Human Ecology, Extension Nutrition and Health Programs - University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Building Small Producer Capacity for Stronger Local Food Systems

Mitchell Doss, Institute for Advanced Learning and Research - Virginia Tech; Strengthening Southern Virginia’s Food System Through Producer Engagement, Institutional Procurement Needs, and Emerging Aggregation Models

Kaylee South, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech; Utilizing Controlled Environment Agriculture Technologies in the Local and Regional Food Systems -Scale Livestock Production and Marketing: Snapshots from a Diversified Operation

After each of the speakers presented, this session concluded with a general Q&A session where they were asked questions from the other participants and shared contact information, active surveys, and other ways to engage with their programs.

The last session of the annual meeting included Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA)/Southern Association of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) Annual Planning Announcements and Call to Action/Adjournment. The session included an address from the incoming Chair, Kaylee South. Future goals for this year are to re-activate working groups, continuing the Tea and Coffee Hour Webinar, and gave a Working Group survey reminder. Call for action included announcing the open Secretary position on the leadership team, providing information on how to join SERA 47, and invitation to join the SERA 47 listserv. She reminded the group of the in-person 2026 annual meeting during the SRSA/SAAS Conference to be held in Louisville, KY in February. The meeting was adjourned.

Accomplishments

Activity 1: SERA 47: Tea and Coffee Hour Webinars The SERA 47 Tea and Coffee Hour Webinars continued in 2025. These webinars are designed to have members and outside speakers present on outreach and research activities being done to support local and regional food systems and provide discussion among webinar attendees and the speaker. The webinars are recorded and posted on the <a href="https://sera-47.extension.org/webinars/">SERA 47 website</a> and shared through the listserv. They are hosted once a quarter. Below are the three webinars that were hosted within the reporting period. A webinar was not held in Q4 due to the virtual annual meeting being held during this time. The outcome of these webinars included engaging the membership base of SERA 47, building connections with non-members, and developing content for the website.   <ul> <li>March 13, 2025; Presenter: Eleanor Green, M.S., Mississippi State University & Tim Woods, Ph.D., University of Kentucky; Topics: Local Food and the Delta Scholars Program & Farmer’s Markets and Community Engagement; <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=P_NPuNlTp-s">http://youtube.com/watch?v=P_NPuNlTp-s</a></li> </ul> 10 webinar attendees and 1 view of the webinar recording.   <ul> <li>June 5, 2025; Presenters: Kenrett Jefferson Moore, Ph.D., Obed Quiacoe, Ph.D., Jarvetta Bynum, M.S., Mecca Straughter, M.S., and Destiny West, North Carolina A&T University; Topic: Value-Added Agricultural Products and Consumer Preferences; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dU9heYtYGI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dU9heYtYGI</a></li> </ul> 9 webinar attendees and 4 views of the webinar recording.   <ul> <li>September 11, 2025; Presenters: Joshua Stoll, Ph.D. and Jessica Joyce, the University of Maine, Audrey King, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, Kaylee South, Ph.D., Virginia Tech; Topic(s): The Local Catch Network and the Local Seafood Summit, Rural Renewal Symposium & Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xpwvkp3yHE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xpwvkp3yHE</a></li> </ul> 12 webinar attendees and 6 views of the webinar recording.     Activity 2: Hosted Working Group Meeting: On May 8th, SERA 47 hosted a Working Group meeting that resulted in the identification of four priority focus areas: (1) successful models of local food systems, (2) marketing local food systems, (3) sustainable agriculture in local food systems, and (4) building resilient communities and food security. Since this working group meeting, two working group chairs have been identified (Eleanor Green and Dr. Tim Woods), and a survey was distributed to gather interest for working group participation. 9 working group attendees.   Activity 3: Submitted a Panel Session for the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA)/Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Annual Meeting   The SERA 47 leadership team submitted a proposal to organize and host a panel session during the joint SRSA/SAAS Annual Meeting and was accepted.   Title: Resilient Local and Regional Food Systems: Lessons and Opportunities Post-COVID Louisville, KY; February 1-2, 2026   SERA 47 leadership team members will participate in a panel session focused on strengthening local and regional food systems in response to supply chain disruptions, extreme weather events, and ongoing challenges to farm community vitality. The panel, consisting of SERA 47 leadership will highlight collaborative research and Extension efforts related to local and regional food systems, including adaptive supply chain models, climate-smart practices, and community-based approaches to enhancing economic viability and food security. In addition, the history of SERA 47 and future directions of the team including transitioning to a multistate S-project will be presented. These activities are intended to facilitate dialogue among researchers, Extension professionals, and policymakers to identify actionable strategies, promote policy alignment, and support the development of resilient food systems. There will be time for Q&A, and informal networking.   Activity 4: Journal of Rural Social Sciences Special Issue on Local and Regional Food Systems SERA 47 supported and contributed to the development of a call for abstracts for a special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences focused on local and regional food systems. In partnership with the Southern Rural Development Center, this activity aims to advance multidisciplinary scholarship addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in local and regional food systems, including supply chain disruptions, extreme weather events, and rural community vitality. The special issue invites original research, systematic reviews, and development-oriented manuscripts that inform policy and practice, with an emphasis on outreach and education and a focus on the southern region of the United States. 6 abstracts were submitted to-date; 4 were invited to submit full manuscripts.   Activity 5: Website Update   The SERA 47 website was updated during this reporting period to provide an informational and updated site for members and the public to easily access information about the group and resources that the group develops. Updated information includes current leadership team, webinar recordings, and the 2025 annual meeting.  The website is hosted by Extension Foundation and managed by the Southern Rural Development Center. The website link is here: <a href="https://sera-47.extension.org/">https://sera-47.extension.org/</a>   Activity 6: Virtual Annual Meeting   The leadership team planned and hosted the Virtual Annual Meeting on December 9th, 2025. See pages 1 and 2 for details.   Activity 7: Transitioning from SERA 47 to an S-Project SERA 47 leadership discussed the transition from the current SERA initiative to a formal S-Project. Members engaged in a guided conversation focused on clarifying the purpose, scope, and value of making this shift. The discussion explored how an S-Project structure can strengthen long-term collaboration, enhance research and Extension integration, improve accountability and visibility, and better position the group for funding and national impact.

Publications

SERA 47 was included in the publicly disseminated Annual Report of the Southern Rural Development Center entitled, “Shaping Tomorrow Together.” <a href="https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/annual-report/2025-annual-report-shaping-tomorrow-together">https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/annual-report/2025-annual-report-shaping-tomorrow-together</a>

Impact Statements

During this reporting period (March 2025–January2026), approximately 29 individuals were actively engaged through SERA 47 activities focused on strengthening local and regional food systems across the Southern Region. Through an active listserv with 185 subscribers, quarterly Tea & Coffee Hour webinars, a virtual annual meeting, four working groups convening, and participation in regional professional conferences, SERA 47 fostered collaboration among 1862 and 1890 Land-Grant institutions, non-land-grant universities, Extension professionals, nonprofit organizations, and researchers. Activities supported peer learning around applied research, outreach strategies, infrastructure, workforce development, sustainability, and food system resilience. The virtual annual meeting advanced strategic alignment for the next project phase and resulted in the formal establishment of four priority working groups to guide future collaboration and impact. Additional efforts, including leadership submission and acceptance of a regional panel session and development of a special issue call for abstracts with the Journal of Rural Social Sciences, expanded opportunities for multidisciplinary scholarship, and elevated emerging food system issues such as climate impacts and supply chain resilience.