Events
Networking
SAFSF On the Road: Atlanta
April 29, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) hosts regional community building events for members and partners through our popular series “SAFSF On The Road.” Our next gathering will be a special dinner in Atlanta, Georgia to explore funding strategies in food justice throughout the state of Georgia. Join us for an intimate dinner in community with diverse capital partners and local leaders.
Since early 2024, SAFSF has convened a cohort of funders and leaders at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to explore ways to unlock more investment for historically underserved producers and communities in the South. Our guest speakers Dr. Veronica Womack and Amber Bell will highlight the challenges and opportunities for public-private investment in food system infrastructure that supports Black farmers, their supply chain partners, and the communities they serve across the state. SAFSF will also share insights from our listening sessions with community-based organizations throughout Georgia, and future plans for regional funder collaboration.
Tickets for the dinner are $75 for funders and $25 for current SAFSF members.
This dinner will follow the opening day reception of Women Transforming Food & Finance, hosted by Regenerative Food Systems Investment.
Amber M. Bell is the Director of the Southwest Georgia Project and the President and CEO of Bell and Co. Consulting, LLC. With over ten years of experience in the food and agriculture sector, she has dedicated her efforts to addressing systemic inequalities and promoting social justice. Amber holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and is nearing the completion of her doctorate in Public Health from the Jian Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University.
She is passionate about developing sustainable, self-reliant local food systems aimed at improving the overall quality of life for Black and Brown communities in the rural South. By fostering collaboration among local farmers, stakeholders, and community organizations, Amber works to create resilient food networks that support economic development and enhance the well-being of communities in Southwest Georgia and beyond. Her work embodies a holistic approach to food access, equity and community empowerment.
Dr. Veronica L. Womack serves as the inaugural Executive Director of the Rural Studies Institute at Georgia College and Professor of Political Science and Public Administration. She hails from the Alabama Black Belt region and currently works in the Georgia Black Belt. She received her BA of Communications, MPA and Ph.D., in Political Science from the University of Alabama.
An advocate and researcher of the Southern Black Belt region, Dr. Womack’s work highlights the rich history, foodways, socioeconomic and political culture and traditions of rural people in the American South. She is a noted author, practitioner and researcher of the region. She is the founder of the Blackfarmersnetwork.com, a website that highlights the legacy of African American farmers, within the Black Belt region.
She has been featured on various media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington
Post, NPR, GPB, The Nation, and Georgia Trend for her work in the region. Funders of her research include USDA, the Robert W. Johnson Foundation, and the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP).
