Selected Projects

In addition to the projects listed below, I’ve been a presenter and/or panelist at gatherings such as the Northern MI Small Farms Conference, MI Family Farms Conference, National Good Food Network Conference, MI Food Safety Summit, MI Good Food Summit, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference, and dozens of other one-off webinars and meetings. For a handy one-page summary, check out my CV. Seen enough, and ready to get started on your project? Let’s go!

Accelerate up - community impact report
2024

Data collection and report development assessing the impact Accelerate UP has had on the Marquette County business community over the past several years.

Marquette alger technical middle college - systems development
2023

Mapping processes and developing supporting procedures and documentation to support and sustain MATMC as it continues to grow and evolve.

Kalamazoo valley community college - approved supplier program
2023 - 2025

Drafting language for supplier agreements, developing procedures and requirements for suppliers of ValleyHUB food hub, utilizing existing programs in MI. Gathering feedback from suppliers, buyers, and other stakeholders. Presenting progress at KVCC Food Safety Summits.

carolina farm stewardship association - qms development
2022-2023

Developed quality management system procedures and documentation for CFSA's food box distribution program, based on interviews with key stakeholders, process mapping, and industry best practices. Assist implementation activities and troubleshoot problems.

AccelerateUP - Systems Development
2022

Developed suite of procedures to guide the activities of Accelerate UP as it grows. Included process mapping and refining, conversations with key stakeholders, adjustments after initial use, and presentation of final documents.

Wallace Center - Forging Value chains
2021-2023

Developed a self-paced course on how to write and implement a quality management system, hosted on the Wallace Center’s Food Systems Leadership Network (FSLN). Course is a series of 7 video modules and reflection questions, based on the QMS for Food and Farming Businesses guide. Ongoing facilitation of the Food Safety and Quality Community of Practice, an online forum hosted on the FSLN and a monthly practitioner’s call.

NMFMA - Regional value chain coordination network
2021-2024

Working with New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association to continue implementation of the New Mexico Grown QMS. Assisting with other regional value chain coordination activities in New Mexico.

MSU Extension - food “spice” regional food system partnership grant
2021-2023

Providing technical assistance to incubator and shared-use kitchens through the Upper Peninsula, specifically activities such as developing user manuals, assisting planning activities, and implementation guides. Facilitation of the Michigan Incubator Kitchen Network, including planning quarterly meetings, monthly emails, and coordinating with MSUE staff.

QMS and food safety plan Development - Food connects, VT
2020-2021

Developing a QMS for the operations of Food Connects, VT, as well as a food safety plan for their facility. Project involves process mapping activities, development of QMS and food safety plan documentation, training, and technical assistance.

QMS Development - La montanita co-op distribution center
2020-2021

Developing a QMS for the operations of La Montanita Co-op’s food hub. Project involves process mapping activities, development of QMS documentation, training, and technical assistance.

QMS Development - new mexico farmers marketing association
2020

Developed a QMS to coordinate the activity of the New Mexico Grown food safety training program. The program is the result of multiple stakeholders - including NMFMA, NM Public Education Department, La Montanita Co-op, NM State University Extension, among several others - building an approved supplier program comprised of tiered food safety training and risk assessments. Learn more about the program here.

QMS for food and farm businesses guide
2019-2020

Worked with the Wallace Center and USDA to develop a beginner’s guide for developing a basic quality management system for food and farm businesses and GroupGAP programs. Project involved interviews with several practitioners, as well as researching USDA programs and other existing resources. Guide can be found here.

Closing the Loop - Marketing your food safety certification
2019-2020

Worked with MI Food and Farming Systems to research and develop a guide for farms to use once they’ve achieved food safety certification. The guide can be found here, and a Spanish translation is here.

QMS Development - North Shore economic vitality partnership
2018

Assisted NSEVP with development of a quality management system for their USDA GroupGAP program.

USDA GroupGAP
2013-Present

I’ve been involved in the USDA GroupGAP program since the first year of the pilot in 2014 (technically started late 2013). I developed and managed the quality management system, as well as performed internal audits, for the UP Food Exchange the first year of the pilot, did the same for Cherry Capital Foods in the second year of the pilot, and have continued to manage the group independently. Today we have an audit team of 12 people and over 40 members across 6 states.