Western Regional Office (Pittsburgh)
· Staff:
o Greg - Western Regional Director – Internship Supervisor
o Mia – Outreach coordinator
o Chris Fullerton - Director of Consumer Outreach
o Leah Smith – Member Services Coordinator
o Katie – Farmer’s Market Outreach
· Interns:
Brianne, Michelle, Dan
Mission
“Promoting profitable farms that produce healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment”
· PASA offers educational outreach programs through field days and other collaborative events that bring together farmer’s and consumer’s to learn techniques in sustainability
· PASA promotes both rural and urban communities development of healthy food systems. Building consumer awareness about food safety and nutritional issues through education and advocacy, and by networking with other consumer groups, nonprofit organizations and government agencies throughout the state and nation.
Coalition Opportunities
· PASA is currently partnered with or in contact with several Non-profit organizations, consumer groups, food security groups and sustainability projects in the city of Pittsburgh.
· Mia coordinates the Buy Fresh Buy Local western PA and does a great job networking and brainstorming with many local businesses and institutions to connect them with local organic and sustainable farms in the region. She establishes relationships with the consumers, the farmers and the distributors in between.
· Greg is currently spearheading a project with SCA (Student Conservation Association) to develop a Farm Corps program in which students from underprivileged areas and students pursuing higher education in sustainable farming partner with local farmers in intensive internship and apprenticeship programs through hands on learning on the farm.
· Brianne is currently developing an urban resource development internship with PASA to help further connections between all the multiple alternative food and agriculture movements in Pittsburgh. Connecting the ties between organizations to hopefully strengthen the food justice and sustainability in the region as a whole.
· Katie and Leah are working with the farmers’ markets to try and build a market management system where things like EBT and WIC as well as vendor insurance can become more widespread throughout the city.
· Dan and BriAnne are both motivated towards urban farming and gardening and trying to work out ways that PASA can support various urban food growing projects by neighbors and other organizations.
Offerings
PASA, through there membership program can offer valuable resources to all of the various organic farmers and sustainable agriculture projects and businesses in the area. PASA also can also offer insights into grants for sustainable agriculture and educational outreach programs/directors.
