Visioning a Preferred Future for Virginia’s Food System for 2027

In May 2017, Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Community, Local, and Regional Food Systems (VCECLRFS) Team, in collaboration with the Virginia Food System Council, community partners, and friends, hosted a two-day workshop with the overarching goal of building group capacity to co-create a vision for Virginia’s food system for the year 2027. Ann Lofgren and Timo Anderson of ZingTrain based in Ann Arbor, Michigan provided specific training using Zingerman’s unique approach for creating a vision of greatness, creating a personal vision, and bottom line organizational change. Participants included a cross-section of people and organizations who are working to strengthen farm and food connections, nourish individuals and families, empower communities, revitalize local economies, and protect natural resources across Virginia and beyond. The expectations for the training were to: 1) gain a new understanding of the stakeholders working toward food system change in Virginia, 2) learn Zingerman’s approach to implementing and sustaining effective change in a community, organization, or network, 3) learn how to craft a clear, documented and inspiring organizational vision for the food system that provides momentum and excitement, and 4) understand how to use the Hot Pen technique to create a personal/organizational vision and teach others.