Grain School Presenter Highlight: Amalie Lipstreu

Amalie is the Policy Director at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. She has more than 25 years of public and social service experience and focused on agriculture and food systems starting in 2002 after receiving a Master of Environmental Policy from Kent State University. She advocated for and subsequently directed the Ohio Food Policy Advisory Council and the Office of Sustainable Agriculture at the Ohio Department of Agriculture. She joined OEFFA in 2014 focusing on food and agriculture policy at the state and federal levels. She has worked in land use around farmland preservation including agricultural easement purchase and donation programs, transfer of development rights, cost of community services and agricultural zoning. Recent work focuses on organic and regenerative agriculture systems, soil health, structure of agriculture policy, the role of agriculture in climate change and local and regional food systems resilience.

Locally grown grains are the missing component in many local food systems. How do we find the deep rooted, drought-tolerant, disease-resistant grains that work best for our region?

A three-day Heritage Grain School is being offered August 12-14, 2022 in partnership with Agraria, Antioch College, Tecumseh Land Trust, the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative, Rural Action, and Cornville Seed. This immersive course explores the history, culture, cultivation and culinary uses of ancient and heritage grains. Day one highlights farmers, day two brewing, malting and milling, and day three baking, marketing, policy and a field trip to heritage grain farmer Jon Branstrator’s farm.