Sarah Salem (They|Them)
Founder/Director, Hudson Valley Food System Coalition
ssalem@hvfoodsystem.org
Salem is a network leader and freelance food systems strategy consultant specializing in regional food security strategy, food systems thinking, and equitable food systems network development. Salem works with individuals, organizations, and coalitions to strengthen regional food systems by developing strategies to expand the availability of regional foods through communities, planning and leading food systems partners through participatory convenings, educating partners about food system policies, and by building trusting relationships among food system stakeholders. As the founder of the Hudson Valley Food System Coalition, Salem brought together more than 100 food system stakeholders and guided them through the development of a regional transdisciplinary coalition to work across sectors. Previously, Salem was the Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives at Dutchess Outreach, their region’s widest-reaching food access organization. In that role, Salem was the primary fundraiser for the organization and worked to develop innovative food access programs including a sliding-scale Mobile Farmers’ Market.