The PA NEN (Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network) Conference was held last week in Bethlehem, PA, bringing together nutrition educators, administrators, policy-makers, and food security advocates to share best practices, lessons learned, and emerging interventions in public health and nutrition. The organization’s goal is to enhance nutrition programming and implementation in Pennsylvania through presentations, networking, and collaboration. Several members and partner organizations of the PA Farm to School Network (PFSN) attended, including Greener Partners, Vetri Community Partnership and The Food Trust.

During the pre-conference, Dr. Jennifer Ward spoke of how social stigma intersects with gender, race, age and weight status to perpetuate food inequities in diet quality and food insecurity within impoverished communities.

PA Farm to School Network Manager, Lauren Rosse, and active member from The Food Trust, Jessica Weller, kicked off the first day with a stellar presentation entitled “Expanding Farm to School Success Through Remote SNAP-Ed Programming.” They highlighted The Food Trust’s unique train-the-trainer approach to farm to school programming, as well as the significant reach of the PA Farm to School Network.

Additionally, sessions included a PA Beef to School panel, advocacy updates, and more!

For more information, visit panen.org/conference.