Farm to Food Assistance Learning Lab 2023 Advisor Spotlights
Alison Cohen
Alison has thirty years’ experience supporting grassroots-led organizations that are addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty at the intersection of food insecurity, agriculture, racism, health, human rights, and climate change. As the Senior Director of Programs for WhyHunger from 2009 – 2021, I led the organization in developing a theory of change and three cycles of strategic planning, resulting in a new mission statement, a cohesive grassroots support strategy, a strong and diverse team, and a monitoring and evaluation methodology — all deeply informed by grassroots organizations.
For Heifer International, from 1996 – 2009, I organized more than two dozen groups of farm families into food producing cooperatives and 20+ neighbors and youth to start urban farms throughout the Midwest and the Northeast. Currently I am coordinating a collaborative process to build a national movement for the right to food. The National Right to Food Community of Practice is a coalition of state-level advocates centering the right to food as a narrative change and policy tool. Since 2020 they have secured the first-ever constitutional amendment for the Right to Food in Maine, with draft legislation for amendments moving forward in the state legislatures of West Virginia and Washington state.
As an organizer, weaver, and connector, I believe in and have experienced the transformative potential of collective power. I have dedicated my professional life to building and strengthening various formations of people and communities working for food and farm justice. My training in facilitative leadership, popular education and the technology of participation has been instrumental in processes I’ve created, executed and provided training in, leading to the formation of networks, alliances, communities of practice, and collaborative projects — all important building blocks for broad-based social movements.
Myra Marcellin
Myra Marcellin is the Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center (MAAIC) Financial Business Advisor at the Franklin County CDC (FCCDC). In this role Myra provides business technical assistance to farmers and value-added food producers across the state of Massachusetts. Myra has more than 25 years of working with New England farmers as Vice-President and Senior Loan Officer at Farm Credit East (FCE), supporting small and mid-size farmers in realizing their business goals and helping young, beginning farmers launch their businesses. She most recently served as the Executive Director at the Carrot Project, advancing their mission of breaking down financial barriers in the agriculture and food sectors and increasing access to capital. Myra is passionate about serving agricultural communities by bolstering local food economies, creating thriving farm operations, and building a more racially diverse, equitable, and just food system. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors at CISA and is a Trustee to the Eastern States Exposition representing the State of Massachusetts.
Pakou Hang
Pakou Hang is the daughter of Hmong American farmers and has spent the last 36 years growing and selling mixed vegetables with her family at the Saint Paul Farmers Market in Minnesota. She was a founding member and the inaugural Executive Director of the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA), a statewide nonprofit that builds the capacity and intergenerational wealth of Hmong farmers in the state. While at HAFA, she helped secure long-term access to a 155 acre farm; launched a food hub; started a microlending program that included a matched savings account component for farmers; and developed a bi-lingual and bi-cultural beginning farmer training curriculum. Pakou also served on the Minnesota Good Food Access Advisory Committee, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens’ Board, and the Minneapolis Food Council. She received her master’s degree in political science from the University of Minnesota and her bachelor’s degree from Yale University where she concentrated her studies on revolutions in Latin America.
Erin Pirro
Erin Pirro has been helping farmers large and small make their businesses run better since 2001. As a Certified Agricultural Consultant with a background in agricultural economics, Erin’s focus is on benchmarking and profitability improvement because sustainability means economics, too!
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