Meet the Speakers
Dr. William Knudson
Professor & Product Marketing Economist, Michigan State University Product Center Food • Ag • Bio
Dr. Knudson will walk attendees through the current economics of Michigan farmland - who owns it, how it's being used, and where key trends are headed. He will also explore cooperative models and value-added processing as strategies that may help farmers capture more value from what they grow, and discuss how these approaches can contribute to stronger, more locally rooted food economies.
Harmony Fierke-Gmazel
Government and Community Vitality Educator, Michigan State University
Fierke-Gmazel will speak on the intersection of land use policy and agriculture in Michigan, covering solar siting regulations under Public Act 233, zoning policy, and agritourism as a tool for farm viability. She will also address clean energy development and tradeoffs.