Dec. 3 LEAD Maryland Symposium: “Image of Agriculture – Ag Evolution, Food Revolution”

Chef Bryan Voltaggio, a native of Frederick, owner of six restaurants located in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia, and the first chef to compete on both Top Chef and Top Chef Masters will be the keynote speaker on Dec. 3.

Bryan Voltaggio, a native of Frederick, owner of six restaurants located in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia, and the first chef to compete on both Top Chef and Top Chef Masters will be the keynote speaker at the LEAD Maryland Foundation’s Class VIII Symposium “Image of Agriculture: Ag Evolution, Food Revolution,” scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, at Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center in, Ellicott City.

The Image of Ag Symposium is an all-day event with breakout sessions in addition to Chef Voltaggio’s presentation. The goal of the symposium is to reach out to consumers and groups who are interested in where their food comes from and present the story of the totality of Maryland agriculture. Topics covered include an overview of food production in Maryland; benefits and ways to buy/source locally; organic and conventional farming; defining food labels; and technology used in faring today. 

“Agriculture is one of the leading industries in Maryland and consumers in the area are increasingly interested in how their food is being produced,” said Brad Miller, LEAD Class VIII Fellow and Prince George’s County produce farmer. “This symposium looks to connect farming with these consumers firsthand through its focused topics and expert speakers.”

The symposium breakout sessions are as follows:

• Maryland Agriculture (Overview and Trends)
• Buying and Sourcing Local Foods
• Food Labeling/Ag Genomics
• Precision Agriculture (Use of Technology in Agriculture)

“Having grown up in Maryland, I have been heavily influenced by the top quality products Maryland farmers grow throughout the state,” said Chef Voltaggio. “All of my restaurants feature local products and I look forward to sharing my passion for sourcing locally at the Image of Agriculture symposium.” 

Tickets for the event are $45 per person and include a lunch made with locally grown foods.  For more information and to purchase tickets, please go to www.imageofagriculture.eventbrite.comand follow on Facebook at ‘The Image of Agriculture Symposium’ and on Twitter @ImageofAg. For questions about the event please contact lead8symposium@gmail.com.

LEAD Maryland is an intensive two-year leadership development program that prepares class members to become leaders in Maryland agriculture, rural communities, and natural resource management. During the two year program, our diverse class of 20 fellows studied various issues including: land use, the legislative process, food scarcity, rural issues, energy, and sustainability. LEAD Maryland is a public-private partnership between the University of Maryland Extension, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, Maryland Farm Bureau, Maryland Grain Producers Association and Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, among other agricultural organizations.  To date, 177 Fellows have participated in the educational program. 

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