2025 Alliance Summit

Richmond, Virginia | August 5th - 6th, 2025

As we reflect on our time together last week, we would like to share our appreciation for your time and commitment to the success of the Alliance. It was a pleasure seeing all of you in person and we hope, like us, you left Richmond recharged and looking ahead to year 3 of our project.

We would appreciate your input as we plan for future Summits. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. We will close the survey on Monday, August 18th.

If you have any photos you would like to share, please share them here https://forms.gle/LXFxe8XFb1Gamj2P7 or email them to swrjameson@vt.edu. We’ve seen a few who tagged Alliance on social media, but we’d like to collect more to use on our webpage, social, and newsletter.

We have uploaded the PowerPoint presentations to the 2025 Summit webpage (see the Presentations tab below).

We are working with our facilitators at the Center for Food Integrity to develop a post-Summit report to be shared with the partners. If you have any notes or other input, please feel free to share with me.

Best,

Jamie Lucero | Project Director

Please find additional partner resources below.

USDA Project Narrative

Partner Resources

Summit Resources

Attendee Survey

2025 Summit End Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete this anonymous survey to provide your feedback on our Summit in Richmond, VA.

Photo Submission

If you took any photos during the 2025 Alliance Summit, including breakout sessions, networking, or the farm tour, please share them here.

Please acknowledge that the photos may be used on our website at www.allianceforcsa.org, general communications, or in quarterly reports. Credit will be given.

If you would prefer to email them to us, please send them to swrjameson@vt.edu.

Submit your photos here.

Presentations

📥 AgriCapture — John Lanahan

📥 AgSpire — Sydney Sebulsky

📥 CIBO Technologies — Natalie Aronson and Nitzan Haklai

📥 Climate-Smart Certificate Update — Daniella Malin, Sustainable Food Lab

📥 Indigo Ag — Russell Booth

📥 Virginia Tech Faculty Research Snapshots
Joseph Haymaker, Ph.D., Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Robin White, Ph.D., Virginia Tech School of Animal Sciences
John Bovay, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

Summit Information

Travel & Lodging

Airport

Richmond International Airport

Hotel & Venue

Hilton Richmond Downtown

Check-In: 4:00 PM
Check-Out: 11:00 AM

Hotel & City Parking

The hotel shuttle only travels 1-2 miles away from the hotel. We recommend using a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to get to and from the airport. Richmond International Airport is approximately 10 miles away.

Hotel parking is valet only with a daily rate of $41.00. There are 4 city parking lots/garages located within a walkable distance from the hotel. Please view the map and visit the link below for more information on city parking options.

Richmond City Parking Options 〉〉

Hotel Dining

Gather and Hem
La Grotta

Summit Agenda

The agenda is subject to change.

Taste of Virginia Reception and Dinner

Taste of Virginia Dinner & Reception

Venue: Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia
Time: 6:00 – 8:00PM
Buses will leave the hotel at 5:00PM.

Location: Reception & Dinner will be in Meadow Hall and will feature Hokie Ice Cream, a collaboration between Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology and the award-winning Homestead Creamery.

Local recommendation: Secretariat Birthplace Tour

Farm Tour

N.S. Farms LLC

Date: Tuesday, August 5th
Address: 10910 Carriage Road, Providence Forge, Virginia 23140
Time: 1:15 PM-3:00 PM
Buses will leave the hotel at 12:45PM and return at approximately 3:45PM.

N.S. Farms LLC champions and believes in sustainable agricultural practices and the intensive use of cover crops. The mission of N.S. Farms LLC is the integration of new fertility management practices, research in the implementation and management of cover crops and protecting the precious natural resources that they interact with daily.

A seasoned public speaker, proficient in consulting, keynote addresses, and podcast engagements, Brannan Black passionately believes in his craft and eagerly embraces opportunities to impart his knowledge and experiences with others.

Things To Do in Richmond

Things To Do

Check out Visit Richmond’s website to discover the best local attractions, museums, and shopping Richmond has to offer.

Local Restaurants

Recommendations from the Alliance team:

Buttermilk and Honey
Award-winning chicken sandwiches.

The Lobby Bar or the Q Rooftop Bar at the Quirk Hotel
Mediterranean-influenced sharable plates with local ingredients. Great happy hour!

Perly’s
Jewish restaurant and delicatessen, loved by locals.

Penny Lane
Liverpudlian pub serving English & American tavern fare.

Virginia Ag Expo (Optional)

The VA AG EXPO is an agricultural-based trade show that travels the Commonwealth of Virginia each year, hosted by a member farm from the Virginia Grain Producers Association and the Virginia Soybean Association.

The annual event has more than 100 exhibitors and sponsors showcasing the latest in farming technology. Whether you are a large acreage production farmer or a weekend lifestyle farmer the Expo is an event you don’t want to miss.