Earlier this year, Monti Lawson, farmer, organizer, and founder of Catalyst Collaborative Farm, came to us with an idea that sparked Food for the Spirit’s (F4tS) 2026 Policy Working Group Pilot. And now, we are thrilled to share that the group is up and running.
What We’re Building
F4tS’s Policy Working Group is designed to be a relational and political home centering and supporting Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous food advocates and farmers of color (QTBIPOC) and their allies who are advocating for policies and solutions for a just and equitable food and farm system in New York State.
Together, we are:
- Rooting our work in shared political frameworks: Just Transition, the Jemez Principles, and Good Food Communities
- Building collective knowledge around key legislation: the Good Food NY Bill and the Farm Bill
- Growing a living Advocacy Toolkit that maps and builds on the skills and expertise within our collective
Meet Our Members
In April, we received an incredible response to our call for applications, and we are proud to introduce 19 advocates from across New York State who are now part of this pilot. From Buffalo to Brooklyn, from the Finger Lakes to the Hudson Valley, from Staten Island to the North Country, our working group members are working on urban food access and community gardens, farm bill advocacy, immigrant rights and safe-to-farm organizing, and institutional procurement through Good Food policy.
Adamaah Grayse
Adamaah Grayse is a leader dedicated to fostering food sovereignty and justice through community-led initiatives, focusing on systemic change within food systems. Her work centers on land stewardship, policy advocacy, and building resilient, equitable food economies.
Adjoa Kittoe
Adjoa Kittoe is a food systems marketing strategist and communications architect based in New York. She holds an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler and builds marketing strategy for mission-driven food organizations.
Anneke Radin-Snaith
Anneke Radin-Snaith is the Operations and Technology Coordinator Lead at Food For the Spirit. As a former teacher and educational leader, she is passionate about learning and growing-and holds a deep commitment to social justice. In addition to her work at Food For the Spirit, she works as a facilitator with the Alternative to Violence Project and an instructional coach at Reach University.
Chantel Kemp
Chantel Kemp is an award-winning Environmental Justice advocate and multidisciplinary artist, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. In 2015, Chantel jumped into the world of agriculture, working collaboratively with visionaries to create green networks that act as wellness and connection. Her work has led her to work with prominent institutions like The Whitney Museum, in relation to The Harrisons’ Exhibit, exploring the parallels of environmental justice, environmental art, and social justice reform.
Charles Madlock
Charles Madlock is a food justice advocate, graphic designer, and urban agriculture innovator. Originally from Jackson Mississippi, Madlock found his love for urban farming while living in Syracuse. He was formerly the Urban Agriculture Coordinator with Refugee and Immigrant Self Empowerment (RISE) in Syracuse where he helped empower New Americans utilizing community gardens. He is now an Urban Agriculture Consultant with Golden Carat Farms advocating for urban agriculture and working with small farmers to access sustainable markets.
Dennice Barr
Dennice Barr is an organizer and community liaison for The Fruit Belt neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. She advocates for public education and transportation, food equity and land appropriation in Buffalo.
Iyeshima Harris-Ouedraogo
Iyeshima Harris-Ouedraogo is a food justice organizer and nonprofit leader with over 15 years of experience advancing youth leadership, land stewardship, and community-driven food systems. She currently serves as the Executive Director at Green Guerillas, where she supports community gardens, advocacy initiatives, and programs rooted in environmental and food justice across New York City.
Jessica Gilbert-Overland
Jessica Gilbert-Overland is the Director and Co-Founder of the Good Food Buffalo Coalition. In this role, Jessica works to advance food justice policy in Western New York and statewide, with a particular focus on values-based food purchasing.
Joanna Dorsey
Joanna Dorsey is a policy director, urban farmer & activist passionate about shaping change through policy & community. She works to communicate the stories of black farmers to legislators to push for equitable and inclusive laws that affect our food systems.
Julian R Mangano
Julian hails from Painesville, Ohio, and pursued his undergraduate degree in psychology at the College of Wooster. In 2010, he journeyed to New York City. It was in the Bronx that Julian’s profound connection with nature and agriculture began to flourish. In 2016, Julian bid farewell to New York City to fully dedicate himself to farming. Since then, he has actively contributed to several workgroups and committees.
Kalea Griffin
Kalea Griffin, also known as Lea The Teacha is a poet, artist, activist, community advocate, community organizer, and entrepreneur born and raised on the East Side of Buffalo. She writes poetry and creates art, dedicated to education, growth, inner work, and the preservation of the Black experience. She uses her personal experience as a Black woman to inspire her art. She is always outside contributing to her community, whether it’s selling books, organizing community clean ups, or simply supporting other community organizations and events.
Koi Mendez
Koi Mendez is a Black farmer, agrarian, and land steward committed to growing food, tending land, and strengthening community. Grounded in permaculture and a deep commitment to soil health, they advocate for agricultural policies that support farmers while regenerating ecosystems and expanding access to land and healthy food.
Monti Lawson
Monti Lawson is the Founder and Lead Land Steward of Catalyst Collaborative Farm and Infrastructure and Ecosystem Partnership Manager at WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village in the Mid-Hudson Valley. He is a farmer who has been a community gardener and urban farmer in NYC for over a decade.
Quintessa McFadden
Quintessa McFadden is a farmer, engineer, educator, and founder of Root of the Matter. She believes food has the power to connect generations and communities, bringing youth and elders together to share knowledge, build relationships, and strengthen local food systems while creating opportunities for small farmers.
Rebekah Williams
Rebekah Williams is a community activist and organizer, and Organizational Development & Strategy lead of Food for the Spirit, based in Western New York. Born and raised in Buffalo, she has spent more than two decades working in nonprofits whose missions align with her values, building collective power, advancing food systems change, and working alongside frontline communities for food justice. She is also a co-founder of the Buffalo Food Equity Network, the Good Food Buffalo Coalition, and Black Farmers United New York State. Rebekah has co-authored published work on reparations and food justice, racial justice in institutional food procurement, and youth climate justice activism
Ricky Price
Ricky Price holds a PhD in Politics from the New School for Social Research. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Law at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY. His research integrates the politics of identity, institutions, and science to understand how power operates between our bodies and the state. He specializes in new institutionalism, science and technology studies, and feminist and queer theory. He is on the organizing committee for the Ann Snitow Prize and is a member of the Climate Social Science Network. He organizes in the region with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, FLX Justice Partnership, and Naples Pride.
Ruby Olisemeka
Ruby Olisemeka is a biologist, community land steward, educator, and Founder & Executive Director of Khalipha, where she works to restore both inner landscapes and outer greenscapes through environmental stewardship, education, and community engagement. With more than 15 years of experience, she has led and supported community-based environmental initiatives across New York, bringing together sustainable agriculture, food justice, and culturally grounded approaches to cultivate healthier people, communities, and ecosystems.
Tamika Sultan
Tamika Sultan is a multifaceted entrepreneur, food and agriculture innovator, and community-centered leader dedicated to creating opportunities for purpose, ownership, and collective wealth building through food systems, entrepreneurship, and community empowerment. Tamika’s work bridges food justice, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and economic development, helping communities transform barriers into pathways for resilience, opportunity, and collective flourishing.
Tyliyah Warren
Tyliyah Warren uses her creativity and communication skills online and offline to build her brand called Sun Will Rise.Tyliyah understands the importance of collaboration to achieve her goals while working toward a shared vision of growing stronger systems in Buffalo created by the community and for the community.