Local Food Systems Consulting

Hello -  my name is Theresa Schumilas and I am the creator and midwife of Garden Party.

After over 24 years of working within government on policy-relevant research (most recently related to community food systems)  I am making a transition to pursue the area that has always been my primary passion -   community economic development and local and sustainable food systems and mid-scale food ventures -   or what is now being called the "agriculture of the middle".   I am exploring very different ventures -  from academic teaching  to getting my hands filthy (and challenging my body) with organic produce farming.   I'm seeking projects that help to organize producers, consumers and anyone in between.    I believe I excel at fast and complete background research to help individuals and organizations frame  projects they've been mulling around.  I specialize in taking that muddle and those unclear concepts and moving them into concrete plans with next steps.   I am skilled at develping large visions with multi-stage, multi-partner community based plans.   I traverse easily between academic and community worlds and am good at building bridges between them.    I am  equally equipped to find my way around a bureaucracy  and to develop the authentic partnerships and connections needed for community development.

My  formal training in human nutrition,  research methods,  cost effectiveness analysis, international development and community economic development gives me  a broad conceptual basis from which to approach food systems issues.   My years of local community experience and my rural background have given me an unpretentious,  "lets get it done"  style.

The projects I am undertaking are varied.  Recent examples include:

• Researching, developing and piloting a course to help produce farmers transition to certified organic production.
• Case study research to document the potential of producer-controlled alternative food distribution systems. 
• Developing and teaching a Community Economic Development graduate course at the University of Waterloo
• Supporting the development of a local organic producer cooperative.
• Researching and writing an organic gardening book for backyard scaled and community gardeners.
• Pilot testing and documenting the profitability of an on-farm kitchen and winter CSA/food box program to smaller scaled produce farmers.

While varied,  all the projects I undertake are tied together by 3 elements:

• They are all about food -   simply because its a great unifying force and a great pleasure to me!
• They all promote equity and economic fairness -   because poverty amid plenty shames us all.
• The are all about the environment -  because I've got nowhere else to live :)

Review my CV   and  move your ideas forward!

Theresa