1. February 5, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

Looking at Food System Resilience at Multiple Scales: Lessons for Virginia and Beyond 

The recording is available here

Resilient Food Systems have been a topic of conversation, research, and implementation for close to 20 years. Like other goals and descriptors of food systems, the concept of resilience has accrued multiple definitions -many aspirational and some pragmatic. The webinar will include material that describes this situation as well as a number of topics that addresses the knowledge and skills needed to build resilient systems. These start with clarification of what food systems are; definitions of resilience that fit different objectives; ways to develop and evaluate resilience in food systems at multiple scales; data needed to evaluate resilience; and examples of food systems resilience in Virginia and other localities.

2. February 18, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

Exploring Regional Food Systems with Systems Thinking

The recording is available here

Discussing Regional Food System (RFS) and systems thinking in the same presentation is logical because RFS are best understood as complex systems. The talk will cover what RFS are; why they are such important food system constructs; their attributes; and challenges to their development. Then we'll turn to a description of systems thinking; definition, concepts, and a few models that are useful for understanding complex food systems issues. The final section will address specific systems concepts that are especially relevant to food systems at a regional level: scale, diversity, resilience, collaboration, and governance.

If you have any questions, please contact Lia Kelinsky-Jones at kelinskyjones@vt.edu.