I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to travel to 45 regions in 20 states, and one province in Canada, to help strengthen local foods work. My favorite moment of all was in Decorah, Iowa, when I spoke to the Northeast Iowa Farm and Food Coalition. That group invited me down a total of nine times to give the same speech, because they found that my presentation was the best vehicle they knew of for motivating people to get engaged, and for unifying the efforts of diverse stakeholders.

For my third presentation a group of business people, farmers, extension agents, lenders and other residents gathered in a conference room. I laid out a sobering account of how the community suffered losses in the food economy. When I was done, the first person to come up to thank me was a local banker. He strode up briskly and shook my hand with a firm grip. “Your data shows why I have been making farm loans I did not like for 15 years,” he said. The banker then decided to join the coalition to help farmers and eaters have better choices. In fact, he became co-chair.

In this work, I have gained a surprising insight: an honest account of economic realities moves people to act. People are so hungry for a discussion that has real content, and that moves beyond sound bites to get to the heart of the issues they face. My presentations help people come together to become allies. This has been an extraordinary education for me, as well.

But Crossroads’ work does not stop with food. While I do believe that strengthening community-based foods is the best path we have toward economic recovery, people also draw upon many other tools. My partners have placed some astounding challenges in front of me. Due to their trust, I have become a global leader in sustainability planning and measurement. I have also become expert in evaluating complex systems that change over time. I’ve launched effective community economic development strategies. I have worked effectively in low-income settings and with ethnic communities in inner-city, rural, suburban, and international contexts. (Ken Meter, president)