2025 Food, Faith, & Farms Conference

Our 11th Conference ventures out to the Peninsula for the first time in San Mateo County at CZI Community Space in Redwood City, CA.  Our theme will focus on how faith-based organizations can facilitate access to facilities and people power to serve the community. Learn about resources and hear success stories in using assets like kitchens and cold storage to serve your community. Build your congregation’s capacity and your partner relationships to be prepared and to help make a difference in the future. We will also focus on how faith communities can support food access for immigrants, and refugees. You can attend all or part of the program. 

Judy Carle

Sister Judy Carle has dedicated her life to education, formation, and leadership within the Sisters of Mercy including 16 years in Congregational Leadership (local and national) and working to establish the Institute of the Sisters of the Americas present in 12 countries. She has served in Mercy High Schools, formation for new members, and leadership roles with Mercy Housing (in 41states) and on the board of Common Spirit Healthcare system (142 hospitals in 21 states). A guiding presence in the original Nuns and Nones pilot program, (6 month residential in 2019) Sister Judy serves on it’s advisory committee, in addition to ministries with Dignity Health Board, Healing WELL (Tenderloin SF), Catherine Center (formerly incarcerated women), Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (immigration) and Mercy Volunteer Corps. Her lifelong commitment centers on education, justice, and fostering deep relationships across generations and communities.

Michael Downs
Director of Justice and Kinship at Bishop O’Dowd High School

In his role as Director of Justice and Kinship at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, Michael Downs leads a Creation Care team that lives out its school’s charism rooted in kinship with creation, social justice, and joy. In his role as teacher of a senior social action course and first-of-its-kind Spiritual Ecology course, he has developed curricula that is taking hold in other schools as well. His achievements in environmental education and justice, recognized by the Laudato Si Champion and St. Francis De Sales Excellence in Teaching Awards, reflect his commitment to nurturing leaders who will care for our common home. Michael also serves on the California Catholic Conference Environmental Stewardship Committee, and the Vatican’s Laudato Si Action Platform’s Working Group for Educational Institutions. He has a Masters in Education from the University of Notre Dame and a Masters in Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley.

Michael will talk about the award winning Life Lab at Bishop O’Dowd and engaging high school students to learn about climate and agriculture. Learn about the legacy of Pope Francis’ work Laudato Si, and how it has inspired work in the Catholic world and beyond to support sustainable food systems that address the climate crisis.

Bryce Galvan
Community Education Specialist at Northern Valley Catholic Social Services

Bryce Galvan is a Community Education Specialist with Northern Valley Catholic Social Services who specializes in Gardening Education. He has a B.A. in Science Education and an A.S. in Natural Sciences. Bryce has been with NVCSS for 6 years. He started as a resident manager for low income apartments in Trinity County. After leaving for several years to pursue a career as a consultant in the controlled environment agriculture industry he returned to NVCSS as a Garden Educator in Butte County. Having worked in both the Housing and CalFresh Healthy Living departments of NVCSS has given Bryce some unique insights into the challenges of some of our most vulnerable populations. He works with NVCSS multi-family properties, wellness centers, emergency shelters to combat food insecurity through gardening and nutrition services.

Isaac Spaeth

Isaac Spaeth currently serves on the education committee at Canticle Farms in Allegany, NY where he helps develop engaging learning opportunities and workshops for all ages at the farm. Besides this he runs a small urban farm to help feed his family and neighbors.

Steve Schwartz
Executive Director of Interfaith Food

The Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative is led by Steve Schwartz, an experienced local food systems advocate with more than 25 years of professional leadership working with farmers and farm policy to advance sustainable agriculture. He is the founder of California Farmlink which he directed for 13 years working to provide access to land and financing for beginning and immigrant farmers. He was the first staff person for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers’ Rural Policy Council. Steve is an innovator in farmland access and preservation, as well as affordable financing alternatives for family farmers.

He engaged as a volunteer in interfaith organizing in Sacramento; and has worked with Buddhist and Jewish communities to facilitate projects to connect congregants to the environment and food system. In 2012 he engaged with the Community Food Security Coalition’s Food and Faith Committee and the Sonoma County Community Garden Network. Under his 13 years of leadership, FarmLink organized the first agricultural Individual Development Account program and a successful loan program.

Rev. Ambrose Carroll
Green the Church

A graduate of Oakland High School, Ambrose holds a B.S. in Clinical/Community Psychology from Florida Memorial University, a Masters in Divinity from Morehouse School of Religion, a Doctor of Divinity from United Theological Seminary, and a Masters of Business Administration from Golden Gate University’s Ageno School of Business. In 2009, Ambrose founded the Renewal Worship Center Christian Church of Denver, Colorado as one of the first foundationally environmentally friendly churches in the country. Carrol and his family are presently expanding their work to the Bay Area creating a National Campaign to “Green the Church”.