PFPC Summit Spin-Off Series: Continuing the Conversation, All Season Long

In 2025, the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC) reimagined our traditional one-day Pittsburgh Regional Food System Summit as the PFPC Summit Spin-Off Series, a dynamic lineup of events that unfolded throughout the season.

The goal? To make the Summit experience more accessible, interactive, and community-driven. Each session offered a space to learn, share, and build collective momentum for a stronger, more equitable regional food system.

Together, advocates, growers, policymakers, funders, artists, and residents came to discuss how we can transform the future of food in Pittsburgh and beyond.

2025 Summit Series Highlights

Planting Roots, Securing Ground: Urban Land Access from All Angles

This session explored the many layers of urban land access, from policy and zoning to ownership and community stewardship. Participants discussed the barriers growers face in securing and retaining land in Pittsburgh, while hearing from advocates and legal experts about innovative solutions for equitable land use.
The conversation highlighted how land access isn’t just about soil, it’s about power, stability, and long-term community resilience.

City Roots: The City’s Role in a Thriving Food System

In partnership with the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning and CitiParks, this community dialogue brought food system advocates face-to-face with City representatives. Together, they explored ways to embed food system priorities in the City’s first-ever Comprehensive Plan, shaping what food justice, access, and sustainability could look like in a future Pittsburgh.

Attendees helped identify opportunities to strengthen programs like Adopt-A-Lot, improve farmers markets, and better connect City resources to community needs.

Cultivating Connections: Artist Showcase, Resources, & Networking

Our final session celebrated creativity and collaboration as powerful tools for change. Cultivating Connections brought together artists, advocates, and neighbors to uplift stories of resilience, sustainability, and justice through visual and performing arts.

Attendees explored local food justice resources, made meaningful connections, and celebrated the intersection of art and activism, reminding us that storytelling and creativity can feed movements as powerfully as food itself.

Looking Ahead: 2026 Summit & Membership Launch

After a season of deep learning and connection, PFPC will return to our one-day Summit format in 2026, bringing all these conversations under one roof for a day of collective energy, shared purpose, and tangible next steps.

New this year: By attending the Summit, you’ll automatically become a PFPC member, as we officially launch our long-awaited membership program! Membership will open the door to exclusive updates, opportunities to engage in working groups, and continued collaboration on the policies and projects shaping Pittsburgh’s food future.

Join our mailing list to receive details on the 2026 Summit, and join us as we continue building a just, resilient, and thriving food system together.