Official Site of The State of New Jersey
State of the State: Strategic Plan Updates, NJ Food Security Commitments, and Research and Data Resources presented by OFSA’s Director of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Jenny Schrum.
OFSA Annual Conference 2026
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
The Westin – Mount Laurel, NJ
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On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the NJ Office of the Food Security Advocate OFSA) held the Third Annual Garden State Conference on Food Security: Setting a Table for All, for Always, with a focus on Food Security Across the Life Course.
More than 300 changemakers attended in-person in South Jersey, and nearly 600 partners participated in our online community via livestream throughout the day.
To first-time and returning participants alike, thank you for joining OFSA for a day of cross-sector conversations to share and co-design ideas, successes and learnings, plus networking to advance the collective work of making true food security a reality for everyone.
See the Impact and Momentum We're Building
Watch the recap video of this year’s Conference below:
Conference Recap
Read the OFSA Team’s Key Takeaways
The 2026 Garden State Conference on Food Security focused on deepening understanding of food security across the life course; exploring the implications of HR1 for SNAP and Medicaid; and highlighting the state’s progress on the Statewide Food Security Strategic Plan and implementation efforts.
The convening featured a special address from Speaker Craig J. Coughlin, with Tobias Fox, Founder and Managing Director of Newark Science and Sustainability, and Heather Thompson, Executive Director of Table to Table, serving as the day’s emcees.
Main-stage presentations, breakout sessions, information stations featuring NJ Office of the Attorney General Division on Civil Rights, NJ Department of Human Services and the Office of New Americans, and the NJ Department of Health, plus cross-sector networking created space for partners to share perspectives, learn from one another, and explore opportunities for coordinated action.
A featured lunchtime session with New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner Dr. Stephen Cha and additional department leadership addressed HR1’s implications for SNAP and Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare. The session focused on how federal policy changes affect food access, health, stability, and individual, household, and community well-being.
The conference also highlighted major milestones in New Jersey’s food security work:
- The release of the New Jersey Food Security Strategic Plan.
- The release of the Strategic Plan Implementation Planning Toolkit.
- The inaugural call for NJ Commitments for Food Security - with OFSA announcing the cohort of 150+ accepted Commitments as part of the day..
- The first round of grantee funds and initiatives supporting Strategic Plan-aligned work.
These milestones are all part of OFSA’s efforts to move from shared planning to implementation, and from commitment to coordinated action.
In his closing remarks, Executive Director Mark Dinglasan reiterated a rallying message among food security partners: no single organization, program, policy or sector can do this work alone or must do this work alone. Building a food-secure New Jersey will take continued community building and commitment in the years ahead, and OFSA will continue to do its part to support our ever growing, multisector, statewide community of practice.
Together, we continue to set a table for all, for always.
Conference Resources
Main Stage Presentations (Conference Livestream)
The Conference Livestream includes
- OFSA Director of Research and Evaluation Dr. Jenny Schrum’s State of the State presentation,
- Speaker Coughlin’s remarks,
- the First 1,000 Days breakout session,
- the Mitigating HR1 session from the NJ Department of Human Services (NJDHS), and
- Mark Dinglasan’s closing remarks.
Below, see the available materials for each presentation.
Food Security in the First 1,000 Days: Building Partnerships for Community & Care.
- Watch the presentation (2:11:21-3:12:37)
- View the slide deck.
- Read the moderator and panel bios.
Food, Health, and Finding Stability: Mitigating HR1 Impacts on SNAP and Medicaid presented by the New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner Dr. Stephen Cha and additional state leadership from NJDHS.
- Watch the presentation (3:41:27-5:27:15)
- View the slide deck.
- Read the bios for NJDHS presenters.
Additional Breakout Room Presentations
In 2026, OFSA collaborated with a number of partners to a dynamic set of breakout panels emphasizing the perspective of food security across the life course. These sessions highlighted existing needs and opportunities at different stages of life, in smaller and more interactive formats, to make space for the collective wisdom in the room.
Below, see the video recordings and resources for each breakout session.
Catalyzing Classrooms: Helping K-12 Families Make the Grade in Becoming Food Secure
Food Insecurity in Higher Education: Enhancing Campus & Community Ecosystems