Center for Regional Food Systems

Terri Barker is an Economic and Community Development Analyst at the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). She works remotely in Southeast Michigan with state and local economic development partners to provide financial and technical expertise and resources to food and agriculture businesses/organizations. Current focus areas include food processing, urban agriculture, food supply chains and food hubs.  In addition, she provides leadership as the Agriculture Development Team Food Innovation Specialist, business development lead for the Quality of Life Aquaculture Team (DNR, DEQ, MDARD collaboration), and is the MDARD representative on Michigan State University’s AgBioTech Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advisory Board. Terri previously worked as the Food Programs Manager and Interim Policy Director at The Food Bank Council of Michigan and in the State Legislature. Through the years, she has worked in various places throughout the food supply chain; as a buyer for a multinational grocery chain and a local co-operative, and on permaculture, organic and biodynamic farms. Terri grew up in East Lansing, MI where she gained valuable experience and publishing credits in MSU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Parasitology and Avian & Infectious Disease laboratories. Terri graduated from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a degree in Linguistic Anthropology and with her certificate as a State Mediator.