Virgin Islands Good Food presents the
ISLAND FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT
GROW, GATHER, GALVANIZE | SEPTEMBER 9 - 13, 2026
Wednesday, September 9
Arrival
All Day | Participant arrivals and hotel check-in.
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Field Experience Orientation & Welcome Dinner
Meet fellow participants, learn about the summit experience, receive your field assignments, and prepare for the Mutual Aid & Field Experience Day.
Thursday, September 10
Grow: Mutual Aid & Field Experiences
6:00 AM – 7:00 AM | Breakfast
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Field Experience Orientation
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Mutual Aid & Field-Based Learning Experiences
Participants will engage in hands-on learning and service at farms and food system projects throughout St. Thomas and St. John. Sites may include agroecology farms, youth agriculture programs, aquaponics operations, food producers, and community food initiatives.
12:30 PM | Return Travel
1:30 PM | Lunch & Community Debrief
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Rest & Free Time
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Welcome Networking Dinner
Connect with participants from across the Virgin Islands, Caribbean, and mainland United States through storytelling, reflection, and relationship-building.
Friday,
September 11
Gather: Building Community Across the Caribbean Food System
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Registration & Breakfast
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Opening Ceremony & Intention Setting
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Plenary Session: Connecting Our Caribbean Food System
Hear stories and case studies from food system leaders throughout the Caribbean and engage in conversations about resilience, food sovereignty, and regional collaboration.
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | World Café Conversations
Interactive discussions exploring the themes of:
3:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Beach Gathering & Community Time
Saturday, September 12
Galvanize: From Ideas to Action
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast & Morning Reflection
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Collective Synthesis Roundtable
Harvesting lessons from the field experiences and summit discussions.
10:45 AM – 12:30 PM | Action Labs
Context
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Action Planning & Working Groups
Participants will collaborate to develop recommendations, partnerships, and next steps that continue beyond the summit.
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Closing Session & Commitments
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Celebration Dinner
A special evening of food, culture, recognition, and community as we celebrate the relationships and commitments built throughout the summit.
Sunday, September 13
Strategic Partner & Funder Roundtables
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Strategic Partner & Funder Conversations
An invitation-only gathering of funders, institutional partners, and regional leaders focused on implementation, investment, and sustaining the work beyond the summit.
1:00 PM Onward | Departures