About
Amanda Maria Edmonds is a food systems and policy professional who brings 25 years of experience working as a practitioner in sustainable food systems, nonprofit management, and government to students at UM. In addition to teaching, her role at UM includes as the Faculty Lead for the UM Sustainable Food Systems Initiative.
She founded and led Michigan-based nonprofit Growing Hope for 15 years, advancing healthy food access through farmers markets, urban agriculture, youth development, economic development, and good food policy. Between 2014 and 2018, she served as Mayor of Ypsilanti, Michigan. She has served on or led many boards in both the nonprofit & public sectors, and as a veteran public speaker she prides herself on being able to connect with and teach audiences of many ages and backgrounds. She has extensive experience in policy, strategy, and evaluation from local to national scales, both in food systems and other sectors aiming to improve the public good. She has served on and led governing and advisory boards in nonprofit and public sectors, locally to internationally. She served under Governor Granholm on the Michigan Food Policy Council, was a founding member of the Washtenaw Food Policy Council, and has been part of the Michigan Good Food Charter leadership group for 15 years. After living in London, UK from 2019 to 2024, she returned to Michigan where she continues to support public agencies, nonprofits, and institutions in strengthening equitable and sustainable food systems.
Edmonds is completing a doctorate in spatial planning at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, researching municipal policy and planning related to farmers markets. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, she’s been a Michigander since 1996, and has BS and MS degrees from U-Michigan’s School of Natural Resources & Environment, the predecessor to SEAS.
