Buffalo’s 6th Annual Food as Medicine Symposium Returns October 15–16, with a Full Community Wellness Track and Discounted Rates for Residents and Nonprofits
BUFFALO, N.Y. — September 15, 2026 — The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) will host its 6th Annual Food as Medicine Symposium on October 15–16, 2026 at the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Now in its sixth year, the event brings local, national, and international leaders to Buffalo to explore how what we eat and how we live shapes our health.
This year, a significant share of the program is built for the general public. Alongside sessions for physicians and dietitians, the symposium offers a community track covering backyard food production, aging at home, menstrual health, stress and digestion, and the local programs already delivering fresh food to Buffalo families. Discounted community and nonprofit registration rates are available.
“BNMC has been doing this work long before Food as Medicine became a national buzzword,” said Beth Machnica, Director of Health and Well-Being at BNMC. “This symposium is not just for clinicians. It is for anyone in our community who wants real, usable information on how to feel better and stay healthier, and we priced it so that being a resident or a small nonprofit is not a barrier to walking through the door.”
What Community Members Will Actually Learn
Grow and stretch your own food. In Dining with Dinosaurs, Buffalo wellness educator Jared Byer, HFC, of Made 2 Move Fitness, shows how to upcycle kitchen and yard waste, simplify composting, and use backyard chickens to produce protein and vegetables at home. Attendees leave knowing how to lower their grocery bills and raise the nutrient density of what they eat. (Day 2, 3 to 3:30 p.m)
Why healthy eating sometimes does not work. Sarah Seweryniak, CHHC, a certified holistic health coach, presents The Role of Stress Physiology in Gut Health and Autoimmune Disease, drawing on both current research and her own celiac diagnosis. Her session explains why chronic stress can undercut even a well-designed diet, and what to do about it. (Day 1, 2 to 2:30 p.m)
Fermentation, ancestral foods, and the modern gut. Vivek Nandur, PhD, founder of Amara Fermentations, presents The Metabolic Topology of Disease, connecting heritage fermentation practices and Ayurvedic tradition to what today’s science reveals about the gut, liver, and brain, and about what modern processed diets strip out of our food. (Day 1, 2:30 to 3 p.m)
Not all produce is created equal. In Know Thy Medicine, food scientist Lindsay Springer, PhD, Director of Plants, Nutrition, and Digital Agriculture at Gardyn, explains how a plant’s variety, growing conditions, freshness, and storage change its actual nutritional value. Practical guidance for anyone who shops, cooks, or gardens. (Day 1, 3:30 to 3:50 p.m)
Feeding older neighbors and staying independent at home. Tara Felser, MS, RD, CDN, and Katelyn Collins, MS, RD, CDN of FeedMore WNY present Supporting Our Community: Home-Delivered Meals as Food as Medicine, on how Meals on Wheels and medically tailored meals help older adults manage chronic conditions, avoid malnutrition, and remain safely in their own homes. Essential for caregivers and anyone supporting an aging parent. (Day 2, 2 to 3 p.m)
Periods, dignity, and preventive care. Shara Armprester, M.S., founder of Natural Beauty Cuties and Recruitment Manager at Say Yes Buffalo, presents Beyond the Cycle: Periods, Problems, and Preconceived Notions. Drawing on more than a decade of community work, she addresses period poverty, stigma, the effect on school attendance and confidence, and growing concerns about chemicals in menstrual products. (Day 2, 3:30 to 4 p.m)
Meet the organizations doing this work. A vendor fair and research poster session runs during breaks on both days, where attendees can meet local food and wellness organizations, sample products, and see research from area students and practitioners.
Why It Matters for Buffalo
Diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune conditions continue to rise nationally and in Western New York, and the burden is not evenly distributed across our neighborhoods. Many of the organizations presenting this year are working right here to close that gap, delivering produce to families, meals to older adults, and health education into schools and community spaces.
For residents, the symposium is a chance to meet those people face to face, ask questions, and leave with steps that can be taken at home. For the nonprofits and community groups already doing this work, it is two days in the same room as the clinicians, researchers, and health system leaders who need to hear from them.
Tops Friendly Markets and the UB Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences are the leading supporters of this year’s symposium and events.
“Tops Friendly Markets is proud to continue supporting BNMC’s Food as Medicine Symposium and its important work to show how access to nutritious food can support better health and well-being,” said Kristen Hanson, GVP, Center Store and Pharmacy. “This year’s expanded community programming makes these conversations even more accessible, offering practical information and resources that individuals and families can use every day. We are honored to partner with BNMC and the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to connect our community with the knowledge, programs and local organizations helping make healthier choices more attainable for everyone.”
Registration
Registration for the 6th Annual Food as Medicine Symposium is open now. Community members can register here. Registrants will receive access to all conference resources, regardless of the ticket type purchased.
Full agenda details are available here.
Discounted community and nonprofit rates are available at $100. Register at https://theticketing.co/e/bnmcfam2026
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC): The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus brings people together to create positive social and economic impact within our community. We manage the premier innovation district and economic engine of WNY and are building an innovation ecosystem that focuses on breaking down barriers to a higher quality of life for all in our region. Today, we manage a 120+ acre urban innovation district that is home to over 200 public and private companies with over 16,000 employees, which brings 1.5 million patients and visitors annually to our Buffalo district. www.bnmc.org.