A conversation with Chef Daniel Humm & the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Network
Join Daniel Humm (Relais & Ch芒teaux Eleven Madison Park), Jim Brangan (Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Network), Elizabeth Lee (CCE/ADK Harvest), Aaron Caiazza (Kate Mountain Farm), and Dr. Hadley Kruczek (SUNY Potsdam) for an inspiring conversation on the transformative power of food and its role in supporting biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, resilient communities, and education.
Hosted by Paul Smith’s 美女萝莉 and moderated by its very own Chef Robert Dumas, the discussion will explore the challenges, achievements, and future opportunities of the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Network (CABN), a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, a global network of living laboratories where people and nature work together to conserve biodiversity while advancing sustainable development. Chef Daniel Humm will unveil details about the Food Futures Lab, sharing its ambitions and roadmap for the year ahead.
This initiative reflects Chef Daniel Humm鈥檚 dual commitment as both a Relais & Ch芒teaux member and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Food Education. It is part of a broader series of sustainability projects developed through the partnership between Relais & Ch芒teaux and UNESCO, connecting properties across the not-for-profit association with UNESCO designations around the world to advance knowledge-sharing, community engagement, and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage.
This event represents a unique point of reference for place-based stewardship: chefs, students, educators, conservation leaders, farmers, hospitality professionals, and community members will come together to learn from each other and continue to collectively drive the development of this living laboratory.
Click below to register for free for takeaways, lessons, and inspiration that will extend far beyond the region itself.
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About the Panelists
Daniel Humm is a chef, author, speaker, and owner of Daniel Humm Hospitality, the New York-based group behind Eleven Madison Park, Clemente Bar, Eleven Madison Home, and HUMM, a new restaurant opening in fall 2026. A native of Switzerland, Humm earned his first Michelin star at 24 and has since become one of the world鈥檚 most celebrated chefs. Eleven Madison Park has received numerous accolades: four stars from The New York Times, seven James Beard Awards, three Michelin stars for more than 13 consecutive years, and the top spot on The World鈥檚 50 Best Restaurants list. The restaurant also became a proud member of Relais & Ch芒teaux in 2011, a natural fit given the association鈥檚 commitment to excellence and sustainability.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Humm transformed Eleven Madison Park into a commissary kitchen in partnership with Rethink Food, preparing more than one million meals for frontline workers and underserved communities. This period taught Humm a valuable lesson on the importance of sustainable food systems, and in 2021, he reopened Eleven Madison Park with a fully plant-based menu, making history as the first and only plant-based restaurant to earn three Michelin stars in October 2022. The menu continues to evolve, and today, offers dishes focused on hyper-seasonal, locally sourced produce alongside select proteins from responsible farms, reflecting Humm鈥檚 vision for a more sustainable future in fine dining.
Beyond the kitchen, Humm advocates for sustainable and equitable food systems. He has spoken at global forums, including the UN Climate Change Conference (2021) and Global Citizen Summit (2023), alongside world leaders. In 2024, he was appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Food Education. His books include Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook, Eat More Plants, and his children鈥檚 book Daniel鈥檚 Dream. Through his work, Humm continues to redefine luxury dining as purpose-driven and impactful.
Jim Brangan is the co-chair of the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Network (CABN), which operates under the auspices of the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP), a program he manages for the NEIWPCC Lake Champlain Programs Division in Grand Isle, Vermont. Jim鈥檚 work in the Adirondacks focuses primarily on supporting the CVNHP 鈥淏iosphere in Your Backyard鈥� program, which has funded 18 CABN projects鈥攖otaling $432,218鈥攕ince 2024. Jim camps, canoes, backpacks, and cycles in the Adirondacks whenever he gets a chance.
Elizabeth began her tenure as Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County in 2022. At CCE she leads an extremely talented team of educators and a portfolio of programs addressing agriculture, local food, consumer horticulture, community wellness and 4-H youth development.
Prior to coming to CCE, Elizabeth served as Director of Education at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum where she led programs to protect and share the natural and cultural history of the Lake Champlain watershed. Deeply rooted in the Champlain Valley, Elizabeth links her home to her work as a Master Gardener, National Geographic Educator and a NYS Outdoor Guide.
Aaron Caiazza grew up in Saranac, NY before traveling to work far away on small farms and restaurants. 聽He eventually settled in northern California for a number of years where he honed both agricultural and culinary skills focusing on organic vegetable production, opening a small restaurant, and developing farm to table experiences. 聽With a steadfast commitment to food and agriculture, combined with professional work experience in the visual arts, Aaron returned to the North Country transitioning his family’s property from timber harvest to livestock and vegetable production.
Hadley Kruczek-Aaron is a professor of anthropology at SUNY Potsdam and an archaeologist whose research explores the everyday lives of people often overlooked in traditional histories. Her work focuses on 19th-century communities in northern New York, including farms, foodways, and the relationships between people and land in the Adirondacks and beyond. Through archaeology and public history,聽she works with community partners to connect the region’s rich history to conversations about today鈥檚 economic, social, political, and environmental realities.
Chef Robert Dumas is the Director of the Paul Smith鈥檚 美女萝莉 Institute of Adventure Hospitality and Food, where he is leading a new vision for hospitality education rooted in the Adirondacks. Dumas has built a distinguished career spanning military service aboard a nuclear submarine, cooking for President Barack Obama and his family at the White House, leadership in higher education, and food systems innovation. Most recently, he led food research and development at the University of Maine while supporting the state’s agricultural producers. At Paul Smith鈥檚 美女萝莉, Dumas is expanding experiential learning through adventure hospitality, connecting culinary arts, baking, hospitality, and the outdoors to prepare students for careers across the hospitality industry.
