Meet the Panelists

We’re thrilled to introduce the incredible panel joining us for What Your Food Ate & Why It Matters on April 9 at Delaware Valley University.

Alongside keynote speaker Anne Biklé, this dynamic group will explore the powerful connection between healthy soil, nutrient-dense food, and human health.

Meet the Panelists:

Debbie Bernstein, MD – Holistic Healing Center 

Debbie Bernstein, MD, blends traditional training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation with advanced credentials in Integrative and Functional Medicine. She is board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, a Diplomate in Integrative Holistic Medicine, an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner, and holds a Master’s in Bio-Nutrition.

Dr. Bernstein is passionate about food as medicine and regenerative farming, actively supporting local farms and farmers markets. She is dedicated to helping patients improve their quality of life through a collaborative, root-cause approach to health and wellness. For more information about Dr. Bernstein and the Holistic Healing Center, go to drbholisticmd.com 

Krista Hirschmann, Ph.D. – Rodale Institute 

Dr. Hirschmann has worked in Healthcare for 25 years, helping clinical teams and leaders improve their communication, strengthen their relationships, and generate efficient and effective outcomes for both patients and colleagues. Recently, she has expanded her attention to include regenerative organic (RO) farming, which is not about walking away from healthcare, it’s about moving towards human health and recognizing that how we produce our food matters. RO farming also embraces a systems perspective which reflects her approach to working with healthcare professionals.

Currently, she works on the Education Team at Rodale Institute, a regenerative organic research farm, which feeds her fascination with relational systems and the connection between agriculture and health. She also consults with healthcare organizations, teaches at Lehigh University, and is a Master Gardener with the Penn State Extension. To learn more, visit: https://rodaleinstitute.org/

Julie Lachman, ND – Julie Lachman, ND LLC

Julie Lachman, ND graduated cum laude from the University of Delaware. She later pursued her doctoral degree in Naturopathic medicine at the prestigious Sonoran University in Arizona. She has lectured at over 30 locations in the area, including senior living centers like the Solana, Manor at Yorktown, and also at multiple support groups at Doylestown Hospital. 

Naturopathic doctors, like Dr. Lachman, receive 4-year post-graduate training in treatments including prescription drugs, IV therapy, minor surgery, and are the only physicians trained in nutrition, botanical medicine, drug-herb interactions, and popular homeopathic medicines. To learn more about Dr Lachman, visit: https://www.drlachman.com/ 

Tom Murtha – Blooming Glen Farm 

Tom Murtha and his wife, Tricia Borneman, are the owners and farmers behind Blooming Glen Farm in Perkasie. Tom has been farming since 2000 and, after working on farms in several states, returned to Bucks County to establish Blooming Glen Farm in 2006.

The farm is rooted in organic, regenerative practices that support a thriving ecosystem of diverse crops, birds, and pollinators. They grow certified organic vegetables and flowers without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or GMOs, instead building soil health through compost, cover crops, mulching, and crop rotation. At Blooming Glen Farm, they believe that healthy soil is the foundation for a healthy body. The farm offers CSA memberships and is a vendor at the Wrightstown Farmers Market in Bucks County and the Headhouse Farmers Market in Philadelphia. You can learn more about Blooming Glen Farm at http://bloomingglenfarm.com/ 

Sean Ryan – Tussock Sedge Farm 

Sean Ryan and his wife Tonya Rosenberger-Ryan, operate Tussock Sedge Farm in Perkasie. After spending years in the IT field, Sean transitioned to farming on the grass-fed beef farm that Tonya’s family established in 2000.

Tussock Sedge Farm raises cows, pigs, and chickens on pasture using rotational grazing, and grows hay to sustain the animals through winter. Through crop rotation, cover crops, and no-till practices, they continually improve soil health, producing nutrient-rich grass to support healthy livestock year after year. You can learn more about Tussock Sedge Farm at http://tussocksedgefarm.com/ 

Tickets for the event are available here!