2027 Keynotes
It All Begins with Soil
Wednesday, January 21 | 8:00 - 9:45 p.m.
Jennifer Pett-Ridge is a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff and lead of the 'Carbon Initiative' at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. She also serves as an adjunct professor at UC Merced and an investigator at the UC Berkeley Innovative Genomics Institute. In much of her research, Jennifer combines isotope tracing with molecular biology and climate manipulation experiments—to better understand the who, when, where, and why of soil microbiome interactions. She also leads several Department of Energy (DOE) team projects, focused on novel bio- and geoengineering approaches for soil carbon drawdown and the capacity and costs of carbon dioxide removal in the USA (Roads to Removal). She is excited to help growers understand land use decisions that optimize soil health and sustainability, while providing jobs, energy, and water-use benefits. Jennifer has been recognized with the US DOE Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award, is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and was recently elected to the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame.
James Cassidy has been an Instructor of Soil Science at Oregon State University for over 20 years. The introductory class now has over 100 students each term and is very popular. James is also the founder and faculty advisor for the wildly popular OSU Organic Growers Club - OSU's student farm. Coming from a non-traditional background (music industry for over 40+ years) he is passionate about soil and is popular with students because of his dynamic speaking style. The student farm project has over 300 student volunteers on its listserv and continues to grow. Over 30,000 students have participated in the farm’s programs. The farm is all volunteer and self-supported through produce sales and cultivates over 50 different fruit and vegetable crops and is just winding down its 26th season. Spanish interpretation provided.
Farming Like Life Depends on It
Thursday, January 22 | 1:30-2:55 p.m.
What if the way we farm, and the food we grow, could help shape a healthier future for people and our planet? Dietitian, educator, and sustainable food systems strategist Mary Purdy explores the connections between healthy soil, nutrient-dense food, human health, and community resilience. Mary Purdy brings a food-is-medicine, science-based perspective on the powerful connections between soil, food, human health, and ecological resilience. Her keynote will invite us to see farming not simply as a way to produce food, but as essential work for sustaining life itself.
Mary Purdy, MS, RDN, is a food systems strategist, educator, and eco-dietitian working at the intersection of nutrition, sustainable food systems, climate, and human health. With more than 13 years of clinical experience using a Food Is Medicine approach, she has advised nonprofits, mission-driven organizations , and food businesses on nutrition, sustainability, and systems change. Most recently, she served as Managing Director of the Nutrient Density Initiative, advancing the connection between soil health, regenerative agriculture, and nutrient-rich food. Mary taught for eight years at Bastyr University and was Adjunct Faculty in The Culinary Institute of America's Master's Program in Sustainable Food Systems, where she currently serves as Strategic Program Manager for the Menus of Change Leadership Summit. A sought-after speaker, author of two books, contributor to industry reports and white papers, and host of more than 130 podcast episodes, Mary helps bridge healthcare, agriculture, and food systems to cultivate healthier people, communities, and a more resilient planet.
Successful Farmers
Friday, January 23 | 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
An EcoFarm tradition! Learn what these farmers do, why they do it, and what they’ve learned along the way. Alisha Taff, Sam and Nick Thorp, and Ryan Casey are the 2027 EcoFarm Successful Farmers. Spanish interpretation provided.
The Original Medicines: The Healing Intelligence of the Earth and the Future of Healing
Saturday, January 23 | 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark, MD, ABOIM, is an award-winning and nationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Integrative Medicine. She is the Director of Integrative Nutrition and Advocacy at Endeavor Health, Clinical Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Culinary Medicine program at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, and faculty for the U Of AZ Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda Fellowship. Dr. Maker-Clark has spent two decades studying integrative medicine, nutritional science, botanical medicine, mind-body medicine, and natural childbirth in health clinics all over the world. She started the Food is Power program on the South Side of Chicago in Chicago Public Schools to empower youth with health literacy, through a curriculum that focuses on decolonized food education, food justice and sovereignty. Dr. Maker-Clark believes in transforming the way we think about medicine and looks to ancient wisdom and modern struggles as opportunities to heal with the medicines that are all around us. As a woman of color, a community organizer, professional dancer, integrative physician and thought leader in the integrative medicine movement, her work aims to help communities be well nourished- the heart of healing in our society and country. Her book Medicine for All People-Science and Ancient Wisdom for Revolutionary Healing is a compelling call to nourish what modern medicine has forgotten.
Watch our 2026 Keynotes
Nature holds immense power in the smallest seed—packed with the potential for transformation, abundance, and life. When conditions are right, both seeds and people thrive. In this keynote, Carlton Turner invites us to reflect: How are we creating the conditions for seeds—and communities—to flourish?
Five supply chain leaders and farmers featured in the new book, Reaping What She Sows: How Women Are Fixing Our Broken Food System, discuss their work creating the short, direct, and transparent “alternative food system".
A strategic dialogue on immigrant farmworker and farmer rights brings together Martita Martinez-Bravo, executive director of Friends of Fieldworkers, Inc.; Elsa Mejía, Madera City council member; and Paul Underhill of Terra Firma Farm.
An EcoFarm tradition! Learn what these farmers do, why they do it, and what they’ve learned along the way. Brisa Farms, Byron Albano, and Effie Rawlings are the 2026 EcoFarm Successful Farmers.