2027 Workshops

The EcoFarm Conference offers four+ days of more than 60 skill-building workshops in English and Spanish, keynotes, pre-conference events, farm tours, seed swaps, tastings, networking, and an exhibitor marketplace!

Check out the lineup of workshops from our 2027 conference below.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2027

Keynote: 7:30-8:45pm

Since the advent of agriculture, a vast amount of carbon in cultivated soils has been lost to the atmosphere. Intricate cross-kingdom interactions—involving bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, microfauna, and viruses—shape soil carbon availability and loss. Join Jennifer Pett-Ridge, a leading soil scientist, and soil science educator and Oregon State University student farm founder James Cassidy for this engaging opening keynote. Cassidy proclaims, “Every atom in your body has been through the soil billions of times, and the fact that you’re not soil at this moment is a temporary condition.” The keynote will explore what soil is, how soils form, what nutrients are, and how soil stores water and nutrients. Come learn and be inspired by the interconnectedness of humanity and soil.
James Cassidy (Keynote Speaker) has taught soil science at Oregon State University for more than twenty years, where his introductory class draws more than one hundred students each term. He is the founder and faculty advisor of the OSU Organic Growers Club, the university’s student farm. The all-volunteer farm supports itself through produce sales, grows more than fifty fruit and vegetable crops, and has engaged more than thirty thousand students. Cassidy came to soil science from a long career in the music industry, and his dynamic speaking style made him a student favorite.
Jennifer Pett-Ridge (Keynote Speaker) is a distinguished member of technical staff and leads the Carbon Initiative at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of California, Merced and an investigator at the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. Pete-Ridge combines isotope tracing, molecular biology, and climate manipulation experiments to understand how soil microbiomes interact. She leads several Department of Energy (DOE) team projects on soil carbon drawdown and the capacity and costs of carbon dioxide removal in the United States. She has received the DOE Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award, is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geophysical Union, and was elected to the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame. She is excited to help growers make land use decisions that build soil health and sustainability. Spanish interpretation provided.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2027

Location: Merrill Hall
Dry farming high-quality crops without irrigation is an important skill for the future, given the growing uncertainty of climate change. It requires a good understanding of soil texture and depth, as well as how water moves through and is held in the soil. Panelists will also discuss other keys to successful dry farming, such as crop selection and spacing, timing of production, and use of mulches. Drawing on extensive experience, they will share lessons from dry-farmed vegetable crops, grapes, and grains.
Moderator: Richard Smith, University of California Cooperative Extension (emeritus), Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, Aromas, CA
Speakers: Nicholas Clark, University of California Cooperative Extension, Monterey County, Salinas, CA; Stephen Gliessman, Condor’s Hope Farm, Cuyama Valley, CA; Jim Leap, School Road Farm, Aromas, CA
Location: Chapel
During this panel, participants will hear from three different public school food and nutrition professionals. We will explore what factors influence their decisions about buying local products or not. Participants will gain a better understanding of whether the school food marketplace is a financial fit for their farming operation.
Moderator: Chris Massa, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Ventura, CA
Speakers: Becca McKnight, Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Watsonville, CA; Erin Primer, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, San Luis Obispo, CA; Lauren Thomas, San Miguel Joint Union School District, San Miguel, CA
Location: Fred Farr
What happens when farms and ranches are managed not only for production but also to support birds, other wildlife, and the habitats they depend on? This workshop explores the reciprocity between agriculture and wild nature through the experiences of three producers who integrate native habitat and holistic livestock management into agricultural land. By mimicking natural grazing patterns to support bird habitat and establishing nest boxes, hedgerows, and riparian buffers, producers can create critical wildlife corridors while bringing vital services back to the land, such as natural pest control, pollination, soil protection, and carbon storage. Hear firsthand how producers are making room for birds and creating harmony between agriculture and ecology that strengthens the foothold of wildlife and farm and ranch productivity.
Moderator: Shelly Connor, Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA
Speakers: Tom Broz, Live Earth Farm, Watsonville, CA; Joe Morris, Morris Grassfed, San Juan Bautista, CA; Dru Rivers, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA
Location: Kiln
Long before organic and regenerative agriculture became movements, there were BioDynamics. Beginning in 1924, BioDynamic® agriculture introduced the idea of the whole farm as a living, self-regenerating ecosystem rooted in relationships among soil, plants, animals, people, and the larger rhythms of nature. Many ideas shaping modern agriculture have deep roots in this century-old approach. Explore how BioDynamics continues to inform farming today, as new research examines the effects of BioDynamic preparations and practices on soil, plant health, and food quality, and how these principles can complement other farming methods. Participants will leave with a BioDynamic preparation guide, a sample spray program, and a simple observation exercise for seeing the farm with fresh eyes.
Moderator and Speaker: Evrett Lunquist, Common Good Farm and Demeter Association, Raymond, NE
Speakers: Natalie Brinkley, Demeter Association, Floyd, VA; Zen Nishimura, Zenbunni Coffee, Chicago, IL
Location: Nautilus
Small, diversified farms often must balance food safety expectations with practices that support soil health, biodiversity, and production—without dedicated compliance staff. This panel focuses on practical co-management: efficiently collecting useful observations and records and using them to explain on-farm decisions. Panelists will discuss documenting wildlife activity and mitigation, input storage and compost records, water and field-condition checks, and corrective actions. They will share strategies for presenting this information to auditors, buyers, and partners in ways that show thoughtful risk management rather than the blanket removal of practices that support biodiversity and soil health.
Moderator: Matthew Grieshop, Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA
Speakers: Gina Bella-Colfer, Wilbur-Ellis Company, Aptos, CA; Jacob Guth, California Certified Organic Farmers, Santa Cruz, CA; John McKeon, Pelican LLC, Santa Cruz, CA; Joelle Mosso, Western Growers, Santa Cruz, CA
Language: English with Spanish Interpretation
Location: Triton
This workshop shares a practical, farmer-led model for using Mexican ancestral crops to strengthen organic farming, agritourism, and local economies. Regeneration’s Ancestral Crop Program supports immigrant Mexican farmers in growing culturally significant crops while creating new farm education and revenue opportunities. Seasonal examples include zinnias and dahlias in spring; the milpa system of corn, beans, and squash in summer; cempōhualxōchitl (Mexican marigold) in fall; and nochebuena (poinsettia) in winter. Learn how farms can offer workshops, pick-your-own events, community meals, seed saving activities, and cultural education that diversify income, deepen customer relationships, preserve agricultural knowledge, and build public support for small-scale farmers. Leave with practical ideas for crop planning, storytelling, partnerships, and farm-based programming.
Moderator: Dr. Robina Bhatti, California State University, Monterey Bay, Oakland, CA
Speakers: Rachael Callahan, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Davis, CA; Josefina Lara Chavez, Regeneration: Latine Alliance in Agroecology and the Food System, Santa Cruz, CA
Location: Evergreen
This session explores the trends and pressing topics shaping the future of food production in cities. Participants will gain insights into regenerative organic practices, climate-resilient urban agriculture, soil health restoration, composting innovations, water-efficient growing systems, vertical farming, rooftop gardens, hydroponics and aquaponics, urban pollinator habitats, and community food security initiatives. The session will also address emerging challenges such as climate change adaptation, equitable access to fresh food, urban land use, waste reduction, and the role of technology in sustainable urban farming. Designed for growers, educators, policymakers, and community leaders, this workshop offers practical strategies and real-world examples for building productive, resilient, and environmentally responsible urban food systems.
Moderator: Ken Foster, Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping and Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, CA
Speakers: Novella Carpenter, Ghost Town Farm, Oakland, CA; Wanda Stewart, Obsidian Farm and Common Vision, Oakland, CA
Location: Oak Shelter
Organic growers can face unique costs and challenges in meeting both National Organic Program standards and food safety requirements. Ecologically based practices common on organic farms may raise concerns for food safety inspectors and produce buyers. Biological soil amendments of animal origin, in particular, may be seen as a pathway for pathogens in the soil. This is a significant challenge for organic growers, who rely on these amendments and must choose among many products and manufacturers—while carrying the added economic and administrative burden of complying with both sets of rules. Hear from a researcher on food safety and organic systems policy, an organic certification inspector or food safety inspector, and a farmer who uses soil amendments of animal origin.
Moderator: Alda Pires, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, and University of California Cooperative Extension, Davis, CA
Speakers: Patrick Baur, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; John McKeon, Pelican LLC, Santa Cruz, CA; Rebecca Ryals, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA
Location: Heather
What are organic farmers across the country saying they need, and how can that guide where research takes root? This session traces the path from data to practice, drawing on the Organic Farming Research Foundation’s two decades of connecting farmer priorities to research and education outcomes. Presenters will share results from the foundation’s newly released Organic Producer Survey, conducted twice a decade to identify where research, education, and technical assistance are most needed. A researcher will connect the national findings to current work tackling farmer-identified challenges. A farmer who ran their own Farmer-Led Trial will share what worked, what didn’t, and what they wish they’d known—a firsthand look at how on-farm research puts priorities into practice.
Moderator and Speaker: Brise Tencer, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA

Session A: 8:30-10:00am

Session B: 10:30-12:00pm

Location: Merrill Hall
Last year made it clear that land reform and policy solutions are foundational to the EcoFarm community and to any hope for a sustainable future. Building on last year’s panel, we’ll hear about work developed among farmers, farmworkers, and food system advocates, and the larger strategies groups are advancing toward land reform. That means working to undo generations of theft and discrimination while fighting corporate takeovers that treat our farms and land as investments rather than natural resources. Much has changed, including the final recommendations of the Agricultural Land Equity Task Force: a 150-page report packed with community-centered ideas for transforming how we think about land. Advocates are now working to make sure those recommendations don’t just sit on a shelf. Come learn how you can help build the coalition and movement in 2027.

Moderator: Beth Smoker, California Food and Farming Network, Sacramento, CA
Speakers: Jamie Fanous, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA; Nelson Hawkins, We Grow Farm and Ujamaa Farmer Collective, Sacramento, CA; James Nakahara, Kitchen Table Advisors, Santa Cruz, CA; Lucas Zucker, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and Project MILPA, Ventura, CA
Location: Chapel
Regenerative livestock is about more than grazing. It’s a system connecting healthy soil, animal management, nutrient-dense food, certification, and a viable market for farmers. Drawing on real-world examples from Regenerative Organic Certified® livestock operations, this panel explores how decisions made on the land can influence animal health, biodiversity, food quality, and farm economics. Speakers will share practical lessons from regenerative livestock production, emerging nutrient-density research, certification pathways, and the opportunities and challenges of bringing regenerative meat to market. Leave with a better understanding of what it takes to build a regenerative livestock system that creates value from soil to sale.
Moderator: Brittany Burke, StarWalker Organic Farms, Nashville, TN
Speakers: Edacious, Marlborough, MA; Jason Walker, StarWalker Organic Farms, Fort Jones, CA; Kristina Walker, StarWalker Organic Farms, Fort Jones, CA
Location: Fred Farr
Many regenerative farmers use practices that align closely with organic principles, yet a growing number choose not to pursue organic certification. This workshop explores farmers’ reasons for that decision, such as certification costs and complexity, market access challenges, inconsistent price premiums, and the reality of implementing stewardship practices without always receiving a clear financial return. Through panel discussion and audience engagement, this session will recognize the leadership and contributions of the organic movement while highlighting the shared values that connect organic and regenerative agriculture. Rather than choosing sides, this conversation focuses on helping farmers navigate market expectations, certification systems, and practical pathways that support sustainability, profitability, and informed decision-making. Audience participation will shape the discussion.
Moderator: Rebecca Ozeran, University of California Cooperative Extension, Fresno and Madera Counties, Fresno, CA
Speakers: Andrew Carroll, EcoThrive Farm Management and Farmer Ag Network, Chowchilla, CA; Donald R. Thomas, AgLand Innovations and Farmer Ag Network, Fowler, CA; Tom Willey, TD Willey Farms, Madera, CA
Location: Kiln
Growing beautiful flowers is only one part of building a successful cut flower business. This workshop explores how flower farmers can find and grow a market, shape their growing space around their goals, and connect their flowers with their community. We’ll cover the journey from landing those first customers to expanding sales through creative marketing, along with setting goals, defining success, and facing the challenges of running a flower business. Hear about diversification and how flowers can create community, connection, and experiences beyond the bouquet. Panelists from distinct regions of California will share their personal stories, and you’ll connect with fellow flower farmers from all across the U.S.
Moderator: Mackenzie Ostrowski, Old Grove Orange, Redlands, CA
Speakers: Kelly Brown, Do Right Flower Farm and Santa Cruz Flower Hub, Santa Cruz, CA; Mary Pat Wolfington Larralde, Wynnie’s Flower Farm, Clovis, CA; Hannah Muller, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA
Language/Idioma: Spanish/Español
Ubicación: Nautilus
Emprender un negocio propio requiere dedicación, pasión, perseverancia y una disposición constante para aprender. Esto es especialmente cierto en la agricultura, donde cada decisión puede impactar directamente la productividad, la rentabilidad y la sostenibilidad a largo plazo de la operación. Este taller está diseñado para ayudar a los productores a replantear el diseño y manejo de sus sistemas de riego, partiendo de sus objetivos. Presentando a Alfa Y Omega Organic Farm como ejemplo, mostraremos cómo las metas de producción y comercialización pueden orientar el diseño y la gestión de un sistema de riego. Este enfoque ayuda a los agricultores a mejorar la eficiencia en el uso del agua y a fortalecer la capacidad de sus negocios agrícolas para adaptarse y prosperar a largo plazo.
Moderadora y ponente: Sacha Lozano, Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz, CA
Ponentes: Alex Ramos, San Benito Resource Conservation District, Hollister, CA; Emilia Santos, Alfa y Omega Organic Farm, Hollister, CA
Language/Idioma: Spanish/Español
Ubicación: Triton
Agricultores latinos con mucha experiencia compartirán sus valiosos consejos y vivencias sobre cómo tener éxito en la agricultura. Esta sesión será más una charla que una presentación formal, tocando temas como producción, negocios, marketing y cualquier otro tema que el público quiera discutir. Los agricultores seleccionados contarán historias sinceras sobre sus trayectorias—lo bueno, lo malo y lo complicado—mostrando la resistencia y creatividad que se necesitan en el campo. Tendrás tiempo para hacer preguntas y conectarte con estos agricultores destacados.
Location: Scripps
Putting down permanent roots is more than just a dream—it is a strategic business move that requires financial clarity, thorough preparation, and a clear roadmap to land tenure. This panel of agricultural lenders, business advisors, and land specialists will demystify the path to ownership, from loan readiness to closing. Panelists will break down how to prepare a farm business for land financing, including financial documents, prequalification, and diverse sources of capital. They will also cover often-overlooked steps: assessing land, negotiating purchase agreements, what to expect during a purchase, and tenure and vesting structures that support long-term business viability.
Moderator: Brett Melone, California FarmLink, Aptos, CA
Speakers: Amy Davis, California FarmLink, Aptos, CA; Laura Poliné González, California FarmLink, Aptos, CA
Location: Evergreen
Predators and parasitoids can play a powerful role in keeping crop pests in check, but they need the right habitat to be effective. This session explains how hedgerows, flower strips, riparian areas, and other habitat plantings provide the food, shelter, and overwintering sites these beneficial insects need. We’ll cover how nectar, pollen, alternative prey, and refuge from heat, cold, pesticides, and disturbance help natural enemies survive and stay active on the farm. The session will also look at how habitat placement, plant choice, field edges, and nearby natural areas influence how beneficial insects move into crops and help reduce pest pressure.
Moderator and Speaker: Jo Ann Baumgartner, Wild Farm Alliance (emerita), Aromas, CA
Speaker: Anna DiPaola, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Location: Heather
Running an organic vineyard well is not simple, and many of its skills, operations, and logistics apply to other agricultural systems. This workshop gets into the details of every part of an organic vineyard’s season, including labor logistics, disease and pest management, and equipment use. Three vineyard managers will share their successes and failures and describe their approaches to saving money, marketing, efficiency, and restorative land practices.
Moderator and Speaker: Jackson Grom, Abbott Claim, McMinnville, OR
Speakers: Dai Crisp, Lumos Wine Company, Philomath, OR; Kelly Mulville, Paicines Ranch, Paicines, CA
Location: Acacia
Did you know that there are an estimated 57 billion nematodes for every person on Earth? How can you tell plant-parasitic nematodes from microbial feeding ones? We’ll explore this and more in a workshop on an often-overlooked group of organisms. These microscopic roundworms are usually the focus of pest control, but many beneficial nematodes in the soil drive nutrient cycling and prey on pests. Learn how bacterial and fungal feeding nematode populations are being used as indicators of soil health and how you can increase beneficial nematodes on your farm.
Moderator: Kim Horton, Micros 2 Macros, Hollister, CA
Speakers: Alan Butterfield, ID Services LLC, McFarland, CA; Amanda Hodson, University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Davis, CA

Keynote: 1:30-2:55pm

What if the way we farm, and the food we grow, could help shape a healthier future for people and the planet? Dietitian, educator, and sustainable food systems strategist Mary Purdy brings a science-based, food-is-medicine perspective to the connections between healthy soil, nutrient-dense food, human health, and community resilience. Her keynote invites us to see farming not simply as a way to produce food, but as essential work for sustaining life itself.
Mary Purdy, MS, RDN (Keynote Speaker), is a food systems strategist, educator, and eco-dietitian working at the intersection of nutrition, sustainable food systems, climate, and human health. She brings more than thirteen years of clinical experience using a food-is-medicine approach and has advised nonprofits, mission-driven organizations, and food businesses. Most recently, she was managing director of the Nutrient Density Initiative, which links soil health and regenerative agriculture to nutrient-rich food. Purdy 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 now manages the Menus of Change Leadership Summit. She is the author of two books and has hosted more than 130 podcast episodes. Spanish interpretation provided.

Location: Chapel
Healthy soil biology is the foundation of a resilient farm and one of the most underused integrated pest management (IPM) tools available. IPM programs often focus on what to apply when pests appear. This workshop asks a different question: What if your soil made the farm less hospitable to pests in the first place? Quality compost does more than feed crops. It builds fungal and bacterial communities that compete with and suppress soilborne pathogens, and it improves plant nutrition in ways that reduce pest susceptibility. A plant that isn’t stressed has a stronger immune system. A conservation professional, an agriculture professor, a compost producer, and a circular bioeconomy architect will explore soil health and biological suppression.
Moderator: Doug Millar, San Mateo Resource Conservation District, San Mateo, CA
Speakers: John Heywood, People, Food, and Land Foundation, Prather, CA; John Massa, Comgro Soil Amendments, Inc., Salinas, CA; Robert Mills, Hartnell College, Salinas, CA
Location: Kiln
Values-based procurement is gaining recognition in California. In 2023, California’s Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap called for eliminating highly hazardous pesticides and urged state institutions to buy more from growers aligned with sustainable pest management. In 2024, the Farm to School program reported that 56 percent of K–12 school grantees bought food from small and midsize producers, including those using organic practices. Panelists will share their work across the state to expand producer access to institutional contracts that prioritize sustainable, diversified practices, including new market channels, groundbreaking policies, lessons from institutional partnerships, and recommendations for accessing these markets.
Moderator: Margaret Reeves, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network, San Francisco, CA
Speakers: Peter Cohen, Center for Good Food Purchasing, San Francisco, CA; James Nakahara, Kitchen Table Advisors, Santa Cruz, CA; Elaine Smith, Farms to Grow, Oakland, CA
Language/Idioma: Spanish/Español
Ubicación: Triton
Este panel de prestamistas agrícolas, asesores empresariales y especialistas en terrenos desmitificará el proceso para lograr la obtención de una propiedad. Los asistentes recibirán una guía práctica desde la preparación para el préstamo hasta el cierre. El panel desglosará los componentes necesarios para preparar una empresa agrícola para la financiación de terrenos, incluyendo la preparación de documentos financieros, la precalificación y la comprensión de diversas fuentes de capital. Exploraremos los pasos, a menudo pasados por alto, de la evaluación de terrenos, la negociación de contratos de compraventa, los pasos a seguir durante la compra y la comprensión de las estructuras de tenencia y adquisición que respaldan la viabilidad del negocio a largo plazo.
Moderadora: Laura Poliné González, California FarmLink, Aptos, CA
Ponentes: Asia Hampton, California FarmLink, Aptos, CA; Brett Melone, California FarmLink, Aptos, CA
Location: Scripps
Demand for regionally adapted native seed exceeds supply across California. At the same time, farmers are looking for ways to diversify production while rebuilding ecological function on agricultural land. What does it look like to integrate native seed production into working farms? This panel explores practical production systems rooted in long-term stewardship, including the challenges and opportunities of growing native plants in field-scale beds, species selection, irrigation and harvest, regional restoration bottlenecks, ecological outcomes, and economics. Drawing on examples from farms, restoration projects, and emerging seed initiatives, speakers will also take up deeper questions of Indigenous stewardship, ethical seed scaling, genetic integrity, and treating native seed not as a commodity but as a living relationship tied to place.
Moderator: Zach Heyman, Farmhand Foundation, Ojai, CA
Speakers: Sophie McLean, Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, Ojai, CA; Kia Ruiz, Local Seeds Coalition, Arvada, CO
Location: Evergreen
Organic pesticides can be an important tool in your bag of tricks—but how do you know when it’s time to use one? We’ll start with how to recognize when an insect problem warrants a spray and how beneficial organisms and their life cycles should factor into that decision. When a spray is needed, you’ll learn how to choose the right pesticide based on its mode of action and use. If you’ve never used pesticides before, we’ll cover what you need to know to use and report them legally. Finally, you’ll learn the fundamentals of getting the most out of a spray application.
Moderator and Speaker: Margaret Lloyd, University of California Cooperative Extension, Woodland, CA
Speakers: Kim Horton, Micros 2 Macros, Hollister, CA
Location: Oak Shelter
Because of historic and systemic discrimination, only 5 percent of farmers are people of color (National Agricultural Statistics Service 2024), and women of color farmers are rarer still. Despite this, they make an outsized impact . Whether through ranching, beekeeping, or building farmworker power, women often take a collaborative approach to farming and ecological stewardship that benefits both the land and their communities. This discussion invites women of color to share the challenges and opportunities in creating pathways to reshape the food system. It is also a chance for everyone in the industry—producers, distributors, processors, retailers, landowners, and policy advocates—to build networks with women of color farmers and food system advocates.
Moderator and Speaker: Gayatri Ganesh, University of California, Davis, Environmental Policy and Management, Sacramento, CA
Location: Heather
The seeds of useful plants have moved from hand to hand along trade routes for centuries. These migrations have fostered major agricultural industries and enriched cuisines and cultures, but they have also brought human suffering and ecological destruction. The general public is typically not aware of where crops originate and their cultural contexts. We will share seed stories about developing resilient food systems and supporting local food culture and bioregional adaptation. What clues did our agrarian ancestors leave to help us cultivate climate-adapted agriculture that honors not only the bioregion we steward but also the original seed keepers and the rich cultures these crops came from?
Moderator: Steve Peters, Seed Revolution Now, Central California
Speakers: Areli Perez, Willow Wind Farm, San Ysidro, CA; Don Tipping, Siskiyou Seeds, Williams, OR
Location: Acacia
In late 2025, the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) invested $700 million in the Regenerative Pilot Program. Billed as a “farmer first, outcomes-based approach to conservation,” the program provides technical and financial assistance for practices integral to regenerative and organic farming, such as cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced-till management, and mulching. Join a casual conversation with organic producers who will share NRCS conservation practices they’ve implemented, how these practices have supported their organic certification goals, and how to access the new pilot program.
Moderator: Molly Nakahara, California Certified Organic Farmers, Grass Valley, CA
Speakers: Brian Coltrin, California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Opal Creek Farm, Davenport, CA; Brandon Conley, Seed and a Bucket Farms, San Luis Obispo, CA; Kristina Peterson, Oregon Tilth and United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Portland, OR
Location: Toyon
This workshop highlights the growing leadership of youth in organic and regenerative food systems and how the next generation is shaping the future of sustainable agriculture. Featuring students, beginning farmers, food justice organizers, and statewide farmer training and advocacy networks, the session explores pathways into agriculture through education, apprenticeships, and community-based programs. Hear how young leaders are advancing climate-smart practices, regenerative farming models, and equitable food systems while addressing barriers such as land access, financial resources, and workforce development. This workshop offers an inspiring look at how youth are driving innovation and resilience in organic agriculture and shaping the long-term future of food and farming.
Moderator: Amy Wu, From Farms to Incubators, New Haven, CT
Speakers to be Announced
Language/Idioma: Spanish/Español
Ubicación: Nautilus

La refrigeración en las fincas representa un obstáculo para los pequeños agricultores que buscan mantener sus productos frescos. Los sistemas de refrigeración alimentados por energía solar ofrecen una solución práctica, independiente de la red eléctrica, que proporciona a los agricultores una fuente fiable de refrigeración, además de energía para otros usos en la finca. Este taller analizará el programa piloto SolarFresco, en el que se evaluó esta tecnología, y presentará experiencias reales de agricultores. Asimismo, se ofrecerá información sobre las iniciativas en curso para hacer que esta tecnología sea accesible y esté ampliamente disponible para operaciones agrícolas familiares.
Moderador: Fernando M. Garcia, California FarmLink, Aptos, CA
Ponente: Javier Cruz Martinez, Cruz Martinez Farm, Madera, CA

Session C: 3:30-5:00pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2027

Keynote: 8:30-10:00am

An EcoFarm tradition! Hear from this year’s Successful Farmers—Alisha Taff, Zee Lilani, and Ryan Casey—about what they do, why they do it, and what they’ve learned along the way. Spanish interpretation provided.

Location: Merrill Hall
Cover cropping is a fundamental practice in sustainable farming and soil management. Fitting cover crops into intensive farming operations can be difficult, but there are many compelling reasons to do so. Speakers will discuss cover crop varieties, traditional and alternative planting slots that increase their use, and the roles cover crops can play in reducing pest, production, and environmental problems in annual and perennial crops. The speakers bring many years of experience growing, managing, and evaluating cover crops.
Moderator: Richard Smith, University of California Cooperative Extension (emeritus), Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, Aromas, CA
Speakers: Eric Brennan, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Salinas, CA; Margaret Smither-Kopperl, United States Department of Agriculture Lockeford Plant Materials Center, Lockeford, CA; Jessica Vaughan, Vaughan Grower Consulting, Watsonville, CA
Location: Chapel
How do farmers decide what to charge for their crops? How do wholesalers set their prices? How do retailers decide what to charge the public for the food they sell? Are prices set on a whim, through guesswork, emotion, and intuition? Hear from people all along the supply chain about what they consider when deciding what to charge for their goods and services. How are spot market prices set compared to contract prices? What makes prices go up and down? Setting prices is complex. Come hear from the experts.
Moderator: David Weinstein, CheshireWolf Services, Corvallis, OR
Speakers: Olivier Griss, Coke Farm, San Juan Bautista, CA; Jonathan Kitchens, Good Earth Natural Foods, Mill Valley, CA; Tony Serrano, JAS Family Farms, Prunedale, CA
Location: Fred Farr
Pesticides are touted as solutions to our agricultural woes, yet their widespread use contributes to environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, soil depletion, water contamination, and adverse human health outcomes. In contrast, Indigenous practitioners employ Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) that builds soil health, restores biodiversity, strengthens plant resilience, yields nutrient-dense crops, and fosters healthy communities. In 2023, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation released the Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap, with an audacious goal of eliminating priority pesticides and making SPM the de facto pest management system in California by 2050. The roadmap emphasized expanding SPM-trained farm advisors, particularly among Chicano, Latinx, Indigenous, and immigrant growers. This panel explores how ITEK remains underrepresented in SPM frameworks and how contemporary Indigenous-led initiatives are important but underrecognized contributors to holistic ecological knowledge systems.
Moderator: Sakereh Saleem Maskal, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network, Sacramento, CA
Speakers: Yaynicut Franco, Wukchumni Farms, Visalia, CA; Carmen Mendoza, Central California Environmental Justice Network, Fresno, CA; Mayra Sanchez, Californians for Pesticide Reform, Davis, CA
Location: Kiln
What is the right scale for a resilient local food system? This workshop explores an emerging model built on collective action: regional networks of roughly a hundred farmers organized around a shared food hub and shared processing, market, and economic development infrastructure. Drawing on the Yolo Food Hub Network, Foodshed San Diego, and other regional models, the session examines how farmers and food hubs can build countervailing market power through collective aggregation, processing, negotiating, and purchasing, helping smaller producers compete in a consolidated food economy. Explore how food hubs, farmer-member cooperatives, and nonprofit partners each play a role, from distribution to shared ownership to patient public and philanthropic capital. Leave with a starter toolkit of templates, governance models, and resources for building this infrastructure in your region.
Moderator: Therese Tuttle, Tuttle Law Group, San Francisco, CA
Speakers: Ellee Igoe, Foodshed Cooperative, San Diego, CA; Ave Lambert, Yolo Food Hub Network, Davis, CA
Location: Scripps
Learn about the current landscape of pesticide regulation and what it means for farmers, farmworkers, and rural communities. This session picks up from the US Supreme Court’s June 2026 decision in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, which denied states and individuals the right to demand redress from agrichemical companies for cancer harms so long as the US Environmental Protection Agency did not require a cancer warning on the pesticide label. The discussion will highlight systemic problems with pesticide regulation, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals, drift and crop damage, cancer risks, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as recent public interest litigation on these issues. Presenters will also give an overview of the federal administrative process and Farm Bill developments for advocacy and engagement.
Moderator and Speaker: Sylvia Wu, Center for Food Safety, Berkeley, CA
Speakers: Emily Marquez, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network, Berkeley, CA
Location: Evergreen
As agricultural operations look to reduce their reliance on plastic and adapt to evolving regulations, understanding sustainable alternatives and compliance standards is crucial. This session explores practical alternatives, including cover crops, paper mulches, and soil-biodegradable mulches. Panelists will cover key regulatory updates on materials allowed in organic production, explain how to verify whether a technology is approved for organic systems, and share policy updates on California's Senate Bill 54. An open discussion format will give attendees the chance to ask questions.
Moderator: Alena Anousinh, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Watsonville, CA
Speakers: Arianna Bozzolo, Rodale Institute, Ventura, CA; Jazmine Mejia-Munoz, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Monterey, CA
Location: Oak Shelter
Weeds remain a challenge on organic mixed vegetable farms. Join this discussion to share your favorite tools, strategies, and recent weed management wins—whether collinear hoes or solarization, sheep or cover crop mulch, or simply getting to know your weeds and learning to live with some of them. We will then split into small breakout groups by farm scale, theme, crop, or management system. Be prepared to share your own strategies, ask questions, and connect with other farmers.
Moderator and Speaker: Katharina Ullmann, University of California Organic Agriculture Institute, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Davis, CA
Speakers: Margaret Lloyd, University of California Cooperative Extension, Woodland, CA; Vivian Wauters, University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Davis, CA
Location: Heather
Explore the emerging field of edible architecture through the perspectives of rooftop farm and permaculture designer Benjamin Fahrer and regenerative systems designer Nikolas Bertulis, moderated by Ken Foster. This workshop examines how buildings, landscapes, and ecological systems can be woven together to circularize nutrient and water economies, from farm scale to city scale. Participants will learn principles of edible landscape design, habitat creation, rooftop food production, living infrastructure, and regenerative placemaking through inspiring urban and rural examples. Whether you’re a farmer, designer, gardener, architect, or community organizer, you’ll leave with practical tools and fresh ideas for transforming built environments into thriving ecosystems.
Moderator: Ken Foster, Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping and Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, CA
Speakers: Nikolas Bertulis, Ritual Biology, Bolinas, CA; Benjamin Fahrer, Top Leaf Farms, Colfax, CA

Session D: 10:30-12:00pm

Session E: 1:30-3:00pm

Location: Merrill Hall
Antonio Roman-Alcalá’s new book, North Stars of Emancipation, describes how food movements’ racial politics and change-making strategies have shifted over recent decades, including in spaces like EcoFarm, where diversity and inclusion have not always been standard practice. In this workshop, movement leaders A-dae Romero-Briones and Janaki Anagha join Roman-Alcalá to discuss ideas sparked by the book, including its suggestions for how to both diversify and strengthen the movement and its call for a “North Star” approach to political change. How can our movements seek radical change in society while pragmatically navigating political and economic systems not set up to serve us? Join a candid discussion of where the practical meets the transformative.
Moderator and Speaker: Antonio Roman-Alcalá, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA
Speakers: Janaki Anagha, Marigold Fund, Sacramento, CA; A-dae Romero-Briones, First Nations Development Institute, Lodi, CA
Location: Chapel
Farmers focus most of their pest management on aboveground pests. This workshop turns to sustainable crop protection against soil pests, diseases, and weeds. We will cover suppressive soils and pathogen-antagonistic microbes and how they may offer sustainable options for controlling soil diseases. We’ll also discuss anaerobic soil disinfestation, a natural practice that can help farmers manage plant-pathogenic microorganisms and nematodes while depleting the weed seed bank. Finally, the workshop will cover the entomopathogenic and non-entomopathogenic roles of certain genera of Hypocrealean fungi.
Moderator and Speaker: Saul Alba, Plant Products West USA, Salinas, CA
Speakers: José Pablo “JP” Dundore-Arias, California State University, Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA; Joji Muramoto, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Location: Fred Farr
With fertilizer costs rising rapidly, we need to make the most of each unit of nitrogen and other nutrients. Topics include application techniques, fertilizer timing, crop-specific pointers, the impact of irrigation management, cover crops, and more. Learn how to plan nutrient options, use the soil nitrate quick test, and amend accordingly. Speakers will share field examples of matching applications to crop demand, reading soil and tissue tests, and adjusting fertility plans when prices or weather change.
Moderator and Speaker: Margaret Lloyd, University of California Cooperative Extension, Woodland, CA
Speakers: Charlotte Decock, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA
Location: Kiln
California state agency decisions shape everything from packaging to land use and from conservation programs to procurement. With the first new governor taking office in eight years, farmers have a unique opportunity to shape the rules that affect them. This workshop will help farmers build effective relationships with state agency leaders, understand how policy decisions are made, and influence decisions for at least the next four years. Leaders from some of the most relevant agencies will take part, including the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
Moderator: Paul Towers, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Sacramento, CA
Speakers: Zoe Heller, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, Sacramento, CA; Virginia Jameson, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA; Karen Morrison, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Sacramento, CA
Language/Idioma: Spanish/Español
Ubicación: Nautilus
La seguridad de terrenos es lo que permite a los agricultores planificar el futuro, invertir en su negocio y construir algo duradero. Sin embargo, para los agricultores de pequeña y mediana escala, la propiedad de la tierra está cada vez más fuera de alcance. El aumento de los precios de la tierra y las estructuras de arrendamiento a corto plazo generan inestabilidad en los negocios agrícolas, dejando a los agricultores sin poder invertir plenamente en la tierra que trabajan. Este taller explora estrategias para asegurar y administrar la tierra con el fin de impulsar proyectos agrícolas innovadores que empoderen a la comunidad latina. Los participantes aprenderán sobre caminos hacia el acceso y la propiedad de la tierra, incluyendo fideicomisos comunitarios de tierras, modelos cooperativos, asociaciones público-privadas y enfoques de financiamiento creativo que apoyan la construcción de riqueza comunitaria a largo plazo. Hablaremos sobre las injusticias históricas que han contribuido a la crisis actual de acceso a la tierra, y cómo las políticas y las soluciones lideradas por la comunidad están abriendo el camino hacia la reforma, explorando ejemplos del mundo real y formas de involucrarse en este trabajo.
Moderadora: Andrea Levy, California FarmLink, Santa Cruz, CA
Ponente: Dorian Payan, Sustainable Economies Law Center, Oakland, CA
Language/Idioma: Spanish/Español
Ubicación: Triton
Los agricultores de California enfrentan retos crecientes por la escasez de agua, el manejo de nutrientes, la calidad del agua subterránea y el cambio climático. Esta presentación comparte lecciones aprendidas del trabajo de American Farmland Trust en asistencia técnica, planificación de conservación y educación para agricultores en el Valle de San Joaquín y otras regiones de California. Los participantes conocerán herramientas como los planes de manejo de nutrientes, de agua de riego, de salud del suelo y de carbono para fincas. Acompáñanos para aprender a usar los recursos con mayor eficiencia sin perder productividad ni rentabilidad.
Moderador y Ponente: Harol Gonzalez Gallardo, American Farmland Trust, Sacramento, CA
Ponente: Anel Trujillo, American Farmland Trust, Fresno, CA
Location: Scripps
Growers throughout California have access to many funding opportunities, but navigating grant guidelines, identifying the right fit, and managing the application process can be overwhelming. This workshop offers practical guidance for developing strong, competitive proposals and explains the state, federal, and nonprofit funding opportunities available to agricultural operations. Participants will learn strategies for organizing timelines, documents, budgets, and reporting requirements. Panelists with firsthand experience securing and managing agricultural grants will share which programs can have the greatest impact for different types of operations. Leave with greater confidence and clarity in pursuing funding opportunities successfully.
Moderator: Bre Sliker, Farmhand Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
Speakers: Christina Harrington, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Davis, CA; Alana Williams, Zero Foodprint, Los Angeles, CA
Location: Evergreen
Panelists will “talanoa” (which means talk) about how planting ancestral foods helps to heal Pacific Islanders and the communities around them. Growing taro, kava, and tí helps the Pacific Islander diaspora connect with the Land and Water and heal from their fractured relationships of separation and disconnection from their ancestral homelands. Planting Oceania is a community organization in the San Francisco Bay Area that brings Pacific Islanders together to grow their ancestral foods and medicinal plants. They honor and follow the guidance of the Lisjan and Ramaytush Indigenous stewards and leaders where they plant, work, and live. Come learn from Indigenous movements for self-determination where at the forefront are farmers, artists, activists, and land workers. This workshop explores how we build resilient communities and stand together to protect the Land and Water.
Moderator and Speaker: Loa Niumeitolu, Planting Oceania, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Speakers: Fuifuilupe Niumeitolu, Planting Oceania, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Location: Oak Shelter
California’s Salinas Valley is ground zero for testing on-farm robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and precision agriculture aimed at ushering in a wave of technology-driven farming. What does this mean for small-scale, diversified organic farms, labor, and farm ownership? Proponents claim these tools make labor and inputs more efficient, but a Health, Environment, Agriculture, and Labor (HEAL) Food Alliance report finds those claims speculative and unsupported by on-farm data. The race toward agtech raises questions about sustainability, farmer data ownership and control, market competition, and the future of farming. Learn about its promises and pitfalls, how to evaluate the risks, and how organic farmers can stay competitive in a changing climate while upholding food sovereignty values and small-farm diversity.
Moderator: Lisa Bunin, Center for Food Safety, San Francisco, CA
Speakers: Navina Khanna, Health, Environment, Agriculture, and Labor (HEAL) Food Alliance, Oakland, CA; Dana Perls, Friends of the Earth, San Francisco, CA
Location: Heather
This interactive workshop explores the opportunities and challenges of bringing sheep and goats into organic crop and livestock operations. Participants will learn practical, science-based strategies for grazing crop residues, cover crops, and pastures while supporting animal health and welfare, soil fertility, pest and weed management, and farm profitability. The workshop will address animal nutrition, grazing management, pasture biodiversity, manure management, methane reduction, and the logistics and business considerations of integrated grazing. Farmers and shepherds will share their experiences managing animals in their own operations or providing grazing services, highlighting practical lessons for successful integration.
Moderator: Alda Pires, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, and University of California Cooperative Extension, Davis, CA
Speakers: Morgan Duran, University of California Cooperative Extension, Capitol Corridor, Woodland, CA; Dan Macon, University of California Cooperative Extension, Central Sierra, San Andreas, CA; Benina Montes, Burroughs Family Farms, Denair, CA

Session F: 3:30-5:00pm

Location: Merrill Hall
Plants do not thrive in isolation. They rely on a complex team of soil microbes, fauna, and neighboring plants to support their growth and immunity. This workshop explores these hidden networks from grower and researcher perspectives. We begin with a primer on how rapidly evolving tools and technologies have transformed our ability to study the unseen world. A grower will share his perspective on soil microbes in organic farming, highlighting the power of patience, observation, and working with natural processes. Next, we explore the remarkable ways that mycorrhizal fungi shape plant and microbial signaling, enhance nutrient and water uptake, and prime plant defenses. Finally, we examine the fascinating process by which bacteria colonize crop plant surfaces and influence the development of protective microbial communities.
Moderator: Lauren Hale, University of California Organic Agriculture Institute, Merced, CA
Speakers: Steven Lindow, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA; Scott Park, Park Farming Organics, Meridian, CA; Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA
Location: Evergreen
This workshop explores the practical and emotional aspects of transferring farm ownership, management, and decision-making across generations in California agriculture. Learn about succession planning strategies for organic, regenerative, and family-owned farms, including estate and tax planning, land access, conservation easements, family communication, business structures, and preparing the next generation to lead. Farmers and agricultural service providers will share real-world experiences and tools to help families navigate succession challenges while preserving farmland viability, family relationships, and long-term agricultural stewardship.
Moderator: Deborah Nares, American Farmland Trust, Salinas, CA
Speakers to be Announced
Location: Fred Farr
This interactive workshop explores how cultural burning supports regenerative agriculture, biodiversity restoration, and wildfire resilience on California’s working lands. Grounded in Indigenous stewardship and new opportunities under California Senate Bill 310, the session examines how farmers, Tribes, nonprofits, and agencies can work together to bring beneficial fire back to agricultural landscapes. The law authorizes cultural burn agreements among federally recognized Tribes, the California Natural Resources Agency, and local air districts, helping remove barriers to cultural fire. A pilot cultural burn at Farmhand Foundation’s farm in Ojai serves as a case study in how regenerative agriculture and cultural fire can improve ecological health, reduce fuel loads, strengthen community resilience, and restore relationships among people, land, and fire.
Moderator: Whitney Clapper, Farmhand Foundation, Ojai, CA
Speakers: John Carothers, cultural fire and management specialist, Tule River Indian Tribe, Tule River Indian Reservation, CA; Elena Rios, Farmhand Foundation, Ojai, CA
Location: Kiln
How can California’s farmers, ranchers, and food system advocates help shape the next chapter of federal food and farm policy? Convened by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s California Caucus, this timely workshop brings federal legislators and California state leaders together for a candid discussion of the opportunities and challenges facing sustainable agriculture in the new Congress. Panelists will explore the Farm Bill, federal food and farm programs, and policies that strengthen small and midsize farmers and ranchers and build resilient, equitable regional food systems. Through a moderated conversation and audience questions, attendees can raise priorities, engage directly with policymakers, and consider how California can lead in shaping practical solutions.
Moderator: Sarah Hackney, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Washington, D.C.
Speakers (invited): Jim Costa, United States House of Representatives, California’s Twenty-First Congressional District, Fresno, CA; Zoe Lofgren, United States House of Representatives, California’s Eighteenth Congressional District, San Jose, CA; Jimmy Panetta, United States House of Representatives, California’s Nineteenth Congressional District, Monterey, CA
Language/Idioma: Spanish/Español
Ubicación: Nautilus
¿Cómo deciden los agricultores qué precio cobrar por sus cosechas? ¿Cómo fijan sus precios los mayoristas y los minoristas? Escuche a personas de toda la cadena de suministro hablar sobre lo que influye en cada precio: el clima, la oferta y la demanda, las pérdidas, la calidad y las diferencias entre los precios del mercado al contado y los precios por contrato. Descubra por qué los planes de cultivo no son compromisos, por qué conviene diversificar los canales de venta y cómo los nuevos agricultores pueden calcular sus costos reales. Los ponentes también hablarán de las fallas de comunicación entre compradores y productores.
Moderadora: Erika Vargas, Kitchen Table Advisors, Salinas, CA
Ponentes: Adrian Bravo, Creekside Organics, San Juan Bautista, CA; Maria Gonzalez, Green Thumb Farms, San Juan Bautista, CA; Samantha Magdaleno, A&A Organic Farms, Watsonville, CA; Citlalli Solorio, Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, Salinas, CA
Manuel Jimenez, asesor agrícola emérito, llevó a cabo investigaciones de carácter observacional sobre el cultivo de frutas tropicales en el Centro de Investigación y Extensión Agrícola Kearney de la Universidad de California, ubicado en Parlier, California. Tras jubilarse en 2012, ha continuado esta labor en el Jardín Botánico de Woodlake, en Woodlake, California, donde cultiva guayaba, mango, longan, tamarillo, plátano y otros cultivos tropicales. El cultivo de frutas tropicales en el Valle de San Joaquín requiere protección contra las heladas y el calor excesivo, pero los inviernos parecen mostrar una tendencia a ser cada vez más cálidos. Si esta tendencia continúa, podrían surgir oportunidades para cultivar especies tropicales en los microclimas de California, dependiendo de factores como la topografía, la temperatura y la humedad. Jiménez hablará sobre el establecimiento de las plantas y las prácticas de cultivo que ha empleado para producir frutas tropicales.
Moderador: Tom Willey, TD Willey Farms, Madera, CA
Ponente: Manuel Jimenez, University of California Cooperative Extension, Tulare County, Woodlake, CA
Location: Scripps
Discussion Group
Come connect with fellow women farmers and foodies. This gathering offers space to share stories, experiences, and encouragement among peers. Whether you’re new to farming or have decades of experience, you’ll find networking, new friendships, and plenty of good conversation about what it’s like to live, work, and farm as a woman in ecological agriculture and related fields.

Facilitator: Ave Lambert, Yolo Food Hub Network, Davis, CA
Location: Chapel
Hear from Sustie Award recipient Toshiharu Suga, who represents the ninth generation of a farming family that has stewarded land in Kamisato Town, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, since the eighteenth-century Edo period. For nearly seventy years, across three generations, his family has practiced Nature Farming, an organic system pioneered by Mokichi Okada that reconnects soil life to food and human wellness. Japan’s chemical-intensive postwar agriculture coincided with his father’s severe illness in the 1950s. In 1957, Suga’s parents began nurturing “living soil” purely with plant-based inputs and constant, careful observation, forswearing synthetic chemicals and animal manures. Combining scientific methodology with deep ecological respect, Suga Farm cultivates forty crops naturally. As modern science reawakens to “Food as Medicine,” Nature Farming challenges industrial agronomic orthodoxy. Come along for Suga Farm’s journey of discovery to witness how nature transforms our food, health, and collective future.
Moderator: Tom Willey, TD Willey Farms, Madera, CA
Speakers: Toshiharu Suga, Suga Farm, Kamisato Town, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Location: Oak Shelter
Learn the principles behind trap crops in this workshop on what works in the field and what doesn’t, with experiences shared directly by farmers. We will cover pest insects such as flea beetles, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and beet leafhoppers. We will also discuss strategies for in-field and permanent insectary plantings that build natural enemy populations for pest control, without having to spray.
Moderator: Kim Horton, Micros 2 Macros, Hollister, CA
Speakers: Gerry Davis, Sunergeo, Tehachapi, CA; Brandon Sanders, Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA; Jessica Vaughan, Vaughan Grower Consulting, Watsonville, CA
Location: Heather
Most regenerative grazing hits the same wall: fence. Imagine managing 4,000 acres of organic cattle with GPS virtual fencing instead of wire, moving paddocks and adjusting grazing plans from your phone in minutes. This session offers real-world results, not a product demo. Ranchers using Halter at Big Bluff Ranch and Gallagher eShepherd at Ferndale Farms will share their experiences, including economics, animal training curves, and outcomes for recovery and residual dry matter. We’ll discuss what works, where the technology falls short, and how it compares to traditional fencing. A University of California Cooperative Extension researcher will also share field trial insights. Join us to learn what we’ve discovered by trading fence for software.
Moderator: Tyler Dawley, Big Bluff Ranch, Tehama County, CA
Speakers: Josh Davy, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Red Bluff, CA; Conner Hackett, Ferndale Farms Grass-Fed Beef and Lamb, Ferndale, CA

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2027

Location: Chapel
What if we treated farms and ranches as part of our water infrastructure? This interactive workshop uses water as a practical, persuasive lens for understanding regenerative working lands. As western states face less predictable precipitation and growing pressure on water supplies, working lands play a vital role in slowing, storing, and cleaning water. Drawing on TomKat Ranch’s experience and lessons from ranchers, researchers, and land managers, we’ll examine how metrics such as infiltration, soil moisture, runoff, streamflow, and water quality can connect management practices—managed grazing, riparian restoration, compost, road design, and more—to farm and ranch resilience, and how those results can inspire producers, agencies, funders, and customers.
Moderator: Kathy Webster, TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation, Pescadero, CA
Speakers: Dakota Glueck, TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation, Pescadero, CA; Kevin Watt, TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation and Bookcliff Consulting, Fruita, CO
Location: Fred Farr
High tunnel and hoop house roofs can generate an enormous amount of runoff when it rains. A 20-by-100-foot high tunnel, for example, sheds more than 1,200 gallons of runoff with each inch of rain. When that water reaches the ground, it often causes erosion, localized flooding, and damage to crops and farm infrastructure. Attend this workshop to learn how to manage and harness rainfall for water conservation and reuse. The goal is to protect soil and crops and reduce the drainage problems and muddy conditions that excess runoff often causes.
Moderator and Speaker: Richard Casale, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soquel, CA
Speakers: Arron Cognina, Quiedan Company, Salinas, CA
Location: Merrill Hall
Explore the broad, lasting impact of the Transition to Organic Partnership Program, one of the most comprehensive initiatives ever funded to support organic farmers. Over the past four years, the program has strengthened regional networks, advanced community-driven solutions, and elevated farmer voices. At its core are trust-building, capacity development, and farmer-to-farmer mentorship that pairs experienced organic producers with those transitioning to organic. This collaborative model has expanded access to technical assistance and fostered locally rooted partnerships across the country, showing what strategic investment can do when national and grassroots organizations work together with support from the National Organic Program. Join Arizona State University’s Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, California Certified Organic Farmers, and a farmer mentor to reflect on these achievements and look ahead to the next chapter of organic agriculture.
Moderator: Adrian Fischer, California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA
Speakers: Estève Giraud, Arizona State University Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Tempe, AZ; Bryce Loewen, Blossom Bluff Orchards, Parlier, CA
Location: Nautilus
Citrus is one of the largest groups of organic crops grown in California. In this workshop, expert organic citrus growers will introduce the challenges and opportunities of growing organic citrus. Growers will discuss pest and disease pressure, irrigation and nutrient management, weed control, and the economics of organic citrus, as well as what they’ve learned managing orchards in Southern California.
Moderator: David Weinstein, CheshireWolf Services, Corvallis, OR
Speakers: Nina Colasurdo, Irrigation Systems Management, Perris, CA; Orlando Cruz, Irrigation Systems Management, Perris, CA; John Wise, Sespe Creek Organics, Fillmore, CA
Location: Triton
The Community Food Security Coalition defined community food security as “all persons obtaining at all times a culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through local non-emergency sources.” The cultural acceptability of food is quickly gaining recognition as essential to food security and spiritual well-being, especially for Indigenous communities worldwide, who bear the burden of displacement from their native lands. This panel will discuss the social and ecological importance of growing culturally significant foods, ways to expand their cultivation and access, and the resources and networks needed to do so. The workshop will also ask how we can better share cultural and Indigenous farming knowledge and practices.
Moderator: Dewansh Singh Matharoo, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Speakers: Josefina Lara Chavez, Regeneration: Latine Alliance in Agroecology and the Food System, Santa Cruz, CA; Li Schmidt, Cultural Roots Nursery, Los Angeles, CA
Location: Kiln
The dream of wholeness for people and land underlies every effort to build an alternative agriculture, as well as movements for social, economic, and environmental justice. The EcoFarm community has made enormous strides in meeting the expectations of this dry land while producing a healthy food supply. But mounting pressures from our extractive, urban, industrial culture—climate change, groundwater overdraft, rampant suburbanization, and now artificial intelligence (AI)—threaten to undo our movement’s modest progress and the lives of many committed to it. With stories from these struggles across the San Joaquin Valley and beyond, writers Mark Arax and Justie Award recipient Trudy Wischemann will speak to the remarkable persistence of agrarian dreams in the midst of these onslaughts and offer pathways for hope.
Moderator: Tom Willey, TD Willey Farms, Madera, CA
Speakers: Mark Arax, journalist and author, Fresno, CA; Trudy Wischemann, writer and agrarian activist, Lindsay, CA
Location: Scripps
How we grow, pick, package, and manage the runoff from our fields impacts the health of both humans and our local environment. In the last two years, Agricultural Order 4.0 and updates to the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule have taken effect to promote a safer food supply and reduce runoff. Speakers from the University of California, Berkeley, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation will share evidence-based methods for co-managing food safety and the environment through runoff management. Learn practical skills for reducing your risk from water and the role of vegetated practices and nature-based solutions on your farm. The discussion is a two-way street: What makes these regulations hard to follow? What practices reduce runoff on your farm? What research is still needed?
Moderator: Christopher LeBoa, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, San Leandro, CA
Speakers: Geetika Joshi, California Department of Food and Agriculture Investigations Team, Sacramento, CA; Taylor Van Rossum, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, San Luis Obispo, CA

Session G: 8:30-10:00am

Keynote: 10:30-11:45am

In this keynote, Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark explores how reconnecting with ancestral wisdom, the healing power of nature, and human connection can inspire a more nourishing, equitable, and holistic future for health. Health is never created by individual choices alone. Maker-Clark says, “Collective care asks us to widen the circle of responsibility so that healing is not treated as a private burden, but as a shared commitment. It reminds us that a healthy society is one where people are fed, protected, included, listened to, and given the chance to flourish.” Come hear her bold vision for restoring ancestral wisdom, metabolic health, and community resilience at the heart of modern care.
Geeta Maker-Clark, MD, ABOIM (Keynote Speaker), is a nationally recognized leader, educator, and advocate in integrative medicine. She is 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 University of Arizona Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda Fellowship. She started the Food is Power program in Chicago Public Schools on the South Side, building youth health literacy through decolonized food education, food justice, and sovereignty. A woman of color, community organizer, and professional dancer as well as a physician, Maker-Clark is the author of Medicine for All People: Science and Ancient Wisdom for Revolutionary Healing. Spanish interpretation provided.