Workshop: Soil Health Grazing School

Opening Plenary: Regenerative Agriculture - A healing agriculture that nurtures and emulates nature's intelligent design

Ray Archuleta is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with the Soil Science Society of America and has more than 30 years’ experience as a Soil Conservationist, Water Quality Specialist and Conservation Agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). After retirement in 2017, Ray founded Understanding Ag, LLC and Soil Health Academy. He owns a 150-acre farm near Seymour, Missouri.

Workshop: Farm Financial Literacy & Bookkeeping Essentials

Pratheesh Sudhakaran is an applied economist with more than 12 years of experience in academic and industry in the fields of fisheries, aquaculture, natural resources, and agriculture. Dr. Sudhakaran’s current research interests include aquaculture and fisheries economics, food safety economics, agricultural economics, natural resource economics and experimental economics. He and his graduate students are currently involved in research projects looking at the economics of regenerative agriculture, and willingness to pay for food safety.

Workshop: The Resiliency Within a Regional Food System

Session: Ecological Economics and Local Food Systems: Building Resilient and Equitable Supply Chains

Phillip Warsaw is an assistant professor in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University. Broadly, his research takes an interdisciplinary approach to questions of environmental justice, economic development, and sustainability. His current work investigates the role of farmers markets, farm-to-institution purchasing and other 'alternative food networks' in creating the basis for a resilient and equitable food system.

Workshop: Farm Financial Literacy & Bookkeeping Essentials

As co-owner of Hoaganie Farm Products, a cattle and grass farming operation just outside of College Station, TX, P. Wade Ross (AKA "Phil) is a fourth generation farmer, on land that has been in his been in his family since the 1800’s. Previously serving as Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers Community-Based Organization’s Education Director, P. Wade accepted the role of Chief Executive the wake of the pandemic shut down, to help keep the mission of serving Black Farmers moving forward into the “connected-age”. Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers/CBO is recognized around the state of Texas one of the flagship CBO’s as a voice and education channel for small farmers of color. Mr. Ross also serves on the Board of Director for Texas Center for Local Foods, is one of the establishing members of the Texas Disaster Relief Collaborative, Texas State Advisory Committee, along with numerous collaboratives and coalitions.

Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers/CBO’s focus over the next 2-3 years and beyond is to help establish a clear path for small growers and producers of color to be viable participants in local food systems in Texas.

Workshop: Farm Financial Literacy & Bookkeeping Essentials

Evan Driscoll has spent over 10 years working in local food systems and small business development. His experience growing on farms for 7 years led him to explore distribution and sales as a potential solution to the bottlenecks he saw on the farm. Collectively, Evan has worked with hundreds of farm and food businesses to strengthen their businesses, helping them sustain and increase their positive impacts across social, economic, and environmental outcomes. Evan served as Treasurer for the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA), Board Member with Common Market Texas, and is a Co-Founder of the Central Texas Young Farmer Coalition. At KTC, Evan specializes in business development, financial analysis, and fundraising readiness for food and farm businesses.

Workshop: The Resiliency Within a Regional Food System

Deydra is a 5th generation Texas farmer & rancher who transitioned from the classroom to managing her family's livestock operation full-time. She lives in the same county her family purchased land in 1867; a mere 2 years after being emancipated. Deydra is an advocate and entrepreneur, passionate about #equityinag, #inclusioninag, #outreachinag, USDA program participation amongst "targeted populations", soil & water conservation and improved market access opportunities for marginalized populations. Deydra founded one of the state's first women-led B Corporations, The Conservancy for Agriculture & Renewable Energy to enable public-private partnership funding opportunities for rural development projects. In 2022, along with her team at STARS-ATG, Deydra presented connectivity strategies & solutions for Caldwell County at the prestigious Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. She has led local and national outreach initiatives for several non-profit agriculture organizations, before organizing Southern Standard Land & Livestock 501(c)(3) this year. Deydra is a 2023 Minority Landowner nominee for Farmer of the Year. Her unwavering passion and commitment to heir property owners and protecting Texas' historic Freedom Colonies has earned her national attention as a speaker and trusted strategist.

Workshop: Sustainable Pest Management (pigs, brush, bugs w IPM)

Noel began in his current position as County Extension Agent - Agriculture and Natural Resources for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service -Uvalde County in late-September of 2021, after serving in a similar position in Travis County for more than three and a half years. He started his Extension career as an IPM Agent for the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service in 1986, after completing his B.S. and M.S. in Entomology at L.S.U with an emphasis in IPM. Subsequent to completing his doctorate in Entomology at Purdue University in 1997, Noel took a position as the District 10 Extension Entomologist in Uvalde, Texas, a position he held until 2011. Noel farmed soybean and sugarcane in Louisiana where he grew up and has worked as a consultant in cotton, corn, grain sorghum, soybean, sugarcane and wheat, and citrus-greening disease of citrus in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, as well as managing a cattle, deer and elk ranch for three years.

Workshop: Sustainable Pest Management (pigs, brush, bugs w IPM)

Since 2010, Dr. Megan Clayton has been an Extension Rangeland Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management at Texas A&M University. Her responsibilities as a Rangeland Specialist have her based at the Uvalde Research and Extension Center and include providing support for Extension agents, specialists, clientele, and organizations through teaching, training, and providing technical expertise on the management of rangeland resources. Megan’s current interests include blending wildlife habitat and livestock range management, small acreage management, UAV (drone) research, brush management, and youth natural resources education. Her main area of responsibility includes the Uvalde/Hill Country area.

Workshop: Sustainable Pest Management (pigs, brush, bugs w IPM)

Derrick Banks is a Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) extension agent within the Agriculture and Natural Resources department at Prairie View A&M University and works with the Feral Hog Program there to provide education on feral hog control and eradication.

Session: Profiting from Pastured Animal Products

Instructor for Agrability Battleground to Breaking Ground project, funded by USDA NIFA. Has taught and consulted over 500 beginning farmers around the U.S. on farm and ranch management, high intensity grazing, multi-species cover cropping, pastured poultry, grass- fed beef operations, high tunnel and market garden development, business planning and marketing, operations.

Session: Regenerative Grazing - How to Use Livestock to Improve Your Land's Productivity

Christine uses cattle, sheep, turkeys and layers to regenerate her land's soil health and improving ecosystem functions. As a Certified Educator with Holistic Management International she coaches clients as they use holistic and regenerative principles and practices to improve their land's environment, finances and quality of life.

Session: Certified Organic: What is it? What is its value?

As Extension Organic Specialist I provide guidance to producers or other entities wanting help with organic certification, organic production or organic marketing. I serve as a liaison connecting organic operators to Extension and Research programs and provide guidance on general and specific questions related to organic agriculture. I help eliminate any barriers to organic certification and production and increase the viability of organic agriculture in the state.

Session: Getting Started in Livestock

I have always wanted to be in the farming industry and educate the community on where their food comes from and the different ways that our livestock can be raised. It all started back in 2021 as a true first-time farmer, with a small herd of goats and a few chickens and became aware that our community needs quality food sources. Homegrown Hayes has grown and we are looking forward to adding additional resources to our farm and utilizing our trials and tribulations to educate other first time farmers.

Session: Success with Meat Sheep & Goats

Ashley James is a native of Houston, TX and currently serves as the Interim Program Leader for the Agriculture & Natural Resources Unit of the Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program. Prior to this appointment, she served as the PVAMU Extension Livestock Specialist. Ashley is a PROUD graduate of Tuskegee University where she received her B.S. in Animal & Poultry Science and Tennessee State University where she received her M.S. in Agricultural Science- focusing on Goat Breeding and Genetics. She is currently working on her Ph.D. at Texas A&M University in the College of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication focusing on Extension Education. Through her 11 year career in extension, she found her passion to help educate limited resource and historically underserved families, farmers, ranchers and landowners on ways to help improve their agricultural enterprises and be good stewards of the land.

Session: Certified Organic: What is it? What is its value?

Session: Planning for Resilience through a Soil Carbon Lens

Matt Simon was born and raised in Austin, TX. He has worked in the local sustainability industry for 15 years, beginning at Austin’s first commercial single stream recycling company, and later at a bike powered compost pickup service. He began farming in 2012 as a volunteer at Green Gate Farms, where he later became manager. He earned his permaculture design certificate in 2015 from the Austin Permaculture Guild. He has been the director of New Leaf Agriculture since 2020. He has headed up several unique initiatives at the farm, including helping to develop the farm’s Carbon Farm Plan in partnership with NCAT and the Carbon Cycle Institute, the first of its kind in Texas.

Session: Success with Meat Sheep & Goats

Lauri lives in Poetry Texas, east of Dallas where she and her husband David Celella, DVM raise Dorper sheep and Red Angus cattle. Lauri has been involved with Holistic Management since 2012. She uses planned grazing to help regerate her land. She enjoys teaching others to use Holistic Management to help improve their quality of life, finances and their land.

Session: Getting Started in Livestock

Maggie and her husband, Jeremiah, are the owners of Pure Pastures; a regeneratively based ranching operation in Canyon Lake, TX, that produces grass fed beef, grass fed lamb, and pasture raised pork. On the ranch, her work primarily focuses on the marketing and retail sales of their meat, as well as managing their ranch store. Maggie is passionate about restoring the native grasses and fertile soils of the TX Hill Country and getting her community more in touch with the local people that are producing their food. She received a B.S. in Agricultural Services & Development from Tarleton State University in 2007.

Session: Electric Fencing Basics

Garrett Kunz is a rancher and land management consultant from Fredericksburg, TX. Garrett emphasizes proper grazing management as an integral part of regenerative agriculture. He uses electric fence and adaptive grazing to improve soil health, the water cycle, and nutrient cycle on his land. Garrett is a founding member of the Hill Country Grazing Group and a committee member for the Edwards chapter of the Texas Grazing Lands Coalition.

Session: Pastured Poultry: The Good, the Bad, and How to Get Started

Ty and Tokie own and operate Southern Sunny Acres a pastured poultry business located in Winona, TX. They started their business in 2021 with 50 Cornish Cross broilers and have been continually expanding Year over year. Their current operation includes 300 layers and they anticipate growing 1,800 broilers this year. They have been successful in putting the knowledge they’ve learned at conferences and using out of the box ideas that focus on efficiency and lean practices that allow a single person to operate the day to day workload.

Session: Meat Processing Options in Texas

Session: Advocacy: Making a Difference with Boots on the Ground

Justin Trammell grew up in the Texas Panhandle, helping take care of wheat pasture cattle, in the family garden and getting to spend most summers at his maternal great-grandmothers farm in NW Missouri. Justin went to school at West Texas A&M earning a degree in wildlife biology, becoming involved with the Ogallala Commons before starting his farm Tir Bluen Farm in 2014. Justin raises pork, lamb, poultry and vegetables with his wife Whitney and tow sons Heston and Wren as well as opened a state inspected meat processing facility Panhandle meat Processing in 2022.

Session: Raising and Marketing Meat with Traditional Methods

Izel Lopez is a small local rancher from Atascosa, Tx. She is the Director of Operations for Texas Tribal Buffalo Project and Office Manager for her husbands Carpentry business. She also has a degree in Native American Studies and is a mother of 3. After starting a family, her and her husband found the need to raise livestock that would provide a more traditionally raised food source with all the nutritional benefits needed to raise a healthy family. Together with their children, they are finding a pathway to provide their family and community with healthy beef, pork and poultry.

Session: Certified Organic: What is it? What is its value?

Session: Post-Harvest Handling for Quality and Food Safety

Michelle Akindiya is the Education Director for Farmshare Austin (www.farmshareaustin.org), a non-profit with a mission to grow a healthy, just and equitable local food system by increasing community food access and cultivating new farmers. Michelle lends her 18 years of farming experience and deep love of fostering excitement about soil and bugs to leading Farmshare's farmer training programs, Farmer Starter and Cultivator. Farmer Starter and Cultivator offer in depth, hands on training for adults who want to start careers in agriculture, focusing on the science, business and art of growing food.

Session: Certified Organic: What is it? What is its value?

Skip and his wife Erin have been farming in Central Texas since 2006. Green Gate Farms is a certified organic vegetable and cut-flower operation with locations in Austin and Bastrop. Skip is active in farmland preservation and environmental issues. He recently co-founded Friends of the Land, a grass-roots coalition protecting farmland and watersheds in fast-growing Bastrop County.

Session: Getting Started in Livestock

US Army Veteran goat and sheep rancher. Retired in 2021 and transitioned to ranching after 28 years of service. We raise Angora goats and Navajo Churro sheep.

Finegan is the co-owner and operator of Steelbow Farm, a 3.5 acre certified organic, diversified vegetable farm just outside Austin, TX. She has farmed for over a decade on a variety of farms in Central Texas and the North East. Currently she is also a member of the City of Austin/Travis County Food Plan Community Advisory Committee.

Session: The Business of Grazing: Lessons from a Decade of Grazing Cattle

Travis Krause is a visionary and advocate for regenerative agriculture, dedicating his life to transforming the way we approach agriculture and land management. Born and raised on his family ranch, Travis developed a profound connection with nature and a deep understanding of the interdependence between land, livestock, and ecosystems. His unwavering passion for ranching, conservation, and the outdoors has not only shaped his own life but also influenced others to become stewards of the land. Through his work, Travis is contributing to the preservation of our natural heritage and ensuring that future generations will have the opportunity to cherish and enjoy the beauty of the land and everything that calls it home.

Session: 5 Steps to Landowner Liability Protection

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet is an Associate Professor & Extension Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. She focuses her work on legal issues affecting rural landowners such as fence law, landowner liability, leases, water rights, and eminent domain. She authors the Texas Agriculture Law Blog and hosts the Ag Law in the Field Podcast.

Session: Harvesting Social Media Strategies

Ivy Walls is a 3.5 generation farmer and founder of Ivy Leaf Farms, Black Farmer Box, and Fresh Houwse Grocery. With her background as an epidemiologist, Ivy has transitioned into the world of sustainable agriculture and has made a significant impact in the Houston area. Her commitment to locally grown food and creating vibrant communities has garnered many recognitions and accolades. Additionally, Ivy is the proud owner of Kuji Kitchen, where she combines her passion for farm-to-table cuisine with a focus on sustainability. Join us as Ivy shares her experiences, insights, and empowering vision for a greener future

Session: Funding Options for Producers

Joshua Coleman serves as the State Outreach Coordinator for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Texas. In this role, he is responsible for program planning, implementation, and development of policies and procedures necessary to deliver the outreach and communications programs. He has worked with the FSA for five years. Joshua earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Agricultural Economics from Alcorn State University in his native state of Mississippi.

Session: Pick-Your-Own Farming Strategy and Techniques

Session: Lessons Learned from Starting a Small-scale Regenerative farm

Megan graduated with a BS in Biology from Boston University in 2004. After several years working in biotech and scientific research, Megan and her father created Pure Land Farm in McKinney in 2012, a seasonal pick-your-own produce farm. Pure Land Farm uses all organic methods on two acres of thornless blackberries and two acres of fruits and vegetables. She has served as the Executive Director of the Seed Project Foundation and Creative Director for Wells Group since 2016.

Session: Heirs Property - Transitioning Land to the Next Generation With Title Complications

Ebony is a first-generation attorney. She is the Director of the Southern University Law Center Agricultural Law Institute for Underserved and Underrepresented Communities; and serves on the New Orleans Food Policy Action Council Board of Directors. She is also an Aspen Institute 2023 Food Leaders Fellow. Ebony earned a Master of Laws in Agricultural and Food Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law, a Juris Doctor from the Southern University Law Center, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. She is also a former Louisiana State Representative.

Session: Funding Options for Producers

Zavala County native from a farm and ranch background, Mark Rutledge finished his education with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Agriculture Degree from Texas A&M University. Mark has worked as an Examiner, Loan Officer, Branch Manager and as Regional President for Capital Farm Credit over the past thirty years. Mark and his wife Laura have a daughter, Victoria, and son, Connor attending college. He operates a small cattle operation in Hays and Zavala Counties. He enjoys activities with his family, ranching and flying airplanes.

Session: Funding Options for Producers

I am the senior Relationship Manager with Capital Farm Credit in our greater San Antonio market and have been with CFC since 2009. I have a Masters of Agribusiness from Texas A&M with a focus on finance and accounting. My passion is helping young, beginning and small producers in agriculture to achieve their dreams.

Session: Risk Management - Whole Farm Revenue Protection, Crop Insurance and Disaster Planning

Troy Luepke, with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, as an Extension Agent- Disaster, Assessment and Recovery. Troy has worked for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for 11 years. Troy received his B.S. in Biology from Texas A&M-San Antonio in 2012. Troy retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2010 after serving just short of 21 years. He Married his wife Maria while serving in the United Kingdom and is the father of 3 daughters and grandfather to 2 grandsons and a granddaughter. When not at work Troy woodworks and enjoys spending time with his family.

Session: Risk Management - Whole Farm Revenue Protection, Crop Insurance and Disaster Planning

Lane Webb has been with the RMA since December 2013 and currently works in the Loss Adjustment Standards Branch. In 2011 Lane retired from the United States Air Force after 21 years of service.

Lane grew up in Dresden, Tennessee. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Human Relations and a Master of Business Administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University."

Session: Handling Your Farm Taxes & Records

Workshop: Profiting from Pastured Animal Products

A couple of old CPAs who have recently starting farming and ranching. We have gone all in on the “Regenerative and Farm to Table” approach to farming. In the process they have managed the farm business with their off-farm jobs. Keeping meticulous records allows for proper tax planning and management of cashflow. We are happy to share our experience and help point new and old farmers and ranchers in the right direction.

Session: Funding Options for Producers

Floyd Nauls Jr. is the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Outreach Coordinator & Tribal Liaison for Texas. He has been a District Conservationist for NRCS in many different field offices throughout the state and has completed numerous conservation details across our nation. Floyd is a proud graduate of Prairie View A&M University and the George Washington University’s Emerging Leadership Development Program. He has provided technical and financial assistance through Farm Bill programs for over 28 years. He is also the United States Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmers/Veteran Coordinator for Texas.

Session: Funding Options for Producers

NRCS Texas State Urban Conservationist, located in Temple, TX. 9 years with the agency, in 3 different states. Originally from Michigan, I worked in California as well before moving to Texas. My husband and I have two kids under 4, and two dogs in Georgetown, TX.

Session: Planning for Resilience through a Soil Carbon Lens

Elise Haschke has been with the National Center for Appropriate Technology since March 2022, where she's leading the development of an emerging national Climate and Agriculture Program. In addition to standing up a Carbon Farm Planning network of producers and technical assistance provides across Texas, Elise is the Project Manager of a $30 million national Climate Beneficial Fiber project funded through the USDA Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities. Elise holds a BS in Neurobiology from the University of Texas and an MS in Nutrition Science from Tufts University. She blends her academic training in life sciences with experience in Dietetics, on-farm production, farm direct supply chain management, and climate policy development to drive climate solutions centered in the brilliant design of Mother Nature's generative carbon cycle.

Session: Thriving Crops in the Heat & Humidity: Southern Crop Planning

Becky Hume, with over a decade of comprehensive agricultural experience, proudly owns and operates VRDNT Farm, a tech-forward, diversified vegetable enterprise located in Bastrop, Texas. Additionally, she serves as the Commercial Representative for Johnny's Seeds, guiding Texas growers toward regionally adapted seed choices and farming techniques. Becky's farming journey, sparked at just 16, was refined at Cornell University and has since spanned across unique agriculture sectors including managing a 200-acre organic farm, an aquaponic facility, and a regional microgreens operation. Becky's ceaseless passion for farming drives her to continually connect the threads of sustainable agriculture, community engagement, and cutting-edge farming technology.

Session: Crop Planning for Beginners and Beyond

Angela McDermott is the Grant Director for Small Producers Intiatives. She is a Grenadian American and has worked for non-profit farms for 10 years in San Antonio, TX and Atlanta, GA, including the San Antonio Food Bank and Global Growers Network. She is passionate about the culture of food, parenting while farming and composting.

Session: Microscopic Insights in Soil Regeneration

Andie is a Soil Health Specialist and Soil Food Web Certified Lab-Technician on a mission to help others restore life and functionality to their soil systems. Equipped with her microscope and the power of observation, she assesses soils and compost amendments to inform restoration efforts through her business, Rhizos LLC.

Session: Planning for Resilience through a Soil Carbon Lens

Born and raised in the oil fields of Andrews, TX but found home in the Texas Hill Country since 2014. Attained a B.S. in Horticulture Business Management and M.S. in Integrated Agricultural Sciences from Texas State University. Owner/ Operator of Growtopia Farms LLC and the Texas Carbon Farm Planner for National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT).

Session: Post-Harvest Handling for Quality and Food Safety

Hayley Wood is a Food Safety Project Coordinator with the National Farmers Union. After working in Texas agriculture for the past three years as an educator and farmhand, she also dedicates her time advocating for farmers with the Central Texas Young Farmers Coalition. Like many first-generation growers, her path in agriculture has meandered: butcher shops, non-profits, goats, and multiple small farms around Austin. In her spare time, she is devoted to matters of farmer and farmworker-wellbeing, labor, environmental justice, and learning to be a better community organizer.

Session: Regionally Adapted Cover Crops

Lee and his wife Fiona own Southwest Farms in Medina County Texas. They produce beef, vegetables, eggs, hay, fruit and pecans. The farm also creates portable livestock shelters and custom-plant cover crops. In addition, to producing great food, Lee and his family regenerate soils and communities.

Session: Planning for Resilience through a Soil Carbon Lens

Planning for Resilience through a Soil Carbon LensDarron Gaus is a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist for the National Center For Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Darron has a wide background in specialty crops, livestock, agronomic crops, and hay production. Darron relates all these back to his passions in soil, education, and connecting producers with each other.

Session: Crop Planning for Beginners and Beyond

Session: Lessons Learned from Starting a Small-scale Regenerative farm

My name is Cody Scott. My wife Natalie and I own Green Bexar Farm in Saint Hedwig, TX. I have been farming for 6 years. We pride ourselves on soil health and regeneration. Our farm is unique in that we farm intensively on 1 acre inside a 10 acre pecan orchard using agroforestry principles.

Session: Regionally Adapted Cover Crops

Fred has a lifetime of experience in conventional and regenerative agriculture. He owns and operates Morales Feed & Supply and Devine, Texas and is passionate about building soil and helping others.

Session: Managing Marginal Water Quality and Maintaining Soil Health

Steve Trotter provides continuing education for CCAs and PCAs in California, Arizona, S and N Carolina, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Vermont. He works in product development for agriculture and sports turf using plant derived source materials and provides soil consulting services for specialty crops and pasture management in Texas.

Session: Value Chain Coordination: Stories of Success in TX

Trisha Bates is the founder of Urban American Farmer, based in Austin, TX with the mission to "cultivate passionate participants in our local food system". Trisha grew up in the rich midwest soil, bottle-feeding lambs and digging in the garden. After formally studying Urban Planning and a decade working in and with restaurants, Trisha now builds networks between city and country, farmer and chef, human and land. She is an advocate for every piece of our local food community, and invites you to join her on this journey.

Trisha recently launched Field Guide Festival, a food system festival for Austin, expanding the farm to table movement into an interactive community experience.

Session: Farm Bill - Time to Speak Up!

Simone is a person-focused collaborator, systems thinker, and community builder. She joined Sustainable Food Center in 2011 to initiate and led the organization’s community engagement efforts for the newly launched Double Up Food Bucks program. In her current role, Simone helps guide SFC’s strategic direction and leads the Community Engagement team, while also leading the organization’s policy initiatives and advocacy campaigns at local, state, and federal levels. As a trained community organizer, she fosters diverse relationships across SFC’s network and engages in coalition work to steward the organization’s mission and vision amongst policymakers and holders of traditional power. Simone holds a Master of Public Affairs with a focus on public sector leadership from the University of Texas at Austin.

Session: Farm Bill - Time to Speak Up!

Finian Makepeace is the Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Kiss the Ground. He is a renowned presenter, media creator, and thought leader in the field of regenerative agriculture and soil health. His dedication to Kiss the Ground’s mission of “awakening people to the possibilities of regeneration”, has motivated him to develop training programs, workshops, and talks designed to empower people around the world to become confident advocates for this growing movement. Finian is a producer of Kiss the Ground the movie and co-producer of Common Ground the movie.

Session: Urban Farming & Community Building

Daniel Garcia-Prats is one of the co-founders of Small Places, a social impact venture that seeks to build a culture of health in communities across Houston through urban agriculture. He has spent the last seven years as Small Places' director of operations, working alongside his brothers Tommy and Mark to develop and run their first urban farm. Located just east of downtown Houston, Finca Tres Robles, provides fresh produce, educational programs, and cultural and community events to impact their local neighborhood.

Daniel also serves as CEO of the Garcia-Prats brothers' newest social impact business venture, Base 3 Farms, which cultivates moringa, a nutrient-rich tropical tree, and focuses primarily on producing moringa powder from the leaves.

Session: Urban Farming & Community Building

Chisa Brigham, a former Educator, transformed into an Urban Farmer with a desire to feed her family fresh clean food. Together with her Veteran Husband, LaTrael Brigham, has expanded their enterprise to cater to the needs of the local community, as many lack access to fresh food. H.A.D. Land Farms offers, organically grown, fresh produce, chicken eggs, and health and wellness products. With a strong investment in her local community Chisa is spearheading a variety of initiatives to educate and empower, beginning urban farmers with the LIFTS project, veterans through the Farmer Veteran Coalition, and youth through the nonprofit Sankofa Way Inc. By fostering a sense of community around agriculture, Chisa is making a significant impact on the local food system.

Session: Value Chain Coordination: Stories of Success in TX

Margaret is the Executive Director of The Common Market Texas. She is committed to building community, creating equitable systems, and is passionate about using food as a delicious way to promote positive change. Margaret has worked at The Common Market for since 2015, contributing to the nonprofit's exciting national expansion and launch in Texas. Margaret holds a Masters degree in Crop and Soil Environmental Science from Virginia Tech and is a graduate of the College of William and Mary. She is now proud to live in Houston, Texas with her husband and their dog and enjoys hiking and cooking with the seasons.

Session: Addressing Food Insecurity And Building Community Strength

Hannah is the Food Access Director at the Sustainable Food Center in Austin, TX. She completed a BA in Biology at Smith College in Northampton, MA, an MS in Biology at Florida International University in Miami, FL, and an MS in Human Nutrition and the dietetic internship at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. For 10 years, she served as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Dietetic Internship Director in the Nutrition and Foods Program at Texas State University, incorporating culturally sustaining pedagogy and addressing social determinants of health as a function of health equity. At Texas State, she co-founded and co-directed the Food Security LEADers Learning Community and the Bobcat Bounty Food Pantry – Texas State’s first on-campus food pantry for students. Hannah serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Diversify Dietetics, a nonprofit focused on increasing the racial and ethnic diversity in the field of nutrition by empowering nutrition leaders of color.

Session: Urban Farming & Community Building

Kimberly High is founded Joppy Momma’s Farm in 2021 in the community of Joppa. Joppa is a historic Freedman Town nestled alongside the Trinity River in South Dallas. Despite its deep history, the people of Joppa have faced many challenges for generations, including food insecurity. There is not a single source of fresh, healthy food in the community, and as a result many residents suffer from myriad health problems ranging from diabetes to heart disease to high blood pressure. Kim grew up in Joppa eating fresh food out of her grandma’s garden, so she knows the potential that lies within her community’s fertile soil.

The farm’s land has been in Kim’s family since 1904, and she established Joppy Momma’s Farm with the goal of helping her community take control of their health and wellness. By providing the people of Joppa with fresh, healthy produce, Kim works to alleviate the adverse conditions facing those who live in a food desert. She also provides opportunities for children and adults to contribute to their community, learn job skills.

Session: Addressing Food Insecurity And Building Community Strength

Susie Marshall is founder and Executive Director of GROW North Texas, a Dallas-based nonprofit that cultivates healthy food communities by strengthening local food production and improving access to fresh, nutritious food. She has 20 years of experience working with food systems, food producers, and food assistance programs distributing surplus fruits and vegetables. Susie has been involved with Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association since 2010. She serves on the NRCS State Technical Advisory Committee and is the Urban Agriculture Co-Chair for the Dallas Coalition for Hunger Solutions. Susie has degrees from Texas Wesleyan University, Texas A&M – Commerce, and Perkins School of Theology at SMU.

Session: Linking Plant, Animal and Human Health in Livestock Systems

PhD student in Nutrition and Food Science with a background in agriculture and food sciences at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University. He completed his M.Sc. (Hons.) in Food Technology from the National Institute of Food Science and Technology in Pakistan. During his time at the institute, he was part of an international research group working on the role of soil health and crop nutrition in human health, which includes soil chemists, plant scientists, and human nutritionists. His research mainly focused on tracing human micro minerals deficiencies back to soil as well as exploring how agricultural interventions and food processing can enhance the nutrient density of foods in relation to these deficiencies. He has hands-on experience utilizing high-tech equipment such as HPLC-PDA/UV-Vis, GC-MS, FT-IR, UV-Vis, and AAS for nutrient analysis of soil, food and human specimens. Since starting at USU, Ahsin has been able to take on a leading role in omics-based analysis, and he is responsible for operating and maintaining the SCIEX Triple Quad™ 7500 LC-MS/MS System at Utah State University to study the phytochemicals in food, feed, and human fluids. Ahsin has authored six peer-reviewed articles in reputable journals such as Environmental Geochemistry and Health and Cereal Chemistry. Furthermore, he has presented at various conferences, including the International Grassland Conference.

Session: Advocacy: Making a Difference with Boots on the Ground

Rockie is a clinical herbalist, farmer, aspiring mycologist and engineer. She has a history of farming in her family from North Texas starting with her great great great grandfather. In 2017 she did her first farmers immersion with Soul Fire Farm which set her on a new path. She started Mawe Apothecary as a micro-batch community based apothecary teaching others about plants and herbalism. She has spent time on several boards in San Antonio, TX advocating on behalf of education, cultural arts, civic engagement and improving the local food system. In 2020 she started a community garden under Sustainable G’s non-profit teaching and sharing knowledge on projects from drip systems to water catchments and developing curriculum around food histories and food sovereignty. Since then she has worked and supported other urban farmers through her knowledge, experience as land stewardship. For the past two years Rockie was a Land Fellow with the Young Farmers Coalition advocating for land access in D.C. and at home. She is currently Vice President of the Food Policy Council of San Antonio supporting community efforts around food access and working within a coalition of community organizations focused on empowering youth on the Eastside of San Antonio.

Session: Meat Processing Options in Texas

Session: Rules & Regulations for Producers

Session: Farm Bill - Time to Speak Up!

Session: Advocacy: Making a Difference with Boots on the Ground

Judith McGeary is an attorney, activist, and sustainable farmer. After earning her Bachelors of Science from Stanford University and her law degree with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin, she clerked for a Federal Appeals Court and went on to private law practice. During that time, she became a passionate advocate of sustainable agriculture, and she and her husband established their own livestock farm. After seeing how government regulations benefit industrial agriculture at the expense of family farms, she founded the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance to promote common-sense policies for local, diversified agricultural systems. Judith has been profiled in the Texas Observer and Edible Austin, appears in the documentary Farmageddon, and has been interviewed on numerous radio shows across the country. Judith has served as the Vice Chair of the U.S. Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health and is also active with Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the Weston A. Price Foundation, and the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.

Session: Addressing Food Insecurity And Building Community Strength

David Huang is the Founder and President of the nonprofit Harvest for the Hungry. The mission of the nonprofit is to grow local healthy farm to table food for those struggling with food insecurity. Our nonprofit is also dedicated to training the next generation of farmers with a focus on beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers.

Session: Value Chain Coordination: Stories of Success in TX

Dr. Jessica Tullar Caroom started her career as faculty at the UT Houston School of Public Health. After starting a school garden at her kids school, she began fundraising to provide support for school and community gardens. In 2020 she founded Growing Together Texas which supports gardeners, growers, and cooks in the Lubbock area.

Session: Value Chain Coordination: Stories of Success in TX

Hernán Colmenero was born at the confluence of a river and an ocean on the Texas-Mexico border. His work invokes a call to sit within our environment, listen, and make a positive and lasting change in our environment and our future. He is currently the Farm to Institution Manager with Sustainable Food Center.

Session: Mushroom Cultivation in Texas

One Up Mushroom Products is a company dedicated to the wonderful world of mushrooms. We cultivate several gourmet varieties for cooking, and we also make mushroom-based products like extracts, seasoning, or jerky. The business is based in South Texas and is run by 3 longtime friends.

Session: Fruit Trees in the Central Texas Region

Figbeard grows and advises fruit trees, orchards, farms, and homesteads. Focusing on reliable fruit production, expert selection of fruit varieties, and adaptive growing strategies tailored for the unique challenges of Central Texas, Figbeard collaborates with farmers and landowners to build productive perennial fruit systems, and catalyzes grower communities with inspiring lectures and workshops.

Session: Lessons Learned in Writing Successful Grants

Hi, I’m Keisha, just a girl who reimagined life by starting a farm. After working 25 years in a corporate setting; I returned to my childhood homestead in Walker County, Texas. I fell in love all over again with growing my own foods and raising poultry (pigs & cows are soon to follow). There aren’t too many who would agree to live their life secluded & surrounded by woodland… but it’s the lifestyle turned into a livelihood for me!

Session: Making Small-Scale Hydroponics Work

Session: Lessons Learned from Starting a Small-scale Regenerative farm

Marcella Juarez (she/her) is a young farmer and rancher in Laredo, Texas. She earned her master’s degree in Agriculture Education from Texas State University with a specialization in hydroponics and sustainable production and has worked in diverse agricultural production settings, including USDA-certified organic and commercial hydroponic and aquaponic operations. Marcella is transforming agriculture in the South Texas area through her selection of unique and nutrient-dense crops and sustainable methods of production. She is using her education and experience to utilize the ranch that she grew up on and has been in her family for over 160 years, in a new and needed way. Born and raised in Laredo, Marcella understands the community's need for fresh, local, and healthy food options. She believes in the power of local food to bring together and empower communities and has set out to do so in her community through sustainable, responsibly raised food.

Session: Lessons Learned in Writing Successful Grants

Manuel Piña, Jr., Ph.D., is President and CEO of Views Unlimited, Inc. (an LLC specializing in grant writing and project management and evaluation) and Instructional Associate Professor Emeritus, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University. He has over 30 years of experience writing, managing, and evaluating federal (e.g., USDA, Department of Education, and National Science Foundation) and foundation (e.g., Kellogg, Alfred P. Sloan, and Just Like My Child Foundations) grants. Currently, performing services for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas State University, University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, El Paso Community College, and Houston Community College.

Session: Intro to Honey Bees & Beekeeping

Tara Chapman is the founder and owner of Two Hives Honey, a honey and beekeeping company just east of Austin, Texas. An accomplished speaker and beekeeping educator, she has taught thousands of beekeepers in her ten year tenure all over the world. She has been featured on the Today Show, VICE Media, Amtrak's magazine The National, and numerous other Texas publications.Tara has an upcoming book on beekeeping from the University of Texas Press expected in Spring 2024. She has a B.A from Duke University.

Session: Starting and Expanding a Cottage Foods Business

Kelley Masters is the President and Founder of Homemade Texas. Kelley's citizen activism led to the filing of the first Texas Cottage Food Bill in 2009. When the 2009 bill died, she redoubled her efforts, starting the Texas Baker’s Bill Facebook page in 2010 and working tirelessly toward the ultimate passage of the first cottage food law in 2011 and every subsequent expansion. She has spent countless hours mustering grassroots and media support, working with legislators and special interest groups, and has probably delivered more homemade cookies to the Texas State Capitol than any person in history. She holds a Paralegal degree and lives in Cedar Park with her husband and 3 children. Homemade Texas is a natural extension of her decade-long involvement in the local food movement.

Session: Herbs for Health

Justin Is a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Southwest Regional Office. He has a BS in Agronomy from Prairie View A&M University and an MS in Plant Breeding. He’s spent years figuring out the nuts-and-bolts of successful organic farming in the humid South, concentrating mainly on sweet potatoes, strawberries, niche market ethnic specialty crops, cover crops and drought mitigation techniques. He is currently working on cover crop projects in the southern United States to help farmers there build organic matter in their soil, mitigate risk through crop diversification and reduce weed pressure.

Session: Artisanal Goat Milk Soap Making & Marketing

Whitney is the owner of Southern Hippie Queen - Handmade Artisanal Goods. She got her start on a two acre farm with miniature dairy goats where she produced small batch, artisanal goat milk soap. She now lives in the city but she continues to support farmers by sourcing her ingredients locally.

Session: Be the Butcher - On-Farm Processing for Personal Use

Shawn Kelly along with his wife Amy own Crunchy Mama Farms in Alvord, Texas. Through their Be The Butcher program they provide students with hands on instruction on harvesting, butchering, and preserving their food.

Session: Poultry Health

Pullorum Typhoid Testing Agent certified by TVMDL. Past American Poultry Association State Representative. President American Buckeye Poultry Club. Regional YEPA Youth Leader

Session: Permaculture for Beginners

Matt Powers (M.Ed) is an author, educator, citizen scientist, entrepreneur, and family guy who teaches people all over the world how to live more regeneratively. Personally driven by a deep desire to have the best food possible for his wife and cancer-survivor, Adriana, and their two boys, Matt, a former public high school teacher with a Masters degree in Education, is creator of over a dozen online courses and author of over 20 books on permaculture and regenerative soil science like The Permaculture Student series and the Regenerative Soil Trilogy.