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Saturday, January 25
 

8:00am MST

Registration
Saturday January 25, 2025 8:00am - 8:30am MST
Lobby
Saturday January 25, 2025 8:00am - 8:30am MST
Lobby

8:35am MST

It Takes a Village
Saturday January 25, 2025 8:35am - 9:35am MST
Auditorium
Building soil health is a journey as personal and unique as raising a child. How can we navigate this journey to the best of our skills and abilities, to create something that has benefits far beyond the farm/ranch gate? How can working with our communities reduce the load? Nicole will shine a light on communities that have shifted the conversation and are taking actions towards resilience, health, wealth and wellbeing.
Speakers
avatar for Nicole Masters

Nicole Masters

Founder, Integrity Soils
Since 1999 Nicole has been involved in regenerative food systems. Throughout that 20+ years as an educator, nothing excites her more than passing on her passion for regenerative soil stewardship. Although she is formally trained in soil science, organizational learning, pattern thinking... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 8:35am - 9:35am MST
Auditorium
  Keynote

9:50am MST

Building and Growing in New Directions: Stories from the Latino Farm Community
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 10:50am MST
South Room
In this session, you will hear from local Hispanic producers about how their directions have
changed over time - dependent on needs, opportunities, and circumstances. Jesus Flores will talk about
the Farmer's Land Co-op at the Rio Grande Farm Park in Alamosa. Juan Lopez-Hernandez will talk about
the formation of the Sand Dunes Mushroom Cooperative in the San Luis Valley. Augustin Pantoja will
talk about his journey as the son of a farmer who is following in his father's footsteps but making new
and innovative adjustments to their agriculture business.

This session will be offered in Spanish with English interpretation available.
Moderators
MS

Maria Suarez

Co-owner, Macario's Produce
Speakers
avatar for Jesus Flores

Jesus Flores

Farm Manager, Rio Grande Farm Park
Jesus is a lifelong farmer and farmworker. Jesus brings great love and knowledge of agriculture to the farm park. He is skilled in vegetable production, irrigation, soil health, and caring for bees.
JL

Juan Lopez Hernandez

Worker/Owner and Treasurer, Sand Dunes Mushroom Cooperative
AP
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 10:50am MST
South Room
  Breakout Session

9:50am MST

The Spirit of Natural Farming
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 10:50am MST
Multipurpose Room
Explore the historical roots of natural farming practices and their critical importance in today's agricultural landscape. This session will delve into traditional farming techniques, the evolution of natural farming philosophies, and the relevance of these methods in addressing current agricultural issues.
Speakers
avatar for Miles Filippelli

Miles Filippelli

Founder, Fermented Plant Extracts
Miles Filippelli is a multifaceted farmer, educator, product developer, artist, and visionary based on a small farm near Paonia. His Fermented Plant Extract product line is available nationwide through BuildaSoil and at various organic and regenerative gardening stores. Over the past... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 10:50am MST
Multipurpose Room
  Breakout Session

9:50am MST

Working to Live or Living to Work?
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 10:50am MST
Center Room
Running a small farm is hard. Join Dylan from Sandy Seed Farm, an intensive small-scale vegetable operation, for strategies on finding balance between a fulfilling personal life and a bustling professional life.
Speakers
avatar for Dylan Fagden

Dylan Fagden

Owner/Operator, Sandy Seed Farm
Dylan has been running Sandy Seed Farm for the last four years, since its creation in Moab, Utah to its current home in Montrose, Colorado. He has also worked at a larger certified organic operation in Logan, Utah, where he learned the farming ropes. After years of working hard on... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 10:50am MST
Center Room
  Breakout Session

9:50am MST

Diversity Matters
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 12:05pm MST
Backstage
The land is calling to you. These voices are nuanced and increase in volume depending on soil health, plant and microbial diversity, and your management. This two-hour workshop will be a deep, geeky, yet practical dive on how you can increase diversity and its benefits to you in cropping, horticultural or livestock systems.
Speakers
avatar for Nicole Masters

Nicole Masters

Founder, Integrity Soils
Since 1999 Nicole has been involved in regenerative food systems. Throughout that 20+ years as an educator, nothing excites her more than passing on her passion for regenerative soil stewardship. Although she is formally trained in soil science, organizational learning, pattern thinking... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 12:05pm MST
Backstage
  Workshop

9:50am MST

Navigating Disruption with Confidence: Embracing Safe-to-Fail Trials for Holistic Management
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 12:05pm MST
North Room
Agricultural operations require tools that allow for both flexibility in experimentation and confidence in decision-making to support long-term resilience. In this two-hour workshop, participants will explore the concept of safe-to-fail trials—a practical approach to testing new methods in farming without risking major losses—and an adaptive management framework for navigating uncertainty. The session will equip producers with strategies to embrace change, build resilience, and manage holistically, ensuring their operations are prepared for whatever the future may hold.

Speakers
avatar for Wayne Knight

Wayne Knight

Executive Director, Holistic Management International
Wayne has managed his family’s 11,000-acre ranch in South Africa for 27 years, where he successfully increased biodiversity, profitability, and the land’s carrying capacity. Over the years, Wayne was both mentored by experienced practitioners and mentored younger generations... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 12:05pm MST
North Room
  Workshop

11:05am MST

Finding Roots: Navigating Land Transfer and Access
Saturday January 25, 2025 11:05am - 12:05pm MST
South Room
Accessing land and navigating succession are some of the greatest challenges faced by farmers and ranchers. Alyssa will guide us through a discussion about various methods to access land, navigating conversations around succession, and building relationships with landowners seeking to pivot.
Speakers
avatar for Alyssa Bentele

Alyssa Bentele

Land Steward, Colorado West Land Trust
Alyssa is a Land Steward with Colorado West Land Trust, where she supports landowners in preserving and enhancing the conservation values of their land. She is a part of the Land Transfer Navigator program with American Farmland Trust -- which builds a cohort of folks working in close... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 11:05am - 12:05pm MST
South Room
  Breakout Session

11:05am MST

How do I Unplug from Conventional Practices?
Saturday January 25, 2025 11:05am - 12:05pm MST
Center Room
With input costs rising, commodity prices stagnant, the constant threat of financial ruin, and the number of ag producers in steady decline. Jason will demonstrate tools, practices and perspective to help you unplug from the noise and map a way forward without the anchor chain of the status quo.
Speakers
avatar for Jason Wrich

Jason Wrich

Regenerative Cattle Rancher, Wrich Ranches
Jason transitioned from conventional Black Angus seedstock production to a more sustainable approach, eliminating pharmaceuticals, synthetic fertilizers, and subsidies through intensive land and herd management. Co-founding Beefinitiative.com with Texas Slim, he connects consumers... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 11:05am - 12:05pm MST
Center Room
  Breakout Session

11:05am MST

Resources for Small Agriculture and Food Businesses
Saturday January 25, 2025 11:05am - 12:05pm MST
Multipurpose Room
In this session, you will learn about available resources for small agriculture and food businesses that are offered through Region 10, CSU Extension, and Colorado Department of Agriculture. Specifically, you will learn about available grants and small business loans, how to write a business plan and get technical assistance in business start-up, and how to sign up to use Region 10's commercial kitchen. You will hear a personal story from a small food business owner about how she was able to maximize her resources and get her business off the ground.
This session will be offered in Spanish with English interpretation available. 

Moderators
AC

Adriana Chavira

Program Manager/Hispanic Outreach, Region 10
Speakers
LS

Laura Sanabria

Owner, Que Chimba LLC
ND

Nicole Didero

Western Slope Extension Specialist, CSU Extension
Saturday January 25, 2025 11:05am - 12:05pm MST
Multipurpose Room
  Breakout Session

12:05pm MST

Locally-Sourced Buffet Lunch
Saturday January 25, 2025 12:05pm - 1:05pm MST
Cafeteria
Saturday January 25, 2025 12:05pm - 1:05pm MST
Cafeteria

1:05pm MST

Is No Till Really Worth It?
Saturday January 25, 2025 1:05pm - 2:05pm MST
North Room
Using historical data from the last 30 years, we will compare different farming methods to determine if changing methods really increases profitability.
Speakers
avatar for Roy Pfaltzgraff

Roy Pfaltzgraff

Farmer, Pfaltzgraff Farms, LLC
Roy and his parents operate Pfaltzgraff Farms, LLC, a 2,200-acre dryland farm south of Haxtun, CO, where Roy was born and raised. Under his father's pioneering vision, the farm has transformed from growing two to three crops annually to twelve last year. While still using some commercial... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 1:05pm - 2:05pm MST
North Room
  Breakout Session

1:05pm MST

Soil Biology and Nutrient Cycling
Saturday January 25, 2025 1:05pm - 2:05pm MST
South Room
Soil biology & nutrient cycling encompass the intricate interactions among soil microorganisms that facilitate the biochemical cycling of essential nutrients. We dig into how these processes function and how they are crucial for maintaining soil fertility, promoting plant health, and ensuring the sustainability of agroecosystems.
Speakers
avatar for Miles Sorel

Miles Sorel

CEO & Founder, Terraforma International
Miles Sorel brings over a decade of agricultural expertise, blending his background in neuroscience with a deep understanding of the Soil Food Web. His work spans across the Americas, Asia, and Africa, where he has developed regenerative solutions and cutting-edge biotechnology to... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 1:05pm - 2:05pm MST
South Room
  Breakout Session

1:05pm MST

Sprayer Calibration
Saturday January 25, 2025 1:05pm - 2:05pm MST
Multipurpose Room
Learn how to calibrate sprayers for applications. 



Speakers
avatar for Todd Ballard

Todd Ballard

Tri-River Area Agronomy Specialist, Agronomy Professor, CSU Extension
Todd Ballard has four years of experience with CSU Extension, starting in the Golden Plains Area and currently in the Tri-River Area. He has a background in commercial agriculture and holds a B.A. in Mathematics and an M.S. in Agriculture from Western Kentucky University, as well... Read More →
avatar for Katie Alexander

Katie Alexander

Small Acreage and Marketing Agent, Colorado State University
Katie Alexander has worked for CSU Extension for three years as the Small Acreage and Marketing agent. Katie earned her B.S. in Soil and Crop Sciences from Colorado State University where she took a soil conservationist position with the USDA-NRCS for over thirteen years. That time... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 1:05pm - 2:05pm MST
Multipurpose Room
  Breakout Session

2:20pm MST

Roots of Renewal: Navigating Change Through Flexibility and Legacy
Saturday January 25, 2025 2:20pm - 3:45pm MST
Auditorium
In an ever-evolving world, balancing innovation with tradition is the key to navigating change. Hear from leaders who have successfully blended history with innovation to respond to challenges and transform opportunities into enduring impacts. Join us for an inspiring discussion on cultivating resilience through legacy and adaptability.
Moderators
avatar for Steve Hale

Steve Hale

Rancher, Western Heritage Farms
Speakers
avatar for Jorgiea Raftopoulos

Jorgiea Raftopoulos

Rancher, Two Bar Sheep Co
Jorgiea Raftopoulos is a third-generation sheep and cattle rancher working directly with the public to share her family’s story and educate about where our food comes from. Jorgiea believes that everyone is directly impacted by agriculture and she strives to connect producer and... Read More →
avatar for Robert Sakata

Robert Sakata

Agricultural Water Policy Advisor, Colorado Department of Agriculture
Robert Sakata serves as the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Ag Water Policy Advisor, a new position approved by the 2023 Colorado General Assembly, and is also president of Sakata Farms in Brighton, Colorado.Robert was born and raised in Colorado and grew up on his family farm... Read More →
avatar for Roy Pfaltzgraff

Roy Pfaltzgraff

Farmer, Pfaltzgraff Farms, LLC
Roy and his parents operate Pfaltzgraff Farms, LLC, a 2,200-acre dryland farm south of Haxtun, CO, where Roy was born and raised. Under his father's pioneering vision, the farm has transformed from growing two to three crops annually to twelve last year. While still using some commercial... Read More →
Saturday January 25, 2025 2:20pm - 3:45pm MST
Auditorium
  Plenary

3:45pm MST

Closing Reception and Vendor Showcase
Saturday January 25, 2025 3:45pm - 4:30pm MST
Lobby
Saturday January 25, 2025 3:45pm - 4:30pm MST
Lobby