We have all heard the phrase "It's not what you know, it's who you know." In this session, we will explore the value of building community connections and how to leverage community in agriculture.
5th Generation Farmer/Rancher, Western Heritage Farms
Cally Hale is a 5th generation farmer living on her family's centennial ranch in Montrose, CO. She serves on the Colorado State Fair Board and is working on becoming a Certified Educator with Holistic Management International. For the last three years, she has been the Program Manager... Read More →
Friday January 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MST
South Room
Farmer and Ecological Engineer, Cedar Springs Farm
Jake Takiff owns Cedar Springs Farm in Hotchkiss, Colorado. He is transforming an overgrazed ranch in the high desert into a lush perennial food forest by practicing agroforestry, water management and rotational grazing. Currently they produce beef and pastured pork while they tend... Read More →
Friday January 24, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MST
South Room
You're ready to take your farm to the next level, but are your systems, team, and marketing ready to make the leap? Sydney will share her strategies of building her business from a small-scale flower farm to one that now includes multiple revenue streams and sales outlets, without compromising life's priorities beyond her business.
Sydney is a flower farmer and florist, who credits flowers with helping her heal from the grief of losing her infant daughter after her battle with HELLP Syndrome in February 2020. Before flower farming, Sydney was a secondary mathematics educator for 8 years, and holds a MA in Education... Read More →
Friday January 24, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm MST
South Room
We will cover how mobile goat grazing can be used to reduce fire risk in the wildland urban interface, how goats can reduce the spread of noxious weeds while building healthier soil, and the experience of starting an agricultural business without land ownership or inheriting assets.
Adrian discovered his passion for the environment volunteering for a habitat-restoration group in Southern California while working full-time in animation. By the time he was ready to make the career switch, he was also ready to leave the city. He traveled to different areas of the... Read More →
Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
South Room
In this session, Jesus Flores will talk about the Farmer's Land Coop at El Rio Grande Farm Park and Cooperatives in Alamosa. He will describe how it got started, what they have faced in regard to successes and challenges, and where the project is headed in the future.
This session will be offered in Spanish with English interpretation available.
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.
Saturday January 25, 2025 9:50am - 10:50am 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.
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
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.
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