GATHER - Learn - Grow
UTAH FARM & FOOD CONFERENCE 2026
In the rear view mirror
United in our conference theme “From the Ground Up” We’ve gathered to learn and grow.
Let these quotes from the conference INSPIRE you on your journey with local agriculture and food.
RELATIONSHIP
There is power in gathering. It’s about relationships.
We all know we are a family here!
THIS BEAUTIFUL EARTH
Everything in life is energy.
Water plays a unique role in our realm and in our lives.
ON LAND STEWARDSHIP
The land is what feeds us; Take care of it!
Will we honor our obligations to the Land?
Let us reciprocate rather than dominate.
Abundance comes from Care - Not control.
We’ve got to hold the line, because without us, we’ll have no food!
ON CHANGING POLICY
Democracy is messy, hard, contentious and slow.
The system has pitted us against them. Let us instead link hands and answer the question, “How can we do this better together?”
If you are not AT the table advocating for Ag, You are ON the menu!
Stay Involved. It takes all of us getting off the farm once in a while to show up at these meetings. Keep the conversation happening.
You are either going to become an Elder or become an Older. Become an Elder - really taking on life’s lessons.
OUR CALL TO FARMING
What we do is grounding. We care for the soil and it cares for us.
The heart beat of the farm is feeding our community
To me… food is art: food is medicine: food is community.
The universe gave me an opportunity to start farming.
People are here at this conference because they are listening to their inner voice. Keep listening! That’s what we need to do.
If your dreams are to be accomplished in this lifetime, then you are not dreaming big enough.
Spread the joy and the love through the energy - let it radiate outward.
By feeding ourselves & our neighbors first, the world WILL be fed.
I can’t be the one to drop the ball.
Farmers can figure things out. If anybody can do it, we can do it!
Without Symbria and Sara’s fortitude and determination, this intermountain-west movement for local food would not have been possible. The members of the year’s conference committee include: Chef Shon, Chris Pieper, Chase Campbell, Michael Melendez, Cheri Stahlehi, Farmer Karl, and Ben Balk. Please join me in expressing our heart-felt, deepest thanks to them who helped design and pull off this conference.
It has been a humbling awe-inspiring privilege to be among you all. Thanks to each of you who have deepened our desire to care for the land, to regenerate life in the land and ecosystem from the ground up. We are deeply grateful for each and every one who has worked to make this conference possible. Thank you attendees, sponsors, donors, and volunteers.
WORDS OF THANKS
RESOLVE
With all this new knowledge, friends, and energy, let us now therefore highly resolve to seize the opportunities before us to grow locally and create a better local food system for the intermountain west.
May you go in peace and bring forth more life!