Presenters
Paige Collett
Presenter
From sourcing produce and peeling carrots to printing labels and building websites, Cache Canning is run entirely by Paige. A Utah native, when she's not in the kitchen she can be found wandering around in the desert or in the garage building big art.
Pre-Conference Events
Links
Corinne Cornet-Zinn
Corinne Cornet-Zinn
Fromager Corinne Zinn originated from Belgium and moved to Colorado over 20 years ago. To her surprise, nobody was making cheese. She was missing cheese and looking to find a way to make some just for herself. She bought goat milk from a local farmer, searched online on how to make her favorite cheeses, connected with a forum of French cheesemakers, and learned all the secrets to making cheese. She created a consultant company called "Fromage Without Borders" with the idea of helping farmers create European-style cheeses. She sold her goats and moved to Utah, where Deer Valley hired her to make their own cheese at the resort.
They built her little cheese room right on the ski slope, and for four years, she skied in the morning and made cheese in the afternoon, which was a dream come true. In 2018, she launched Park City Creamery and created Utah terroir cheeses, specifically selecting local milk from nearby dairies. Corrine's award-winning cheese is found in specialty shops, restaurants, and several farmers' markets in Utah.
Pre-Conference Events
Links
Karl Ebeling
Presenter
Known as the "Mister Rogers" of farming, Karl Ebeling, or “Farmer Karl,” leads with compassion and a mission to empower individuals through sustainable agriculture. After 33 years of corporate experience, he founded Eden Streets in 2020 to help people relaunch their lives through farming. His current project, Grow Ogden, is an urban farm offering job training as part of a transitional-employment program for vulnerable individuals. In 2021, Farmer Karl worked with women facing homelessness at Wasatch Community Gardens’ Green Phoenix Farm. Eden Streets' charter, The Declaration of Common Ground, aims to unite community-based farming efforts to address social challenges worldwide.
Alongside Eden Streets, Farmer Karl and his wife Rita operate Faircrest Farms, which cultivates exceptional, organic vegetables while contributing to a vibrant local food community.
Special Event
Blessing
Links
Madison Goodman
Presenter
Madison Goodman is a market farmer in Oakley, UT. He farms year round with the help of high tunnels and determination. He started Madsnacks Produce in 2019 and runs it with his wife and two gritty daughters.
Al Grossi
Seed Exchange
Radio host of weekly Urban farm report, 9 years running at community station KRCL 90.9 FM in Salt Lake City. Seed saver and urban farmer. An advocate of regenerative, sustainable farming, and the importance of where our nutrient dense food comes from, and the benefits we all can reap from eating it.
Special Events
Links
TK Kern
Presenter
T.K. spent 10 years working in the software industry before pursing the life of a farmer.
Using the skills acquired from what feels now like a former life, he crafts systems and spreadsheets as a small part of his role at Red Acre Farm as the Director of Botanical Affairs. He has worked full-time as a grower since 2016.
Pre-Conference Events
Links
Phil LaRocca
Presenter
Phil LaRocca is the owner of LaRocca Vineyards and the CCOF Board Chair. He became the first certified organic apple grower in the United States in 1975 and created the first certified non-sulfite wine back when most people said it was not possible to do either. Over the years, LaRocca Vineyards has sold over a million bottles of non-sulfite organic wine, and created an industry space for others to follow. He was active in creating the California Food and Production Act, and participated in formulating the national organic rule on organic wine.
Joseph Lofthouse
Presenter
I usually call myself a seed keeper. But titles are sometimes better given than chosen. Plant breeder, seed saver, popular speaker, and regular contributing author for Mother News magazine. Joseph's seeds can be purchased at some of the finest heirloom seed companies, and co-ops.
Special Events
Links
Sara Patterson
Presenter
Sara, a farmer, chef, activist, and entrepreneur who started a CSA at 14, is the owner of and runs Red Acre Farm CSA, a successful very diversified 2-acre Biodynamic farm, farm stand, farm kitchen, and farm stay. With her mom, she established Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture in Cedar City, Utah. Since 2015 has passed more than 11 bills directly related to small agriculture and artisan producers.The Center host the Utah Farm and Food Conference in its 9th year. She is the 2015 winner of the Gravel Road Gang Award for activism FTCLDF, 2016 the Unsung Hero Award from State Policy Network, in 2017 the Cedar Chamber of Commerce’s Young Citizen of the Year Award, and The Young Farmer of the Year Award from Weston A Price . She advocates that everyone should be able to start a small business and have access to local nutrient-dense food. She is a popular speaker and loves sharing her journey.
Symbria Patterson
Presenter
Symbria spent a lifetime working in the nonprofit sector. After her daughter started an organic farm, she and her late-husband saw the possibilities and left their employment to work full-time building a sustainable farm. Their focus was to make local food accessible and to create a community educated about healthy food and responsible sources. As her experience grew, so did her vision, and she saw the need for an organized effort in promoting and protecting farmers, farms, and local food economies. She and her daughter started another adventure, while continuing the first, and co-founded Red Acre Center in the midst of farming. She says she has never worked a day in her life. "I always find myself engaged in a cause and loving what I do!" The mother of four and grandmother of nine, she loves, to walk, read, farm, eat good food and be anxiously engaged in a good cause.
Pre-Conference Events
Links
Charlie Perington
Presenter
Charlie is the arborist for Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, an ISA Certified Arborist, and former farm hand at B.U.G. Farms. He is passionate about growing strong, beautiful trees that benefit the surrounding community. Before moving to Utah, Charlie was a professional arborist in Minnesota, mentored at Four Seasons Tree Service for 7 years, organized workshops and conferences with the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture and was a teaching assistant at Hennepin Technical College. Charlie’s favorite trees are oak trees.
Links
Tony Richards
Presenter
Tony Richards is a native of Northern Utah, and the fifth generation on a centennial farm. He has a bachelor's and masters degree from Utah State University indegrees in Crop Science / Agronomy and Plant Science. He is the Soil Health Program Manager with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
He has been involved in agriculture development, conservation planning, and regenerative agriculture research for over 13 years working in Utah, Arizona, Illinois, Ethiopia, and Uganda. He has worked previously for the Howard G Buffett Foundation,Sequoia Farm Foundation, Morrell Agro Industries, and is currently a board member of A.R.I.S.E. International. He is a founding member of the Utah Soil Health Partnership
Pre-Conference Events
Links
Marc Roberts
Presenter
Marc Roberts grew up in Provo Utah. Served a 2 year mission for his church in Argentina. A Civil Engineer graduate from Brigham Young University and played on the BYU basketball team.
Elected to the Utah State Legislature in 2012 and served for 8 years in the Utah House of Representatives. Marc served on the Business and Labor Committee, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee, Political Subdivisions Committee, the Sentencing Commission, as Chair of the House Government Operations Committee and Co-Chair of the Administrative Rules Committee. Marc was a consistent advocate for local farming, agriculture and food production. He sponsored and passed several pieces of legislation including the Homemade Food and Consumption Act ("Food Freedom"), Cow Sharing, Mobile Raw Milk Sales, and Shell Egg and Poultry Amendments.
Co-founder and COO of a payment technology company in Spanish Fork, Zift and serves as a board member for the Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture. He currently lives in Salem Utah with his wife Casey and 5 kids.