Dee is a lifelong entrepreneur whose ventures have ranged from automotive and construction businesses to software and land development. After selling a high-tech consultancy, he founded the 825-acre Sunrise Valley project—an innovative community integrating permaculture principles and a working farm inspired by A Pattern Language. Since completing Geoff Lawton’s Permaculture Design Certificate in 2014, Dee has combined his training in nutrition and permaculture to champion nutrient-dense, locally produced food. His recent work includes designing and implementing a model farm at a Kenyan rescue mission, now feeding over 500 children daily and serving as a regional center for agricultural education.

Jessy Beckett Parr is a longtime advocate for organic farmers, currently serving as Chief Program Officer at California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). She leads a team that delivers education, policy support, and direct assistance to help farmers thrive in organic agriculture. Jessy has helped secure over $25 million in grants to support small and underserved producers. She’s a regular speaker at farmer-focused events, and she’s known for making complex topics—like regenerative agriculture and labor risk—accessible and actionable. Fluent in Spanish, Jessy is committed to reaching diverse farming communities. Jessy’s background includes producing the soil-focused documentary Symphony of the Soil and a Master’s in Community Development from UC Davis. She currently serves on advisory committees for the UC Organic Agriculture Institute and Cal Poly’s Grimm Organic Center, ensuring farmer voices guide organic research and policy.

Kristen Bowler is a farmer, business owner, and mother of four who co-owns Utah Natural Meat in West Jordan, Utah. For more than 15 years, she and her husband have been selling grass-fed meats and raw milk to their local community, operating a farm, dairy, butcher shop, and store where everything is sold direct to their community.

Her work spans far beyond caring for animals - she juggles helping customers, running the farm store, and making daily decisions that keep the farm and business going. Kristen believes in transparency and in knowing your farmer, but most of all in giving families the ability to choose the foods that matter to them.

Like most farmers, Kristen has learned her skills through hands-on experience, trial and error, and the occasional “well, won’t do that again” moment. And although she’s presenting on marketing, she doesn’t claim to be an expert - just a farmer who figured things out along the way and enjoys sharing practical, workable ideas with fellow producers.

Bobby Clayson is a seasoned entrepreneur with over a decade of experience building and scaling startups. His blockchain expertise shone as co-founder of TaxBit, which he started in 2018 to simplify cryptocurrency tax and accounting compliance. TaxBit is one of Utah's unicorn companies with a $1.3 billion valuation, serving individuals, enterprises, and governments in the digital asset space.

Today, as CEO and co-founder of Crofter Market, Bobby is tackling centralization in America's food system. Launched in response to supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during the pandemic, Crofter Market is an online marketplace and 3PL distribution service that connects local ranchers and farmers directly with consumers. The platform empowers producers to sell meat and farm goods, while providing refrigerated fulfillment, logistics, and transparent delivery—fostering food security, fair pricing, and resilient local economies.

Born and raised in Utah, Paige is passionate about local food systems and has spent the last decade striving to build a sustainable business in tiny and beautiful Escalante, UT. She loves the creativity that comes with running a small business and the artistic expression found in truly handmade foods. When not in the kitchen, she can be found in the garden or exploring the remote desert she calls home.

Jo is a local wool mill owner, artist, and circularity practitioner. She feels honored to be able to share art, body care, and the small luxuries the Earth provides. As a steward, utilizing circularity practices in harmony with nature is what brings her joy and connection.

Brooke Ence is Co-Founder of From The Farm.
A former CrossFit athlete and entrepreneur, Brooke Ence founded the Naked Training Program in 2018, offering workouts for all fitness levels. Beyond fitness, she has appeared on TV and in films, including Justice League and Wonder Woman. Raised in Southern Utah, Brooke is passionate about ranching and recently co-founded "From The Farm" with AJ Richards, connecting local food producers to consumers. She remains committed to community work and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Dr. Mollie Engelhart is a former Los Angeles–based vegan restaurateur turned regenerative-farm advocate whose journey has taken her from city kitchens to working the land and raising livestock on a ranch. In Debunked by Nature, she chronicles her radical transformation — abandoning prevailing dietary dogmas and confronting uncomfortable truths about food, death, and ecological balance. Through firsthand experience with soil, animals, seasons, and motherhood, Engelhart argues that true sustainability arises not from ideology or abstraction, but from aligning with nature’s cycles and respecting the interdependence of life.

Today, as co-owner of Sovereignty Ranch, Engelhart works hands-on in regenerative agriculture — practicing bale-grazing, soil-building, and locally adapted farming systems across the Texas Hill Country. In her public talks and writing, she merges ecological insight with personal narrative, inviting audiences to question modern assumptions about food, fertilization, body, and land. Her voice now stands at the crossroads of agriculture, culture, and identity — pushing for a return to grounded principles and a more honest human-nature relationship.

John has been farming in Summit County for over 25 years. Formally an owner/operator of Ranui Gardens, Utah's first certified Organic/Biodynamic farm, John is now working with the market garden team at Ballerina Farms in Kamas, UT.

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.

Jolene Hale is the founder and owner of Milk Honey Yogurt, a small-batch yogurt business that supplies homemade yogurt and sells it at markets around Salt Lake City and beyond.

She prepares and bottles her yogurt — sometimes working out of shared kitchen spaces such as bakeries — then brings the finished product to local farmers markets, where she serves customers drawn to fermented, handcrafted dairy.

In doing so, Hale contributes to Utah’s small-local-food and fermentation movement, offering an alternative to conventional dairy — one rooted in artisanal care, slow food values, and community-oriented distribution.

Rachael has an environmentally intentional practice focusing on building community, sustainable transportation, local food, and local textiles by extending the useful life of the things we wear.
They are a veggie farm owner with Future Craft Farm, involved with Red Acre Center, Fibershed, and bicycle advocacy groups in Salt Lake City Utah.

Over the years he has represented Utah in national public-health and food-safety forums, including speaking on regulatory challenges related to cottage-food laws and food-freedom legislation.

Hartman also acts as a liaison between DHHS and other agencies (including local health authorities), working to set statewide environmental-health priorities and coordinate inspections, training, and technical assistance.

Larry Jacobs is the co-founder (with his wife Sandra Belin) of Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo — a pioneering organic farming business founded in 1980 in Pescadero, California.

After a harrowing early-career experience with chemical pesticides that made him ill — while running a tree nursery in the San Fernando Valley — Jacobs committed himself to chemical-free farming, eventually earning a degree in soil science from California Polytechnic State University — Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Under his leadership, Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo grew from a modest coastal farm into one of the largest producers of fresh organic culinary herbs in the United States, selling nationwide and supplying herbs, vegetables, and seasonal produce under a commitment summarized by their motto: “Healthy soils, healthy plants, healthy people.”

Beyond production, Jacobs helped found a growers’ cooperative in Baja California, Mexico, bringing sustainable organic agriculture and fair economic opportunities to hundreds of small-scale farmers — combining environmental stewardship with social justice in global food supply.

My goal is to create a better food system that gives us and our planet a chance at a future.
I am the founder and CEO of FarmMatch with over 1 million orders of farm food delivered, pushed $90M+ in revenues to small farms, host of The FOODCAST, local food activist, natural health advocate, passionate author, engaging speaking, lover of the environment, visionary, dedicated solution maker, committed change-maker, and also known for being the first person in US history to voluntarily remove himself from permanent federal disability for degenerative crohn's disease.

After a career in software development, I transitioned to agriculture and have spent the past nine years working at Red Acre Farm in Cedar City, Utah. My work there has focused on vegetable production, soil health, and community-based food systems. In 2024, I was honored with the Utah Soil Health Partnership’s Biological Cultivator Award, recognizing my commitment to improving Utah's soil and farming methods. I have served as a board member of Red Acre Center, where I still play a smaller role supporting education and advocacy around local food and agriculture policy.

In addition to farming, I continue to lend my technical expertise to both Red Acre Farm and Red Acre Center, bridging the gap between technology and agriculture. I am now in transition and exploring the next chapter of my journey: starting my own farm operation. I look forward to building on the skills, relationships, and experiences I’ve gained over the past decade to contribute to Utah’s local food movement.

Laine and Porter Lamping run Five Fingers Farm — a small-scale, goat-herd dairy farm near New Harmony, Utah — offering dairy goat herd-shares with Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf goats. They employ rotational and intensive grazing to build healthy soil and support the well-being of their animals, supplementing feed as needed with locally grown grains and hay.

On the farm they milk goats out in the fields — using clean stainless-steel buckets, straining, bottling, and chilling the milk — and provide shares of raw goat milk to members: typically about a half-gallon per week per share, during the milking season (generally April through October).

Brook LeVan is the co-founder and Executive Director of Sustainable Settings — a nonprofit working ranch and “whole-systems learning center” in Colorado. He and his wife established the 244-acre ranch in 1997 and have developed it into a biodynamic operation and educational hub that combines sustainable agriculture, ecological stewardship, natural building, and community-oriented food systems.

With a background in art (MFA from Alfred University and BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute), permaculture design, and social ecology, LeVan blends creative, scientific, and ecological thinking to shape the physical farm and its educational mission. Over decades he has led workshops, published writings, participated in regenerative-agriculture consulting, and lectured nationally on soil health, organic and biodynamic food production, and sustainable community systems

Stephen has been involved in community, economic and workforce development throughout Utah for the past 20 years. He is currently the Assistant Vice President of the Office of Regional Services at Southern Utah University where he oversees departments and centers focusing on community, economic and workforce developments programs and partnerships. Prior to his work at SUU, Stephen worked as Division Director for Utah’s Workforce Development Division where he was tasked with administering federal and state programs to fuel Utah’s economic engine and sustainable workforce through a career and educational approach. Stephen was raised in Delta, Utah where he attributes learning the value of work, voluntarism and community involvement.

He received an MBA from Southern Utah University (SUU) where met his wife, Pamela Hendrickson of Toquerville. Stephen has resided in rural Utah since completing his education, living in Cedar City, Kanab and LaVerkin. He is also a graduate of Utah’s Certified Public Managers program and has served on the Executive Committee for the Governor’s Rural Partnership Board. He enjoys anything that includes his family, gardening and is always planning some trip to see the wonders of Utah and the world.

Joseph Lofthouse, a popular speaker at farming conferences worldwide, authored Landrace Gardening, Semences Paysannes Métissées, and Hundred Hour Yoga Teacher Training. He has grown landraces and sold seeds since 2010. He devotes himself to helping gardeners and farmers grow healthy plants with less stress and empowering communities to adapt seeds to their local conditions.

A passionate student of ecological design, permaculture, and regenerative agriculture for the last 30 years, James has a contagious enthusiasm for growing, teaching, and mentorship. He is currently the Director of Agricultural Operations for Wasatch Community Gardens, and oversees the team that stewards the organizations 22 sites. He also serves as the chairman of the OchO Society, a non profit dedicated to connecting people and planet through adventure, education, and experiences. He is the lead designer of their 8 acre permaculture playground, and serves as a guide on their monthly "Adventure Underground" excursions.When not in the field or classroom, James enjoys whitewater rafting, canyoneering, overlanding, downhill mountain biking, and any other high adrenaline outdoor adventure he can find. He is a dedicated and highly involved father, and is a staple of the Salt Lake City Bass Music scene as dj illoom" . There is a rumor that he actually sat down and relaxed, this one time, but that has yet to be verified…

Lloyd Nelson has been practicing the art of Biodynamic (BD) Agriculture for over twenty years. He is a BD preparation maker, builder, artist, farmer, arborist, BD educator & consultant. He is co-founder of Biodynamic Source - a Colorado based non-profit specializing in high potency BD preparations - and he owns and operates a Biodynamic spray, fertilizer and consultation service. He has worked with small and large scale farms, vineyards, and orchards to transition to sustainable Biodynamic land management and Demeter BD Certification.

Dr. Erin O’Brien is a Professor of Biology and Director of Community Engaged Learning at Utah Tech University, where she has advanced applied, interdisciplinary education for almost 20 years. An ecologist and evolutionary biologist (B.A., Bryn Mawr; Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago), her work spans crop science, plant ecology, riparian systems, and, most recently, data-driven research supporting local vineyards.

At Utah Tech, she has held multiple leadership roles and has been a catalyst for partnerships connecting academia with public agencies, municipalities, and industry. She helped Utah Tech join the Colorado Plateau CESU and the Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative, co-founded the Utah Tech City Alliance, built a biotechnology workforce pipeline with regional partners, and co-developed outdoor leadership programs that have secured over $1.2M in federal support.

Dr. O’Brien also serves on regional boards focused on sustainability, food systems, and public lands, and is an editorial board member for Transformative Social Impact. She lives in St. George, Utah where she can normally be found at their Downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays.
Beyond her research, Dr. O’Brien is a dedicated educator who integrates hands-on fieldwork and community collaboration into her courses on ecology, botany, and environmental science. She works closely with students, land managers, and regional partners to develop ecological literacy and practical skills for caring for dryland environments. Dr. O’Brien’s expertise supports the broader conversation around climate resilience, native plant communities, and sustainable land use—making her an invaluable contributor to this year’s conference.

Susannah is the Executive Director of the Virgin River Land Trust, a local non-profit dedicated to preserving historic and iconic landscapes and agricultural lands in Southern Utah. She comes to this role as a non-profit professional with experience in business development, fundraising, and marketing. Susannah has a love of the outdoors and enjoys traveling with her family and dog. She is often found exploring the many hikes and beautiful scenes in Utah, and loves sharing that joy with others.

Darren Parry is the former chairman for the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation and teaches Native American History at Utah State University. He currently serves as practitioner and residency at the University of Utah in the environmental humanities program.

Angela Patino-Acevedo is the greenhouse manager and biology technician at Southern Utah University where she oversees the university’s native plant gardens and teaches students how to propagate houseplants and cultivate native plants, blending her love for the earth with her commitment to community wellness.

Alongside her role at SUU, she has dedicated herself to sharing the transformative power of Kundalini Yoga and meditation with others. She believes that growing plants is a form of mindfulness, as it allows individuals to connect with the cycles of nature and cultivate patience, awareness, and balance—principles she also emphasizes in her yoga practice.

Whether she is tending to the gardens or guiding her yoga students through transformative practices, Angela is dedicated to helping others experience the peace and empowerment that come from aligning the body, mind, and spirit. She is excited to continue sharing the gifts of Kundalini Yoga with her community and beyond.

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 19 bills directly related to small agriculture and artisan producers.The Center host the Utah Farm and Food Conference in its 10th year. She is the winner of the Gravel Road Gang Award for activism from Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund, Unsung Hero Award from State Policy Network, 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 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.

Chris Pyper owns and operates Rustling Aspen Farm, a small diverse market garden in Midway, UT, which he started in 2018. He first became interested in local agriculture and food systems while working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. That interest quickly turned into a passion after moving to Seattle while he volunteered with two local farming organizations and had a weekend job selling vegetables for a large organic farm at farmers markets. During that time, he also worked for an outdoor education nonprofit doing accounting, grant writing, fundraising, and event work. Eventually growing tired of city life and being stuck in a cubicle, Chris made the move to Kentucky to help a friend start a small vegetable farm, where he worked for four seasons before moving back to his hometown of Midway to create Rustling Aspen Farm. Chris also started and runs the Midway Farmers Market, which is centered around locally grown/produced food and agricultural products and runs for five months during the growing season.

Bob Quinn is a PhD-trained plant biochemist and fourth-generation Montana farmer who returned to his family’s wheat and cattle ranch near Big Sandy in 1978 to apply scientific know-how to regenerative agriculture.

He is best known for reviving the ancient grain KAMUT® (khorasan wheat), trademarking it in the 1980s, and founding Kamut International — a global brand built around organic, nutrient-dense grain and rooted in a philosophy of “food as medicine.”

Over decades, Bob converted his farm to full-scale regenerative organic operation, authored the book Grain by Grain (co-written with Liz Carlisle), and continues to champion sustainable agriculture, soil health, and nutritious food as pathways to healthier people and a healthier planet.

Steven Rosenberg is the Founder and Good Food Evangelist at Liberty Heights Fresh; a nationally award-winning neighborhood good food market in Salt Lake City, UT, founded in 1993.
Prior to founding Liberty Heights Fresh, Rosenberg worked in his family’s Southwest Michigan fruit orchards and vegetable fields; as a street fruitier; wholesale produce merchant; biotech marketer; flower importer; and filmmaker.
A good food movement activist; Rosenberg has served on numerous non-profit, trade association and local government boards committees. Prior speaking engagements include: Borad Bia (Irish Food Board)
Specialty Food Conference, Adare, Ireland 1999. Oldways Olavita Conference, Puglia, Italy 2006. American Cheese Society Presenter/Panelist, Louisville, KY 2006. Numerous live television appearances –KTVX, KUTV, FOX13, and KSL (1994-present).
Rosenberg obtained a BS in Food Marketing/Agricultural Economics at Michigan State University (1983); studied filmmaking at the Vancouver Film School (1990-91); and has completed the Babson College Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, Salt Lake City (2013).

Working USU Extension and Utah TOPP to support current and transitioning organic farmers and ranchers through mentorship, technical assistance, and community building.

I am an organic and sustainable food systems advocate with experience working in diverse agricultural, small business, public service, and non-profit settings. I have a decade of experience in agriculture as an organic crop inspector, food hub manager, farm worker, food system’s researcher, and extension agent. I have dedicated my life to seeing farmers succeed and communities gain greater access to healthy local food.

Corbin Scholz has been working in the food system for almost a decade owning and managing organic vegetable farms and food hubs, serving on several agriculture non-profits board of directors, and participating in leadership committees to organize support programs for young farmers. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology on the pre-medical track, Corbin pivoted to creating healthy communities through thriving food systems.

Jill Simkins runs Cricket Song Farm, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm located near Beryl, Utah, focusing on fresh local produce sold at farmers' markets. Cricket Song Farm is a vital connection for Southern Utah residents to healthy food grown by her and her family.

James and Joyce Skeet are the co-founders Spirit Farm, a 501c3 non-profit organization. They are passionate about reconnecting all peoples to the land through Indigenous Regenerative Intelligence that integrates the ancient wisdom of Native cosmology to create a haven where soil health, nutrient rich foods, human health, and free markets can prosper. James’ heritage has assisted in grounding him in the work he does as a full-blooded Navajo Native American from Vanderwagen, New Mexico. Joyce, born and raised in Pennsylvania, was introduced to agriculture, animal husbandry, and food preservation from an early age. Together, in 2016, they launched the farm in Vanderwagen, NM, that uses only natural practices including microbiological composting, to heal the high desert southwestern soil to be a living example of how we can recover and reclaim traditional farming and spiritual practices to transform our way of life.

Heather Speth is a lifelong lover of the natural world. She has spent much of her career working with both children and adults in the outdoors, as well as teaching in the private sector. She currently operates a thriving, year-round nature school in the Uintah Basin, where children learn through wonder, play, and the rhythms of the seasons. She is also homesteading alongside her husband and son at Little House Farm.

As the author of Own Your Rhythm: Unleash the Power of Feminine Cycles and Moonlit Learning: Lunar Year Adventure for Kids, Heather weaves together her background in education with a deep understanding of cyclical living, helping others reconnect with nature, time, and their own inner rhythms.

Carter Wilkey and his wife Stephanie moved to Cedar City in early 2016 and have made it their forever home. They are the proud parents of 5 children. Carter has been an active Realtor in the community since 2016. He has served in many capacities in our community both with Cedar City and other organizations. At the time of his election, he was serving on Cedar City's Board of Adjustments and Planning Commission. He has previously served on the city's Active Transportation Committee and General Plan Revision Committee.

Aside from his responsibilities with the city, Carter also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Cedar City Area Chamber of Commerce. He has served at different times for the Iron County Children's Justice Center Friend's Board, Iron County Board of Realtors, Iron County Home Builders, Red Acre Center and others. Carter is honored to be able to serve the community that has given him and his family so much.

Sabrina Williams is CEO of SEED, a Certified B-Corp, where she draws on her professional background in architecture, law and urban planning—along with over 25 years of experience in 40 states as a community organizer advancing food justice. In 2000, Sabrina founded a nonprofit to address sustainability and food security in low-income neighborhoods, successfully challenging ordinances and public housing policies that restricted gardening and urban farming. In 2019 she launched SEED, turning self-taught engineering skills into accessible agtech to help small farms improve and manage their soil. Sabrina is a certified Master Gardener whose super powers are perfect pie crusts and vocal harmonies.