Join Us.
The Western CO Soil Health, Food and Farm Forum has a new name! You’ll still find inspiring speakers, practical tools, and meaningful connections, we’ve just grown into a name that better reflects the future we’re building together.
The Forum is for anyone with an interest in the future of agriculture. Whether you’re looking to improve on or innovate existing practices, the Forum has resources and networking opportunities for you.
2026 Keynote Speakers
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Co-Founder, Alderspring Ranch
Glenn Elzinga is the founder and owner of Alderspring Ranch, a 46,000-acre certified organic cattle operation in Idaho’s Salmon River region. With his wife, Caryl, and their seven daughters, Glenn manages the ranch using regenerative grazing practices that restore native grasslands, improve soil health, and protect wildlife habitat. Their innovative “in-herd” herding model has become a national example of how cattle can coexist with predators while enhancing ecosystem resilience. A former forester, Glenn brings both science and hands-on experience to his work, producing nutrient-dense, grass-fed beef while demonstrating that ranching and ecological stewardship can thrive side by side.
Regeneration on the Range: The Story of Alderspring Ranch
Glenn will share the remarkable story of how he and his family transformed a struggling cattle operation into a thriving model of regenerative ranching. From early challenges and lessons learned to innovative grazing practices and the creation of a direct-to-consumer business, Glenn’s journey offers insights into resilience, ecological stewardship, and building a ranching enterprise rooted in both land health and community. His keynote will inspire with real-world examples of how working in partnership with nature can restore landscapes, produce nutrient-dense food, and sustain future generations.
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Founder, Agri-Cultura Network
As a Native woman leading in agriculture, Helga is guided by her ancestral agricultural calendar, and shares this knowledge through an intergenerational process. As a farmer for 20 years, she knows first-hand the challenges of farm to market and has experience and lessons learned through development of farm cooperatives in Brownsville, Texas and in Central Mexico. This journey in food systems development has inspired a strong commitment to protecting the environment and to building a healthy, sustainable, local economy through agricultural practices. Helga is the former Chair of the New Mexico Food and Agricultural Policy Council, is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture Of Health Leadership Fellow 2018 - 2021, and Castanea Food Systems Fellow 2020 – 2021, and is the 2024 James Beard Award recipient for Leadership, Food Access and Food Security.
Seeds of Self-Determination: Building Food Security Through Farmer-Led Change
Helga will share the story of how small-scale farmers and ranchers in New Mexico have charted their own path toward food sovereignty and community resilience. Through self-determination and the use of regenerative agriculture practices, producers have worked together to strengthen food access and food security across the state. This is the story of people building power from the ground up—transforming not only how food is produced, but how it reaches every community.
As a young and aspiring farmer, the conference exposed me to just what I needed: experienced mentors and progressive ideas. With how much there was to offer, I would only encourage people to attend this conference every year.
— Eric R.
Become a Sponsor • Support Us •
Become a Sponsor • Support Us •
OUR 2026 SPONSORS
MESA BUSINESS SERVICES
It begins with Soil Health!
Soil health is critical to the future of agricultural production on the Western Slope of Colorado. With a contingent of farmers as well as community groups and government officials, the Western Slope has been able to take soil health education and implementation techniques and specifically adjust them for the local area. As pressure on agricultural production increases, soil health practices can ensure that agricultural needs are met with sustainable production, quality and economic viability.
But that’s not all…
The Forum has a wide array of regionally-specific agricultural info in areas including maximizing livestock and crop production, innovative marketing and labor strategies, water management, and cultivating specialty crops.
OUR HOSTS
Roots of Renewal seeks to promote the stewardship and development of our most precious resources - people, soil, and water - with the aim of advancing viable farms and ranches on Colorado’s Western Slope.
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