2012 Conference Keynote Speakers

View all speaker bios (keynote and workshop sessions).

Morning Keynote Speakers Colin and Karen Archipley  Owners of Archi's Acres in Escondido, CA   Archi’s Acres is a small-scale organic farm in Southern California established in 2007 by Colin and Karen Archipley. It is a pro-American, pro-veteran company that utilizes innovative growing techniques to produce inexpensive, organic, locally grown food. These techniques maximize efficient use of our precious available resources, ensuring the sustainability of our planet. Colin and Karen's goal is to augment and accelerate (exponentially) the agricultural revolution across America, in partnership with our military veterans. At Archi’s Acres, Colin and Karen have created the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training (VSAT) program to offer our combat veterans meaningful employment opportunities in the high-growth industry of sustainable farming. Their philosophy is to call up and redirect our veteran’s attributes of leadership, tenaciousness, adaptability, as well as willingness to take on severe challenges, self-knowledge and appetite for continual improvement. They have bet the farm on these well-disciplined and hard-working veterans whom they trust to continually challenge themselves to achieve the highest standards in plant production.

 

Lunchtime Keynote Speaker Ann Cooper Renegade Lunch Lady; Partner, Lunch Lessons, LLC; Director, Nutrition Services Boulder Valley School District; Founder, Food Family Farming Foundation: The Lunch Box, Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools; and author   Chef Ann Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. In a nation where children are born with shorter estimated life expectancies than their parents because of diet-related illness, Ann is a relentless voice of reform by focusing on the links between food, family, farming and children's health and wellness. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY, Ann has been a chef for more than 30 years including positions with Holland America Cruises, Radisson Hotels, Telluride Ski Resort as well as serving as Executive Chef at the renowned Putney Inn in Vermont. She has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, and Time Magazine and has appeared on NPR's 'Living on Earth,' ABC's Nightline, CNN, PBS' To The Contrary and the CBS Morning Show and many other media outlets. Ann has shared her knowledge and experience by speaking at the Smithsonian Institute, the National Restaurant Association, the Heifer Foundation, Chefs Collaborative, the International Association of Culinary Professionals and numerous conferences. She has been honored by SLOW Food USA, selected as a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow, and awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY Cobleskill for her work on sustainable agriculture. Read more . . .

Lunchtime Keynote Speaker Joe Rogoff  Whole Foods Market Pacific Northwest Regional President   Joe’s career in natural products retailing began as a volunteer at a food Co-op in rural Sonoma County California in the mid 70’s. After serving as General Manager of two small natural foods chains, he joined Whole Foods Market in 2000 with the acquisition of Food For Thought. Since joining Whole Foods Market Joe has filled a variety of leadership roles including: Store Team Leader of three stores, Regional Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Purchasing, and currently as the Pacific Northwest Region’s Regional President since 2010. Joe’s leadership is focused on bringing individuals and groups together toward a common purpose, and his passion is to further healthy individuals, communities, and environments through advocacy of natural and organic products. Joe and his wife Susan love to travel and enjoy hiking, biking and gardening.