Hannah Breckbill

by Lynne Whitbeck | Apr 3, 2026 | 2026 Speakers

Hannah Breckbill

Hannah Breckbill became a farmer out of a desire to be tangibly useful to humanity. She’s a community organizer by nature and loves to channel the power of relationship into right-sized action. She has worked with Humble Hands Harvest in Decorah, Iowa since 2013, raising organic no-till vegetables, grazing sheep, and planting fruit, nut, and shade trees. Through Practical Farmers of Iowa, she works as a Land Access Navigator, supporting land seekers as well as land owners looking to transition. Hannah serves on the boards of the Oneota Community Food Cooperative, the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, the Iowa Food Hub, and the Farmers Land Investment Cooperative, and she had the privilege of being named a Rural Regenerator Fellow through Springboard for the Arts. She hosts an almost-annual Queer Farmer Convergence, plays music any chance she can get, and is grateful for the bobolinks and meadowlarks on her farm.

Plenary

Unconventional Economics of a Farm Startup (or, Queering the Family Farm)

Humble Hands Harvest is a worker-owned cooperative farm with a community-based land access story and a commitment to public experimentation in the gift economy, commoning, and other alternatives to capitalist norms. Hannah will share some of their stories as well as lessons learned along the way.

Vandana Shiva

by Lynne Whitbeck | Apr 2, 2026 | 2020 Conference Speakers, 2020-2018 Speakers

Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, and anti-globalization author. Based in Delhi, Shiva has written more than 20 books. She is a leader and board member of the International Forum on Globalization, and a figure of the anti-globalization movement. Her newest book is “Reclaiming the Commons: Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge, and the Rights of Mother Earth.”

Will Harris

by Lynne Whitbeck | Apr 1, 2026 | 2020-2018 Speakers

Will Harris

Will owns and operates White Oak Pastures. It is the 150-year-old diversified and integrated farm where his family has earned their living for 6 generations.
In the last 25 years, Will has evolved the farm from a commoditized, industrialized, centralized, monoculture cattle operation to a regenerative, high animal welfare, diversified livestock farm that is rebuilding their village of Bluffton, Georgia.
White Oak Pastures pasture raises and hand butchers cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, chickens, guineas, ducks, rabbits, and turkeys. They also produce organic vegetables, pastured eggs, pet treats, leather products, and many other products that allow a nearly closed loop system.

Plenary Speaker

One Family, One Farm, Six Generations

Will will discuss the 150-year-journey of White Oak Pastures from a sustainable family focused farm, to an industrialized, commoditized, centralized operation, and back to a regenerative high animal welfare focused and diversified vertically integrated multi-species family farm.

Kelsey Ducheneaux

by Lynne Whitbeck | Apr 1, 2026 | 2020-2018 Speakers

Kelsey Ducheneaux

Kelsey Ducheneaux is the 4th generation of The DX Ranch on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. She is the owner of DX Beef, which offers locally raised beef for direct sale, and serves Project H3LP!, a nonprofit organization which utilizes horses to practice their Lifemanship philosophies with youth. Kelsey also works as the Natural Resources Director and Youth Programs Coordinator for the Intertribal Agriculture Council, which presents her with a unique opportunity to support the improvement of Indian lands for Indian peoples across the nation.

Plenary Speaker

Training the Next Generation of Agrarians

As part of a panel with Casey Holland, Patrick Jaramillo, Serafina Lombardi, and Dan Waldvogle, Kelsey will highlight the importance of our next generation of farmers in keeping our local traditions alive, protecting water rights, while building economic and food security for our rural communities during times of change.

Jonathan Cobb

by Lynne Whitbeck | Apr 1, 2026 | 2020-2018 Speakers

Jonathan Cobb

Jonathan Cobb is a fourth generation steward of his family’s land in the Blackland Prairie of central Texas. After earning his business degree and spending several years away from the farm, he and his wife, Kaylyn, decided to leave the urban life and continue the farming tradition. Five years into row crop farming thousands of acres with his father, Jonathan and Kaylyn nearly left the farm because they didn’t see a future in the industrial row crop model. Thankfully before leaving, they were exposed to regenerative agriculture and learned there was hope to both regenerate their land and enhance profitability. In addition to stewarding their pasture-based farm, Jonathan provides soil health consulting and serves on the boards for The Grassfed Exchange and Holistic Management International.