Zachariah Ben is a 6th generation farmer and sandpainter from Shiprock, NM. He is of the “Giant People” born for the “Red Running Into Water” clan. His maternal grandfather’s clan is the “Red House People” and his paternal grandfather is of the “Salt People.” Zach has over 10 years of experience in traditional Navajo farming and is the Co-founder and Owner of Bidii Baby Foods, a domestically incorporated limited liability company and agricultural cooperative on the Navajo Nation. Bidii Baby Foods manufactures a product line of organic Indigenous baby foods. Zach manages a 30-acre organic farm in Gadii’ahi, NM. Zach also serves as a Consultant with WESST where he supports other Indigenous entrepreneurs as they establish their businesses.

Plenary

REZilient land stewardship: Walking in two worlds

In this presentation, we will discuss traditional Indigenous farming practices, that are often currently referred to as “Regenerative”. We will also discuss the unique challenges to farming on tribal trust land (including access to capital, infrastructure, land/water rights), and solutions to overcome them, using Bidii Baby Foods LLC as an example. Lastly, we will briefly discuss the issue of walking in two worlds: maintaining traditional food production practices, while complying with modern day food safety requirements.

Dr. Stephan van Vliet is the Director at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University. Dr. van Vliet’s research is performed at the nexus of agricultural and human health. He routinely collaborates with farmers, ecologists, and agricultural scientists to study critical linkages between sustainable agriculture, the nutrient density of food, and human health.

Plenary Panel

Linking Soil, Plant, Animal and Human Health in Livestock Systems: a Metabolomics Approach

Dr. Stephan van Vliet presents an integrative metabolomics approach to examining how soil health, plant diversity, and livestock feeding strategies influence the nutrient density and phytochemical profile of beef. The presentation highlights findings from large-scale sample analyses across diverse farming systems, revealing correlations between forage-based diets and elevated levels of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds in meat. These data offer novel insights into the complex transfer of metabolites across ecological levels and their potential implications for human nutrition.