Save the Date

Jan. 22-23, 2027

Roots of Renewal is for anyone with an interest in the future of agriculture. Whether you’re looking to improve on or innovate existing practices, RoR has resources and networking opportunities for you.

2027 Keynote Speakers

Author, Farmer, Clay Bottom Farm
Ben Hartman is the author of three books, including The Lean Micro Farm and The Lean Farm, winner of the prestigious Shingo Institute Research and Professional Publication Award. In 2017, Ben was named one of fifty emerging green leaders in the United States by Grist. Ben and his wife, Rachel Hershberger, own and operate Clay Bottom Farm in Goshen, Indiana, where they grow specialty crops on 1/3 acre of land in production. Ben runs an online masterclass in lean farming, offers on-farm trainings, and consults and speaks nationwide.

The Lean Farm

In this inspirational keynote, Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm, will tell stories showing how farmers of any size and type can minimize waste, increase efficiency, and maximize value and profits with less work. Using the Japanese lean production system as a framework, he’ll share case studies in lean thinking from his own produce farm, Clay Bottom Farm, in Indiana, as well as from enterprising farmers from around the world.

Rancher, Junior Partner, Understanding Ag
Fernando Falomir is a fifth-generation cattle rancher from Chihuahua, Mexico, and an agricultural consultant specializing in soil health, grazing management, and building resilience in brittle environments. With a background in biogeochemistry from the University of Colorado, Fernando combines an understanding of soil and plant processes with more than two decades of practical experience managing livestock in dry, highly variable environments.
His approach is grounded in the belief that productive ranching and healthy landscapes are not competing goals. Through thoughtful grazing management, improved soil function, and a better understanding of how plants, animals, water, and soil interact, ranchers can improve forage production while strengthening the long-term resilience and profitability of their operations.

Building Resiliency in Your Pastures

Drought resilience isn't determined by rainfall alone. In this keynote, fifth-generation rancher Fernando Falomir explores how grazing management, healthy soils, and improved water infiltration can transform pasture productivity while reducing reliance on costly inputs. Drawing from decades of experience restoring degraded rangeland in northern Mexico, he'll share practical strategies for building healthier soils, increasing forage production, improving drought resilience, and creating more profitable, adaptable livestock operations.

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 encourage people to attend this conference every year.

— Eric R.

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About
Roots of Renewal

Roots of Renewal brings together farmers, ranchers, conservation practitioners, educators, and community members from across Colorado's Western Slope and beyond to share practical solutions that strengthen agricultural businesses, healthy soils, water resources, and resilient communities.

Through keynote presentations, workshops, and producer-led sessions, attendees explore regionally relevant strategies for crop and livestock production, water management, soil health, marketing, labor, specialty crops, and other topics that help agricultural operations adapt and thrive.

Roots of Renewal was created in 2023 through the merger of the Western Colorado Soil Health Conference and the Food & Farm Forum, combining two long-standing events into one collaborative gathering focused on the future of agriculture in our region.