Speakers

Featured Speakers at the 2024 Biodynamic Conference

Gaby González

Gaby Gonzalez is a soil scientist, an architect and a third-generation Mexican farmer, descended from a proud campesino grandfather and schooled by her father in the ways of industrial agriculture, an approach she does not replicate on her own farm.

Daron Joffe

Farmer D is a nationally recognized biodynamic farmer, designer, speaker, entrepreneur and educator. He is the author of the acclaimed book “Citizen Farmers: The Biodynamic Way to Grow Healthy Food, Build Thriving Communities and Give Back to the Earth” .

Mark Shepard

Mark is a farmer, teacher, writer , and businessman who teaches Agroforestry and Permaculture worldwide. He has published two books, Restoration Agriculture and Water for Any Farm, and runs New Forest Farms, the 106-acre perennial agricultural savannah.

Mark Hancock

Mark Hancock, MD, MPH founded Humanizing Medicine in Atlanta, with his wife Enid, in 2015. Dr Hancock graduated summa cum laude from Saint George’s Medical School. He has worked with Anthroposophic Medicine for his entire professional career

Kristina Villa

Kristina Villa is the Co-Executive Director of The Farmers Land Trust. She is a farmer, communicator, and community coordinator who believes that our connection to the soil is directly related to the health of our bodies, economy, and society.

Steve Diver

Steve Diver is the Farm Superintendent at the Horticulture Research Farm, University of Kentucky. He has worked as Extension Horticulturist, farm manager, and soils consultant since 1984, including 18 years as an agriculture specialist with ATTRA.

Shabari Bird

Shabari is a passionate, inspiring, brilliant woman with a heart of generosity and compassion. Her lifetime devotion is to living in remembrance of the Sacredness of Life, of breath, of water, of soil, of our atmosphere.

Greg Brann

Greg Brann is an expert land manager, consulting farmers, ranchers, land preservation organizations, and public land managers. He has a BS in Plant and Soil Science and extensive experience as the State Grazing Land Soil Health Specialist.

Hugh Williams

Hugh has been farming biodynamically for 50 years. With his wife Hanna, they own and operate Threshold Farm, now in its 30th year and coming ever closer to Steiner’s ideal of the closed (individualized) farm.

Eric Smith

​Eric Smith is a full time farmer and grazier in nearby Bugtussle who sometimes feels he has paid for the sins of a dozen men in regenerating a worn out tobacco farm. His passion-in-practice is increasing the life,
health, and beauty of the land with managed grazing of sheep and cattle.

Kenyon Keily

​Kenyon Keily, Herbalist, has studied and practiced natural therapies for over 40 years. He is deeply involved in Herbal Medicine and Food for Health. He is the owner and formulator of Medicinal Botanicals, and provide herbal remedies for all aspects of human health.

Jeff Poppen

​Jeff has been a farmer for over 50 years, raising vegetables and cattle in middle TN. He frequently speaks on Biodynamics and other topics, both locally and nationally. He has written numerous books and articles. His book, “Barefoot Biodynamics” was released by Chelsea Green this year.

Luke Frey

​Luke Frey is a leader in the Organic / Biodynamic wine movement in North America, having started the first certified Organic / Biodynamic vineyard, Frey Vineyards, in America. He is know for his dedication to producing high quality Biodynamic Preparations.

Dylan Kennedy

​Dylan Kennedy has spent over fifteen years in diversified farm management, spanning diverse locations, environments and enterprises. His work is molded by a passion for agroecology and a drive to build sustainable businesses and communities in tandem with regenerating ecosystems.

Coree Entwistle

Coree Entwistle is second generation back-to-the-lander, having called the Tennessee hills her home since she was an infant. As a teenager, she began to hang around Long Hungry Creek Farm, trying to figure out what all this thinking, feeling, and willing was about.

Derek Lawson

​Derek Lawson, Head Herdsman at Foxhollow Farm in Crestwood, KY, has been managing cattle since 2010. With a master’s degree in Animal Science from Murray State, his expertise in forages and grazing has been instrumental in nurturing Foxhollow’s 100% grassfed herd.