Speakers and Panelists, 2025 California Soil Health Field Days

Alejandro Carrillo is a fourth-generation rancher in the Chihuahuan desert. Rainfall on his property rarely goes beyond 9 inches of rain per year. The ongoing drought in this region pushed him to find a better way to ranch so he took his first Holistic grazing management class back in 2005. From then on, he has traveled and learned from the best regenerative ranchers around the world. Through trial and error, he adapted these learning experiences to his brittle environment. Today Alejandro carries more than three times the cattle than neighboring ranches on a per-acre basis, while lowering his inputs substantially.

Alejandro’s ranch, Las Damas(opens in new window), has been part of multiple documentaries and studies focused on regenerative ranching such as "Sacred Cow", "To Which We Belong", and "Water in Plain Sight". Alejandro also established a solid relationship with bird conservation organizations 10 years ago, working closely with both Mexican and US organizations to protect migratory birds.

Today, Alejandro assists ranchers and institutions on regenerative practices mainly across the Western USA, but also in South America. He also participates as a delegate to the United Nations to combat desertification and land degradation in multiple countries.

Alejandro's keynote talk will detail the strategies he uses to manage land and cattle in sync with nature. It will include the importance of nurturing the "micro-herd" underground, cattle selection, nurturing abundant perennial grasslands and forbs, where to prioritize investments for the best ROI, water infrastructure, and rewilding.

Later in the day, he will  demonstrate how to assess existing rangeland conditions on a ranch site.

Whitney Brim-DeForest is the UCCE Rice and Wild Rice Advisor for Sutter, Yuba, Placer, and Sacramento counties(opens in new window) (since 2016). She holds a M.S. in International Agricultural Development and a PhD in Horticulture and Agronomy from the University of California, Davis. She also holds a dual BA in Biology and Music from Brown University. Whitney has been working in rice for close to 20 years, with her research and extension activities focusing primarily on the identification and management of weeds in rice and wild rice systems. Recently, her research has expanded to match the needs of California rice growers, with several projects focusing on reduced tillage systems, cover cropping, crop rotation in annual crops, and hedgerows. Prior to joining the University of California, she was a Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer with the United States Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa, where she served three years, working in community development and annual cropping systems. In addition to her Advisor role, she currently teaches at California State University-Chico in the Plant Sciences Department, allowing her to mentor undergraduate and graduate students.

Whitney's talk will cover the cultural and environmental background of rice production in California, and how it has shaped the current production system. It will highlight several recent research collaborative projects and the costs and benefits of each system, including cover cropping, hedgerows, and reduced tillage systems.

Tyler Dawley says he is a guy who has lived in one spot his entire life—Big Bluff Ranch(opens in new window), the family ranch. Since he was a kid, driving the ranch truck looking through (not over) the steering wheel, he has found purpose and passion in working with the land and animals. Since 2000, he has been driving innovations on the ranch. Everything from farmer's markets to grass-fed beef to pasture poultry to direct marketing over the internet. Currently, Big Bluff Ranch is one of the largest producers of organic, pasture-raised, no corn/soy chicken on the West Coast. While raising the 4th generation of Dawleys on the ranch, Tyler knows way more about raising chickens on pasture than a normal person should. Ask him what's going on and the answer is always the same: "just raising chickens and kids."

Tyler's presentation will be about how they made the transition from a small operation processing on the farm and selling at farmers markets to a high 6-figure commercial operation selling up and down the West Coast. That transition included infrastructure for the birds, processing options in CA, and learning what markets work and don't work. Also, he will cover how the chickens have fit into their overall ranching operation with topics like rangeland compost applications and cover cropping.

Brian Ellis is the Director of Origination and Customer Success at Regenified(opens in new window), driving the growth of certified regenerative grain and pastured protein programs for today’s farmers and ranchers. Brian is a lifelong Kansan and cattleman whose roots in sustainable agriculture trace back to the 1990s. In 2016, his wife’s bout with cancer and their investigation into its causes led them to take a deeper look at regenerative agriculture and ways to produce more nutrient-dense and cleaner food. Soon after, Brian transitioned to working in the regenerative space to align his personal values and career goals with the movement to prioritize resilient farming and healthier food chains. He’s comfortable asking the hard questions and challenging the status quo, and passionate about helping producers get recognized and rewarded for the impact they are making on their land to improve soil health.

Regenified was founded by pioneers of regenerative agriculture and soil health. Their regenerative certification framework is based on measurement of practices and outcomes backed by science through extensive on-field and in-lab testing and data collection. It allows farmers to adopt and scale regenerative practices confidently and enables Regenified to measure, verify, and validate their efforts appropriately.

Benjamin Fahrer  is the Project Manager for Regenerative Organic Learning Centers(opens in new window). He has over 25 years of organic farming experience and is specialized in designing and building integrated ecological farming systems as a contractor and consultant. He has brought innovation to urban agriculture by designing, building and operating highly productive integrated urban rooftop farming systems in the SF Bay area. He is deeply committed to building these ecosystems in service to nature and community and is excited to work with our Regenerative Organic Learning Center farms to highlight their work and building alliances within their bioregions.

The Regenerative Organic Alliance(opens in new window) (ROA) is a nonprofit organization made up of experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare, and worker fairness that oversees the Regenerative Organic Certified® label. ROA promotes farming practices that restore and build soil, ensure animal welfare, and end unfair conditions for farmers and farmworkers. Regenerative Organic Certified® is a certification for food, textiles, and personal care ingredients.

Erika Foster is Point Blue Conservation Science(opens in new window)s Director of Soil Research and Conservation, where she leads a team of scientists and practitioners to foster land and natural resource stewardship. Her work includes overseeing efforts to monitor rangeland carbon for ecosystem services, including protocol design and data analysis. Erika also specializes in the impact of organic amendments, such as biochar and manure, on soil carbon sequestration and microbial nutrient cycling.

Over the past few years Point Blue Conservation Science has convened scientists, farmers and ranchers from over 30 organizations to collaboratively develop a practical and flexible framework for monitoring carbon on working lands. The Ag-C Monitoring Program builds on Point Blue’s nearly 10 years of experience leading the Rangeland Monitoring Network on ranches across California. This presentation will feature the key considerations for monitoring carbon in rangelands, including an explanation of the Rangeland Carbon Monitoring Program (Range-C) and opportunities to get involved.

Wendell was born and raised in Northern California on a fourth-generation family farm in eastern San Joaquin County. Heavily influenced by Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, he began his career with the USDA Soil Conservation Service (now Natural Resources Conservation Service) in 1977 as a Soil Scientist. Then for nearly twenty years, he worked as Field Conservationists in Northwestern Nevada and Northern California.

He was Wildlife Biologist for the NRCS Wildlife Habitat Management Institute as well as adjunct professor at Colorado State University and as NRCS California State Biologist. For the final years of his NRCS career he served as the West Region Wildlife Biologist in Portland, Oregon and NRCS National Wildlife Biologist in Washington D.C.

In June 2011, he retired from a 34-year career with NRCS and transitioned to work with the PRBO Conservation Science (now Point Blue Conservation Science) to initially direct their Rangeland Watershed Initiative which is an effort to place, train, and manage partner biologists to help deliver USDA Farm Bill Programs on private land and cultivate Leopoldian Land Stewards through their Working Lands Initiative. He retired from Point Blue at the end of 2020. He stays active by continued training and mentoring Point Blue Partner Biologists, as a private consultant, as a Board Member for Wild Farm Alliance, Science Advisory Member for Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and Member of CalCAN Science and Technical Advisory Council. He is also an instructor in the CRARS Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program(opens in new window).

Wendell will be facilitating a discussion on regenerative grazing strategies and doing demos on how to read a landscape.

Dr. David M. Hassenzahl is currently dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Interim Dean of the College of Agriculture at Chico State.

Brian Herbert is a proud Modoc and Paiute Indian, enrolled in the Klamath Tribes of Southern Oregon. Born and raised in Klamath Falls, he now serves as the Homelands Manager for the Modoc Nation(opens in new window), representing the descendants of his Modoc ancestors who were forcibly removed to Oklahoma following the Modoc War of 1872-73. Brian and his wife reside on Modoc Homelands along the Lost River in Merrill, Oregon, where they are raising seven children and have one grandchild. Before his role with the Modoc Nation, Brian gained experience as a yard manager at a local pallet mill and worked as a mechanic at a golf course, showcasing his dedication to both his community and family heritage. 

He and Ken Sandusky will be presenting on their regenerative work with the Modoc Nation Homelands Program. The program's mission is to help reconnect all Modoc Peoples to the lands their ancestors cared for since time immemorial and provide that same stewardship to benefit all Homelands residents and future generations.

Doug has an extensive farming background growing up in an agriculture community in Imperial Valley.  He has an in-depth knowledge of agronomic practices ranging from seed production to transplants, with experience in a wide range of commodities.  Early in his career he managed a commercial greenhouse operation focused on producing high quality vegetable transplants.  Later he ran a native seed operation in the Central Valley focused on developing local ecotypes for SJV. 

Doug recently joined Lockwood Seed & Grain to support business development as they continue to expand their supply of cover crop seed and specialty pollinator mixes. "I'm excited to help support landowners support regenerative practices including beneficial pollinator habitat, solar vegetation and healthy soils."

Curt Josiassen's family has been producing rice for five generations. Today Curt does it organically and has been transitioning to regenerative practices. His farm is participating in the CRARS Soil Carbon Accrual research project.

Tim LaSalle has served as the first CEO of Rodale Institute, Executive Director of the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management, consultant, advisor, and research coordinator for the Howard Buffett Foundation in Africa on soils and food security for smallholder farmers. He is Professor Emeritus of California Polytechnic State University, and former President/CEO, of the California Agriculture Leadership Program where he arranged educational leadership programs in more than 80 countries with heads of state, ministers, and community leaders. Tim is one of the CRARS co-founders.

Sarah Light(opens in new window) is an Agronomy Farm Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension. Based in Yuba City, CA, her research and extension program in the Sacramento Valley focuses on field crop production and management strategies to build and maintain soil health in annual cropping systems.

Almonds are grown throughout California's Central Valley, in areas where alfalfa is also grown. With increasing limitations on burning orchard by-products, some alfalfa growers have been applying almond shell mulch to their fields. Sarah will be reporting on the initial research findings investigating the impacts of this approach.

Brian Lohse specializes in field seeds and cover crops at Lockwood Seed & Grain in Willows, CA.  His 30 years of seed experience covers fields from California to Oregon and Nevada.  As crop rotations have changed through the years; farmers are always looking at ways to improve soil health, maximize water efficiency, and increase crop yield.  Brian has a series of real-world pictures that can help growers plant, establish, and terminate better cover crops.  In addition to helping farmers, Brian also farms walnuts with his family and has a small almond orchard where he utilizes many of the practices he talks about.

As the manager of the historic 11,500-acre Rancho Cienega Del Gabilan(opens in new window), located on the northern ridge of the Gabilan Mountain Range in California, my main objective is to maintain healthy grassland ecosystems through the use of domestic grazers. We work in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, with whom we have a conservation easement, to manage the ranch for positive ecological outcomes. By bringing back a pastoral way of life that moves with nature, we hope to nourish ourselves with nutrient-dense food that these grasslands create.

Greg Richardson joined RegenScore(opens in new window) in Nov. 2023 to facilitate the development of scoring adaptations that apply to specific cropping systems and regions. Greg has a M. Sc. in soil science and agroecology from the U. of Wisconsin and recently worked for five years at Paicines Ranch in San Benito County in a research and agronomic role. He now splits his time, also supporting soil initiatives at Point Blue Conservation Science.

RegenScore^TM is a unified, adaptive framework that recognizes and integrates all approaches to regenerative transition, monitoring and verification. Rather than prescribing practices or monitoring/verification approaches, RegenScore^TM asks what a grower is doing to implement regenerative principles and monitor outcomes in their unique context and assigns numerical values based on their appropriateness, efficacy, rigor, and/or level of certainty. Their scoring framework is designed to be adapted to new regions and production systems to ensure appropriate scalability.

Pedro Rioseco's background is in Agronomic Engineering and Innovation. His early work was in plant breeding and understanding selection of better plants based on their genetics. Later he moved on to organic production of grains and working with small acreage growers to improve socio-agricultural systems. Then, he specialized in organic blueberry production using intensive nutrient management at a solution level as you would see in hydroponic systems. Afterwards, he initiated a search for a more complete biological system and ways to work alongside nature to improve performance, resilience and increase life in an agro-eco-system. He worked in the wine industry managing vineyards where he initiated a journey in regeneration and took a first glimpse at the key roles that nutrition and biology play as keystones holding all the answers together. Now, he is one of the lead agronomists for Advancing Eco Agriculture(opens in new window) where he specializes in plant nutrition and soil health and helps growers around the world to achieve their goals of regenerating their land, increasing resilience, and improving quality, while fostering life.

During his presentation, he plans to talk about the Rhizophagy Cycle and how plants obtain nutrients efficiently in nature; the resilience of a regenerative system (including water efficiency use, access to water through microbes, water infiltration and gas exchange, aggregation of soil and soil structure, etc); and the key foundational role that balanced nutrition plays in the health of a plant and its ability to resist diseases and insects.

Ken Sandusky was born into a timber family and raised in and around Klamath Falls, Oregon. He is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma but spent all his life in the Modoc Homelands in Southern Oregon and Northern California. Attending the oldest grade school in Oregon, he learned everything he could about the Modocs in Oklahoma, feeling a sense of connection as a member of a forcefully removed Oklahoma Tribe. The Modoc Nation recruited him into their service after working with him as the Public Affairs Staff Officer and Tribal Liaison on the Modoc National Forest. He has also been a wildland firefighter, goat rancher, sawyer, and resort guest services manager. He is now the Modoc Nation(opens in new window) Homelands Director, managing ~4,000 acres of sage-steppe ranchlands, facilitating government-to-government Consultation, participating in innovative collaborative partnerships, and generally working to restore ecologic and economic resilience across the Modoc Homelands.

He and Brian Herbert will be presenting on their regenerative work with the Modoc Nation Homelands Program. The program's mission is to help reconnect all Modoc Peoples to the lands their ancestors cared for since time immemorial and provide that same stewardship to benefit all Homelands residents and future generations.

Wynette grew up on a family farm in Yuma Arizona, which at that time was primarily conventionally grown cotton. Her undergrad degree was in Plant Pathology and she earned her Masters from UC Davis in Integrated Pest Management. Upon graduation, she was hired as a UC Farm Advisor in Sacramento County, through which she met her husband, Ed Sills, who was an organic farmer in Sutter County. Married in 1988, together they have raised three children and grow organic rice, popcorn, wheat, beans, and other grain crops on over 3,000 acres. Wynette was a full-time mom and then a community service volunteer, but came back to the farm full-time in 2022 with a special interest in promoting regenerative practices at Pleasant Groves Farms(opens in new window), their family farm.

Wynette's presentation will cover a variety of regenerative practices used on their diversified rice/beans/corn organic/regenerative operation with a special focus on habitat restoration.

Dale Tyson is the co-founder of HayDay Farms(opens in new window) in Blythe, CA, a family run-operation that is one of the largest hay producers and exporters in Southern California. HayDay has been working with CRARS and the Metropolitan Water District to transition to regenerative practices as part of long-term study researching how those practices affect water use and efficiency. They use multispecies cover crops and no-till practices with very positive effects for decreasing water use while increasing yield and profitability.