Speakers & Sessions | Online - Winter Season 2024-2025

Keynote | Latrice Tatsey (In-niisk-ka-mah-kii)

Rancher, cultural land ecologist, and Piikani leader, Latrice is an advocate for tribally-directed bison restoration who remains active in her family’s cattle ranching operation at Blackfeet Nation in northwest Montana. Her research focuses on organic matter and carbon in soil, and specifically, the benefits to soil from the reintroduction of bison (iin-ni) to their traditional grazing landscapes on the Blackfeet Nation. Latrice previously worked for Pikuni Lodge Health Institute where she worked with cattle producers on grazing practices that are influenced by cultural science and cultural relationships with the land, and now carries out this work as American Indian Tribal Liaison/Conservationist-Blackfeet, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Track No. 1: Focusing on Nutrition for Generational Well-being

• The Role of Local Food Nutrition in Generational Well-being.  This interactive session unpacks our childrens’ diet and meal resources today vs 50 years ago, and the long-term impact of health-extractive foods vs health-giving foods on their developing mental, physical and emotional health, as well as their future well-being as productive adults. 
• CASE STUDY: Prairie Grass Ranch and Gruff Grains: what health-giving food can mean for whole family health & well-being. In this interactive session, Crystal and Jody Manuel share the personal drivers behind their choices to transition their farm and ranch to regenerative organic practices and holistic herd management; the impact of these choices on their family, business, and community health and well-being, and what is unfolding in the wake of making the choice to launch GRUFF Ancient Grain Grits as a product in the world. 
• The Economic Impact of Prioritizing Health-Giving Food Production and What it Could Mean for MT Food Growers If We Work Out the Kinks. This session explores the real economic potential to Montana producers and local economies by clearing the pinch points to local market access for Montana-grown whole food products. What are the economic impacts of increasing our local food sales to 33%, and what is in the way of reaching that goal? 

Track No. 2: Sustainable Energy and Food Production – what does success look like moving forward?

• 50 years of sustainable energy and food production in MT: Applying lessons learned in a time of changing climates. Reflections by members of AERO’s Energy Task Force,  AERO’s Ag Task Force, Repowering Montana co-authors, and MREA (2 sessions)
• What It Means To Be a Good Ancestor: informing our decisions and actions for future generations. Join Lisa Smith from Pull Together Now, John Brown, and Steve Held in a dialogue on how to consciously include consideration of future generational well-being in our decision-making process as individuals, families, communities, and enterprises.
• Exxon-Mobil’s Snowy River Project: Big energy and the allure of “carbon sequestration”. Northern Plains Resource Council .The Snowy River carbon dioxide (CO2) project proposes drilling a series of deep wells under state and federal public land in Carter County to inject 150 million tons of CO2 emissions from Wyoming-based natural gas plants “deep underground, permanently preventing it from entering the atmosphere.” Northern Plains Resource Council leads the conversation on the impacts authorizing this first “geologic carbon sequestration” plan would have for the Native Range, the communities that live there, and the future of natural resource stewardship.
• CASE STUDY: Wickens Salt Creek Ranch (2024 Montana Leopold Conservation Awardee): developing the infrastructure for resilient, reliable, and sustainable production, sale, and delivery of quality food to Montana consumers. Eric Wickens shares the practices his family’s ranch has been implementing on their land and in their ranching and Wickens Ranch direct-to-consumer beef production operations to maximize their business’s long-term success, emphasizing diversity at all levels. These practices include dedicating a portion of their ranch to creating Montana’s first “Savory Hub”, a regenerative agricultural education center, joining a network of 50 such hubs across the globe.

Track No. 3: Tools for Community Engagement and Action

• WORKSHOP – Everyday Storytelling: building engagement through compelling conversations. Taught by Lara Tomov, STORIES for ACTION.  Montana’s own Stories for Action is dedicated to sparking positive momentum through the power of storytelling. In addition to producing original video content and podcasts, director Lara Tomov also teaches everyday people how to articulate their priorities and values through storytelling, and communicate effectively as ambassadors, inviting positive calls to action. This workshop is for anyone wanting to improve their communication skills with neighbors, community groups, and policy makers.
• CASE STUDIES: Three Paths to Building Community Engagement. Reports from the MFEI community cohorts. Between 2022-2024, AERO’s Montana Food Economy Initiative (MFEI) has worked closely with stakeholders across the food system in three communities (greater Helena area, greater Billings area, Fort Belknap Reservation communities) to build local knowledge and resources for increasing community engagement with Montana-grown foods. Having now completed in-depth community food systems assessments in their respective communities, representatives from Helena, Fort Belknap and Billings share the projects they have designed as stakeholders to increase community engagement with local food in their regions.

— Helena: Creating the inaugural Helena’s Longest Table event and linking arms with Resilient Helena

— Fort Belknap: Community-supported geothermal greenhouse construction that builds local food resources and food sovereignty knowledge in other communities

— Billings: Promoting community engagement and education through a Billings Local Food Trail Map

• WORKSHOP – Speaking Up: Introvert-Friendly Tools for Effective Legislative Testimony and Action Today. Taught by Grow MT and Montana Farmers Union. The 2025 legislative session is around the corner, and with it the opportunity to speak up on what matters most to you. Representatives from Grow MT and Montana Farmers Union will take us through what effective legislative testimony and action looks like today, why it matters, and how to engage easily, especially when the process feels outside your comfort zone.

Track No. 4: Sustainable Health-Giving Food Access – what does success look like moving forward?

This track explores the nuances and layers embedded in the phrase “food access”. Topics to be unpacked include:

• Today, less than half of Montana’s population cooks from scratch. What does that mean for MT local food growers? How might we respond/adapt as consumers and producers?
• Getting Health-Giving Food into Rural Grocery Stores: distribution is multi-layered and nuanced. How can we respond/adapt?
• Why Teaching Youth How to Grow and Cook Food Matters. A look at programs and approaches that are making a difference and why.

Lodging

Hotels/Motels

Billings offers a wide assortment of affordable motels and hotels w/in a 10 min drive of Expo.  In 2024, the easiest option is to type in the Billings First Church address (310 N 27th St, Billings) on Google maps and then type in “Hotel” in the “search along the route” pop-up at the top left of the map.  You’ll be surprised by the number of options that pop up!

Some recommended downtown options:

Northern Hotel –  19 North Broadway, Billings. tel. 406-867-6767

Best Western Plus Clocktower Inn – 2511 1st Avenue N, Billings. tel. 406-259-5511

Double Tree – 27 N. 27th Street, Billings.  tel. 406-252-7400

There are a large number of offerings through AirBnb and VRBO

Camping

Please contact these sites for pricing and to reserve your campsite in advance. These sites currently are listed as open the first weekend in October.

In Billings:

Billings KOA. Tents, campers,  RV, cabins.  547 Garden Avenue, Billings. tel. 1-800-562-8546

Yellowstone River Campground. Tents, campers & RV. 309 Garden Ave, Billings. tel. 406-259-0878

In Laurel: (18 miles/20 min from Expo venue)

Riverside Park.  Tent, campers & RV.  115 West 1st Street, Laurel.  tel. (406) 628-4796