SPEAKER DETAILS
SARA PATTERSON
Sara Patterson, owner, farmer, chef, advocate, public speaker, dreamer and doer, started her first CSA at just 14 years old and now owns and operates Red Acre Farm CSA—a thriving, biodiverse, two-acre biodynamic farm in Cedar City, Utah. The farm includes a farm stand, a farm kitchen and a farm stay. Together with her mother, Sara also co-founded the Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting small farms and food producers across Utah. Since 2015, she has successfully championed twenty-two pieces of legislation, advancing the rights of small-scale farmers and artisan producers—including a landmark raw milk bill that expanded access to local raw milk through a herdshare program. The Center hosts the Utah Farm and Food Conference, now in its tenth year, which brings together farmers, producers, advocates and food lovers from across the state. Sara is passionate about empowering others to grow food, start businesses and build more resilient, nutrient-dense local food systems.
PRESENTATION
NOURISHING THE FUTURE: INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION OF FOOD ADVOCATES
FRI, OCT 17 AT 1:45 PM
Sara Patterson likes to call herself a "Weston A. Price kid", grateful for her parents who dared to question the status quo. Their bold choices—home birth, opting out of vaccinations, breastfeeding, avoiding fluoride, drinking raw milk and choosing organic food—have profoundly shaped Sara's health and inspired her life's work. Now, at thirty, she is a passionate advocate for state and federal legislation that expands access to the food we choose. She has successfully run an organic and biodynamic farm for sixteen years.
She finds herself pondering why some young people seem to struggle with valuing food and often rebel against their upbringing. Sara is concerned about the next generation's connection to nutrition and local farming. How can we inspire young mothers, children and emerging farmers to join the movement? She will share her story and offer suggestions based on her own experience as a young farmer and advocate. Let's work together to nourish our communities for future generations!