Attend the Cultivating Change Summit
The purpose of the Cultivating Change Summit is to bring together LGBTQ+ individuals connected to agriculture, natural resources, and food systems, along with employees, human resources and diversity and inclusion professionals, employee resource group leaders, executives, organizational leaders, allies, and others who are working toward creating an equitable industry environment for LGBTQ+ people.
Connect with LGBTQ+ leaders and allies in food and agriculture for three days of inspiration, learning, and community. Be part of the movement to cultivate a more inclusive and vibrant future—register today!
2025 Summit Hotel Block
Embassy Suites by Hilton - Portland Downtown
319 SW Pine Street
Portland, OR 97204
Reservations at the Embassy Suites include a full breakfast for conference guests. The hotel block closes on September 14th!
Tour Options
Following the conclusion of the 2025 Cultivating Change Summit, we are excited to offer attendees the option to register for some additional tours to explore Oregon agriculture.
You can register for tours during the registration process, and options include:
Explore Oregon Agriculture: Visit the North Willamette Research and Extension Center located on 160 acres just south of Portland. The staff serve farmers across seven counties and focus their research and education on the region’s most important crop systems: nurseries and greenhouses, fresh vegetable and seed crops, berries and small fruit, Christmas trees, orchard crops, field crops, and small farms.
Oregon's Wine Country Tasting Experience: Spend Tuesday afternoon before heading to the airport in Oregon's beautiful wine country for an afternoon of an exceptional wine tasting experience at Remy Wines.
Speakers
Unlock your full potential by embracing six principles that pave the way to a legendary life. No matter what walk of life you are from, learn to embrace authenticity and fearlessly pursue your unique dreams by tapping into your inner cowgirl or cowboy. Globally, 900 million individuals across 142 countries feel unfulfilled in their daily lives, as reported by Forbes. A mere 25% claim to understand their life's purpose. Are you content with being another statistic, or do you yearn for something more? With this unique mindset, you hold the power to transform your life indefinitely.
Courtenay embraces her unique cowgirl roots and proudly stands out in a world of cookie cutter on-camera personalities. Armed with a passion to share stories on her own terms and give prominence to the agriculture community, Courtenay has utilized her expert storytelling skills to show being a cowgirl or cowboy, isn't how you look, where you live or even the lifestyle you lead. It's a state of mind. She is a strong agriculture advocate and has taught tens of thousands in the industry the importance of sharing their story in order to bridge the disconnect between rural and urban communities.
Keynote | Courtenay DeHoff
Live Legendary: Unleash Your Inner Cowgirl or Cowboy
Enrichment Facilitator | Trey Elizando, Cargill
Trey Elizondo serves as Senior Manager of Global Policy & Strategy at Cargill, where he helps lead strategic advocacy and policy efforts worldwide. With a background in legislative work and a lifelong passion for agriculture, Trey is known for bridging grassroots experience with global impact. A former FFA National Officer and Texas A&M alum, he now lives in Washington, D.C. with his partner and their two dogs.
Emcee | Rod Snyder, Junction Strategies, LLC
Rod Snyder is the Principal and Founder of Junction Strategies and former Senior Advisor for Agriculture at the U.S. EPA. With over 20 years of leadership at the intersection of agriculture, environment, and sustainability, Rod brings a deep commitment to inclusive dialogue and climate-forward solutions. He’s also the co-founder of the Sustainable Agriculture Summit and a longtime advocate for farmer-driven change. Rod lives on his family farm in West Virginia.
PowerTalks
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Dr. Leo Taylor
No Shame in These Roots: Cultivating Trans Joy by Celebrating Every Season
Dr. Leo Taylor unearths the roots of trans shame and calls for its composting, inviting trans people to embrace their wholeness and challenging allies to dismantle transphobia at its core.
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Devin Kuhn
Imperfect Conditions: The Case for Imperfect Allyship
Devin shares his journey as a queer farmer and DEI advocate, reminding us that allyship—like farming—doesn't need perfect conditions to take root and make change.
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Rob Larew
The Strength In Our Story
A powerful reflection on the progress we've made, the community we've built, and the future we're shaping together.
Fireside Chats
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Risk, Reward and Real Allyship
In food and agriculture, real allyship is a collective effort. This conversation explores how LGBTQ+ community members and allies can stand together, share the risks, and work toward a future where everyone belongs.
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Policy in Practice: How Federal Action is Shaping LGBTQ+ Lives in Food & Ag
Federal policy is shifting fast, and it’s shaping the lives of LGBTQ+ people in food, agriculture, and natural resources. Join national policy leaders for a candid conversation on the latest developments, their real-world impact, and how our community can respond.
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Building Belonging: How Student Orgs are Shaping the Future of Food & Ag
Student organizations are shaping the future of our sector and creating pathways for every student to belong. In this student-led conversation, leaders will share how they’re supporting LGBTQ+ students and how we all play a role in building inclusive, thriving careers.
Workshops
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Beth Stebbins
Director of Sustainability, Scoular
Rural ERG Engagement: Common Challenges and New Strategies
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Allison Cloo
Founder, Lane Works LLC
Whose Lane Is It Anyway? Best Practices for Navigating Ally-ship
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Traci Via
Vice President of Development and Alumni, Agriculture Future of America
Find JOY in Your Genius. Love Your Work. Ditch the Burnout
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Krista Soda
Sr. Consultant, Nationwide Agribusiness
From Red to Green: Your AI Comfort Zone
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Kyle Bell
Knowledge Exchange Specialist, Farm Credit East
Pride & Professionalism: Navigating Your LGBTQ+ Identity at Work
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Lex Hall, Ed.S.
Extension Assistant II
Supporting LGBTQ+ Students in Food & Agriculture
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Katelyn Bledsoe
Graduate Assistant
Supporting LGBTQ+ Students in Food & Agriculture
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Nadia Tippett
Extension Graduate Student Assistant
Supporting LGBTQ+ Students in Food & Agriculture
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Tyler Young
ED&I Generalist - North America
Where we all Grow: Exploring Intersectionality in LGBTQ+ Lived Experiences
These leaders and partners join together to share strategies and best practices to create a community inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions within the food, fiber, and natural resources industry through workshops, expert panels, networking mixers, and keynotes from prominent agriculture LGBTQ+ and ally industry leaders
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Farmers and Ranchers
Human Resources
Executives
Employee Resource Groups
Organizations and Societies
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Cooperative Extension Agents
State and Regional Agricultural Education professionals
Leaders in educational organizations and societies
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College of Agricultural and Life Sciences undergraduate and graduate students
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Food and Ag leaders who are allies of the LGBTQ+ community
Friends and family of LGBTQ+ people in food and agriculture
Unique and elevated professional development opportunities
Network with a purpose and expand your human capital
Collaborate and share best practices for solving problems facing the industry
Activate with tools and resources to take back and implement in your community
