Regenerative Avocados, Citrus,
and Strawberries Conference
May 4 & 11, 2026
This two-day gathering, presented in partnership with EcoFarm, brings farmers, scientists, and community partners together to explore agriculture as a living ecology — where certified organic practice, regenerative outcomes, Indigenous stewardship, and the careful tending of water meet in relationship. Together, we will address the questions that sit at the edge of the future: how to remain viable, how to steward water wisely, how to support labor, and how to sustain farms across generations. In looking forward, we also look back — recognizing that many of the resilience practices needed today are rooted in the wisdom of those who have long worked in balance with the land.
Certified organic provides a trusted, regulated foundation for responsible production. Regenerative agriculture builds upon that foundation by focusing on outcomes: healthier soils, improved water retention, stronger ecosystems, and greater adaptability in times of uncertainty. True sustainability must also include the human dimensions of agriculture — fair labor, steady cash flow, and the ability to endure through long economic and environmental cycles. The resilience practices of the past, from Indigenous land stewardship to multigenerational farming knowledge, offer guidance for navigating what lies ahead.
Through field days, panels, and dialogue grounded in practice, participants will explore how water, soil, labor, markets, and certification systems function together within a dynamic ecology. The aim is to create space for honest questions about the future while learning from the adaptive strategies that have carried farming communities through change before.
May 4th will focus on Avocados and Citrus and May 11th will focus on Strawberries. Registration is $75 for one day or $140 for both days,
with lunch included each day.
Featured Speakers
Dr. Jonathan Lundgren
Dr. Lundgren is an agroecologist, executive director of Ecdysis Foundation, and CEO for Blue Dasher Farm in South Dakota. Lundgren’s research and education programs are helping applied science evolve in ways that foster the evolution of a regenerative food system. Through his Thousand Farms Initiative research project, his priorities is to re-envision how science is conducted to help fuel a revolution in regenerative agriculture.
Founder & Director of Ecdysis Foundation
Hamutahl Cohen
Hamutahl Cohen is responsible for developing research and extension programs around key pests in Ventura County. She works in both natural and agricultural systems on a myriad of pest issues, including studying the biology of novel pests, monitoring pesticide resistance, and evaluating biological and cultural control methods. Prior to joining UCANR, Hamutahl studied how agricultural practices influence beneficial insects for her Ph.D. at UC Santa Cruz and her postdoc at UC Riverside. Throughout her career she has shared her research in peer-reviewed manuscripts, at academic conferences, and through extension materials.
Entomology Advisor at UCANR
Faculty member in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly PomonaElizabeth Scordato
Elizabeth Scordato received her B.Sc. from Duke University and her Ph.D. at University of Chicago, where she studied population divergence in greenish warblers. Her lab currently investigates the effects of anthropogenic activity, including agriculture, on the behavior, ecology, and evolution of birds. Dr. Scordato focuses on birds and has led research expeditions studying barn swallows to Russia, China, Mongolia, Egypt, Morocco, and most recently to Malaysia, Japan and Fiji. She brings this international experience to study bird dynamics in Southern California farming systems.
Assistant Professor at Cal Poly Pomona of Biological SciencesRachel Blakey
Rachel Blakey received her Ph.D. from University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Rachel is an ecologist who studies how disturbance such as fire, urbanization, and agriculture influences the behavior of highly mobile predators (bats, owls, raptors, mountain lions). She uses this knowledge to work with natural resource partners to improve the way we conserve and coexist with wildlife. Blakey is committed to science outreach and providing opportunities to interact with the natural world to underserved communities.
Soils, Water, and Subtropical Crops Advisor for UCANR, Ventura & Santa Barbara CountiesBen Faber
Ben Faber’s degrees are in pomology, irrigation and soil fertility and works primarily in horticulture as it relates to avocado, citrus and other subtropical tree crops grown in Southern California. For the last 30 years, he has worked with others on the integrated disease management of avocado, developing chemical, biological and management practices to successfully grow this crop. Phytophthora root rot was noted as “Avocado Decline” up until the 1940s; the decline has impacted avocado production worldwide. The disease has finally been brought under control here in California and the techniques developed here have been adopted around the world.
Owner of JAS Family Farms OrganicTony Serrano
Tony Serrano was born in Jalisco, Mexico. At 3 years of age, he was brought to the U.S. and was then reared in the strawberry fields until his teenage years. His dislike for the hard and back breaking work of picking strawberries day in and day out led to his eagerness to learn all other aspects of the farming operation so he would not have to do the mundane work of harvesting only. In August 2014, Tony started JAS Family Farms Organics. Its inception was a result of the want to pass on knowledge, skills, and moreover, the work ethics to the next generation. Tony hopes JAS will help his children and employees learn how to subsist from the land in a world of technology and disconnect from the source of our foods.
Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz
Water Quality Program Manager at the California Marine Sanctuary FoundationJazmine Mejia-Muñoz is a Water Quality Program Manager at the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, currently detailed to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). There she implements innovative solutions to critical issues affecting the interface of land and marine resources, through stakeholder engagement and education. As part of her interdisciplinary approach, she has participated in rangeland restoration efforts, through the Healthy Soils Program. She works to demonstrate that land-based practices can improve ocean health by reducing atmospheric carbon and diminishing the rate of ocean acidification and warming. In an effort to reduce land to sea marine debris sources, Jazmine leads collaborative efforts to find end-of-life solutions for agricultural field plastics.
Founder of East End EdenConnor Jones
Connor Jones is the founder of East End Eden a 10 acre Permaculture demonstration site in Ojai, CA. From a young age he has been dedicated to a having a beneficial and reverent relationship with the living world. He is a teacher, consultant, and practitioner of permaculture and the ancestral arts and skills that help to maintain earth and the human spirit. He encourages people to be taught by the Trees, find their way in the Water, and seek solutions from the Soil.
Phil McGrath
Owner of McGrath Family FarmMcGrath Family Farm is a fourth generation family farm in Southern California, Certified Organic since 1995. The farm provides educational tours and participates in Ag in the Classroom, bringing local produce and informative lessons to local classrooms. McGrath Farm sells to many of the finest restaurants in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The farm also runs a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program ten months of the year, with a growing number of members. McGrath Farm sells at eight local Farmer’s Markets, and have close relationships with the market managers and other local farms. The farm regularly donates produce and time to various causes and events, including our weekly excess harvest to Food Share.
Tina Morris Thomson’s career spans global diplomacy, brand marketing, and, most recently, farming and land conservation. After earning degrees in Spanish and International Relations from the University of Southern California, she began her career as an envoy liaison during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, then She has served in the U.S. Department of State and the White House, led PR for Origins Natural Resources at The Estée Lauder Companies, and founded her own communications agency, leading global strategies for over 30 years.
In 2021, Tina returned to her hometown of Fillmore, California, to co-lead Rancho Dos Hermanas, the 500-acre ranch she and her sister reclaimed from their family estate. Together, they are transforming the land into a model for sustainable farming and conservation, including the development of a Mitigation Bank to protect sensitive ecosystems and species. For Tina, this return marks a meaningful full-circle moment—bringing her global experience back to her roots. Rancho Dos Hermanas reflects her ongoing commitment to sustainability, education, and community stewardship, and the rare privilege of building a lasting legacy alongside her sister.
Laurie Morris Smith’s journey began growing up on a small ranch in Fillmore, California, where her family’s ranch upbringing instilled a lifelong love of creativity, caring for others, animals, and Mother Earth. After decades away exploring diverse careers and raising her own family, she full circled back to her heart and roots, returning to her family’s hometown and ranch. Laurie earned a degree in Communications/Public Relations from the University of Southern California and built a multifaceted career, including hosting a morning talk show for NBC affiliate KNDU, working as an Account Executive at Stafford Advertising, and later earning a degree in Early Childhood Development to teach Preschool and Spanish at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.
Today, Laurie co-owns and operates Rancho Dos Hermanas with her sister, Tina, where they are reclaiming their family’s land as a living model of regenerative farming, habitat conservation, and community-centered sustainability. Guided by compassion, patience, and deep family values, Laurie brings a grounding presence to the ranch, nurturing both the land and the lives it touches. She envisions Rancho Dos Hermanas as a place where young people can learn about Mother Earth, wildlife can thrive, and nature is honored and protected for generations to come.
Tina Morris Thomson
Co-Owner of Rancho Dos HermanasLaurie Morris Thomson
Co-Owner of Rancho Dos Hermanas
