1:30-4:00pm

Afternoon Chats & Activities

The Water Conservation Garden

Join us for a morning reflection and dialogue on Nourishment, this year's theme for the Annual Gathering. As the world around us falls apart and we fight for our survival, what does it truly mean to nourish ourselves and one another? Speakers will share stories of life, love, and healing. They will weave threads that link food, connection, and community to nourishment and collective liberation.

Healing Our Waterways, Healing Ourselves: A Conversation on Water, Land, and Belonging in the Tijuana River Valley

  • The Tijuana River Valley is the largest coastal wetland in Southern California. For decades, we have destroyed lands, watersheds, and ecosystems in the name of population growth and human consumption. The crisis in the Tijuana River Valley is about more than climate change and poor infrastructure — it's a crisis rooted in disconnection. Join us for a conversation that will explore our relationship to watersheds, highlight the impact of the Tijuana River Valley crisis on local communities and farmers, and uplift stories for how to nourish the waterways that nourish us.

    • Bobby Wallace, Barona Band of Mission Indians

    • Robin Taylor, Sun Grown Organics & Co-Founder of Suzie's Farm

    • Sara González Olachea, Tijuana based advocate and activist

    • Waylon Matson, 4Walls International

    • Ramon Chairez, 4Walls International (Facilitator)

Stories of nourishment: a conversation with those who grow, catch, and prepare the food we share

  • The people who nourish us—small farms, fisheries, and food businesses—are the lifeblood of every community. Their work is invisible, yet essential. We know that a diverse, resilient, and thriving local food system is not possible without them. Join us to learn more about the people who feed us, their work, their challenges, and their sources of nourishment. Together, we'll reflect on what it will take to build a more nourished, connected, and vibrant region.

    Local farmers, fishermen, and food business owners work every day to nourish our communities. But who and what nourishes them? Join us for a collaborative, fishbowl-style* conversation exploring what drew them to this work, what sustains them through its hardest seasons, and what they need to thrive into the future. We'll dig into the real challenges facing food system workers, and the sources of resilience and community that keep them going. Together we'll listen, ask questions, and reflect on what it will take to build a stronger, more supportive local food system..

    * This afternoon chat is set up in a circle format that leaves open seats for additional voices to join in. Farmers, fishermen, and food business owners in attendance are invited to take a seat at the table and join the conversation.

    • In development

    • Hanna Schuler and Connie Winterstein, San Diego Food System Alliance (Facilitators)

Nourishing the Next Generation: A Space for Seeding Connections and Hope

  • The future of our food system is taking root in classrooms, school gardens, and the hands of youth learning to care for the land. Join us to explore how connection to food and land is shaping how young people understand themselves, their communities, and their future. This is a space for hope as much as strategy. Come ready to listen, reflect, and consider the role each of us plays in nourishing those who will carry this work forward.

    • Amanda Subish and Adam Uribe, Pauma School

    • Janelle Manzano, SDUSD

    • Christina Abuelo, Barrio Botany

    • Jeni Barajas, Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center (Facilitator)

Post-Event Mixer

4:00 to 5:00pm | Amphitheater

In partnership with B Local San Diego and Business for Good San Diego

Close out the day in community at the post-event mixer! Enjoy appetizers featuring local fish, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and live music. This is your space to make connections, celebrate our collective work, and dance the night away.

Live music provided by Giovanni Mejia @tiogiomusic
Food generously donated by Super Cocina @supercocinasd
Beverages generously donated by @athelticbrewingco @boochcraft @oneillwines

P.S. We will be raffling off goodies from some of San Diego’s purpose driven businesses!