Speaker Highlight: Sharon Oney, Garden Project Director / Destiny Durham, Garden Education Specialist

Kristine Reiner October 7, 2024 No Comments

Title: SOYL (Sowing Opportunities for Youth Leadership) Sustainable Agriculture Project

SOYL is a Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE)-funded project for youth in YFS’ Middle School Program. Participants studied sustainable agriculture through a series of class activities and field trips to local farms and ranches. The final project activity was to showcase their learning by teaching their younger peers at YFS’ Girls Inc. about a sustainable agriculture practice of their choice.

Sharon Oney is Chief Grants Officer and Garden Project Director at Youth & Family Services, Inc. (YFS) in Rapid City who is an enthusiastic gardener and beekeeper with a consuming interest in healthy foods. Destiny Durham has a degree in Environmental Physical Science from BHSU and has shared garden education activities with hundreds of kids, pre-K – 8th grade, at YFS for nearly two years. She has a passion for stewardship of the land and enjoys sharing her passion with others.

Keynote Feature: Celebrity Chef Justin Warner 

Kristine Reiner September 25, 2024 No Comments

Title: Everything You Wanted To Know About Food Television But Were Afraid To Ask

What To Expect: Justin will give a fun yet organized overview of what goes into making a Food Network show and highlight the local and sustainable approaches to food sourcing that is used on set.

Celebrity Chef Justin Warner

Justin Warner was raised in Hagerstown, Maryland and developed a curiosity for cuisine at a young age.  He moved to Colorado to work in a sushi restaurant where he would meet his future wife and business partner, Brooke, who hailed from South Dakota.  Along the way he became recognized by Michelin, the New York Times, and many other publications.  He won season 8 of Food Network Star and is currently the culinary ambassador on Food Network’s #1 show, Tournament of Champions. Justin and his wife own and operate Bokujo Ramen and bb’s Natural in Rapid City, SD.

Keynote Feature:Mariah Gladstone, Piikuni (Blackfeet) and Tsalagi (Cherokee)

Kristine Reiner September 25, 2024 No Comments

Title: A Recipe for Resilience

What to expect: Locally harvested, pre-contact foods are a testament to the resilience of Native lifestyles and should be part of our modern kitchens. Mariah will discuss how to prepare nutritious meals using readily available and affordable foods in new and easy ways. Her presentation will also examine traditional Indigenous foodways, the impact of colonization on our diets, and the health and cultural benefits of reconnecting to our traditional foods.

Mariah Gladstone, Piikuni (Blackfeet) and Tsalagi (Cherokee), grew up in Northwest Montana on and near the Blackfeet Reservation. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Environmental Engineering and returned home where she began her work on food advocacy. She developed Indigikitchen, an online cooking platform, to revitalize and re-imagine Native foods. She then earned a Master’s degree at SUNY-ESF in the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. Mariah has been recognized as a Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow. She has shared the importance of reconnecting to traditional foods at events throughout North America and abroad, as well as through appearances on the Today Show, CBC, and more.