Our partnership with Chef Matt Dillon of Old Chaser Farm and regenerative farmer (and climber) Eric Popp, manager of Carnation Farms was a powerful way to dive into the regenerative food system community in the PNW. What a community it is!

We partnered with Out In the Wild guides, Black Diamond, and Feathered Friends, for a morning of climbing at Index, followed by a stunning locally sourced organic regenerative lunch thanks to our local organizer, Makenna Johnstone. The magic continued with a tour of Carnation Farms and happy hour thanks to the delicious Dragon Head Cider and OOLA Distillery’s cocktail celebrating North Borne Farm Plums. We were inspired to take action by the incredible panel discussion with Emma Fuller, Jessica Chiartas, Kerri Cacciatta, Jennifer Williams, Charlie Wainger, and Kate Rutherford, and the final delight of the day was Matt Dillon’s dinner and powerful thoughts on bringing communities together through food.

Voices Leading the Way: Panelists in the Regenerative Food Space

We were honored to gather with some of the most thoughtful and influential leaders in the regenerative food space—farmers, scientists, organizers, and builders who are actively shaping what a healthier, more resilient food system can look like. Together, they led conversations rooted not just in ideas, but in action: how we support farmers on the ground, measure what truly matters, and ensure regenerative practices are viable for generations to come.

Dr. Jessica Chiartas

A soil scientist with a PhD in Soils & Biogeochemistry from UC Davis, Jessica Chiartas brings deep scientific rigor to the regenerative movement. Now a Research Manager and postdoc at the Center for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC, her work quite literally digs deep into how farming practices influence soil carbon, soil health, and ecosystem services across diverse landscapes.

Jessica is passionate about turning research into action. Through her work with RegenScore and her educational platform Soil Life, she helps farmers, organizations, and young people better understand soil health, not as a binary outcome, but as a journey. Her perspective grounded the panel in data, accountability, and optimism for what’s possible when we invest in measuring and supporting real progress.

Kerri Cacciata

With roots as a chef, culinary educator, and farmers market manager, Kerri Cacciata brings a systems-level understanding of how food moves from soil to community. As Managing Director of Tilth Alliance, she helps empower farmers, gardeners, and community members across Washington with the resources they need to grow food in ways that nourish people and protect the environment.

Kerri’s voice on the panel highlighted the often-invisible infrastructure that makes regenerative food systems work, markets, CSAs, education, and long-term relationships. Her experience underscored that regenerative agriculture thrives when farmers are supported not only in the field, but also through strong, community-centered networks.

Charlie Wainger

Charlie Wainger is a farmer, climber, and connector whose path through urban agriculture, farm-based education, and small farms across the Pacific Northwest led him back to his family’s land in Redmond, Washington. There, he now runs Rain Dog Farm, a two-acre, soil-first operation growing an impressive volume of produce with just two people and a deep commitment to regenerative practices.

Charlie’s story resonated as a powerful example of both possibility and constraint. Demand for thoughtfully grown food is strong, but without adequate resources, even the most efficient and values-driven farms can struggle to scale. His perspective made clear how meaningful support can unlock greater impact.

Emma Fuller

Emma Fuller bridges the worlds of hands-on farming and innovative finance. As a farmer and co-founder of Fractal Ag, she works to reimagine how capital flows to regenerative farms, developing data-driven tools that measure soil health and climate risk while helping farmers access the funding they need to invest in their land.

Grounded by her family’s work at Northborne Farm on Vashon Island, Emma brought clarity to the panel on why regenerative agriculture needs patient, informed capital, and why early, values-aligned investment is critical. Her work illuminated how data and technology, when built by and for farmers, can support long-term land stewardship.

Jennifer Williams

Jennifer Williams is the heart behind Wild Dreams Farm, a seed-focused, two-acre farm on Vashon Island devoted to ecological abundance and biodiversity. Over years of careful tending, she transformed a once-overgrown landscape into a thriving ecosystem for food, medicine, and seed.

Jennifer’s reflections invited the room to slow down and consider the long view. Her commitment to open-pollinated seeds and seed stewardship speaks to resilience, wonder, and responsibility to future generations. She reminded us that regenerative work is as much about patience and care as it is about production.

Together, these voices reminded us that regenerative food systems don’t emerge by accident; they are built through collaboration, curiosity, and sustained support. This gathering was a glimpse of what becomes possible when we invest in people, land, and community.