When
Where
Field Notes: Resilient Desert and Food Systems brings together a mix of 2026 panel proposals and festival-curated adaptations, all centered on agave as a practical tool for regenerative agriculture in arid and semi-arid landscapes. Across the session, we look at how agave can support soil restoration, water-smart farming, and long-term resilience, grounded in ecological knowledge and place-based agricultural practice.
Join us for a chiltepín plant scale hosted by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and a heritage foods food truck invite for lunch!
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM | Resilient Desert Food Systems
Moderated by Dr. Jonathan Mabry (Tucson City of Gastronomy)
Cesar Lopez (Santa Cruz Farm)
Dr. Laurel Bellante (Center for Regional Food Studies, University of Arizona)
Ayman Mostafa (Maricopa County Extension, University of Arizona)
What does a desert food system look like when it is built for heat, drought, and the long run? This conversation looks at agave through a food systems lens, connecting its deep roots in desert food traditions with emerging approaches to climate-adapted agriculture and the role agave can play in shaping resilient food economies across the Sonoran Desert.
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM | Agave for Regenerative Lands
Community-led session
Moderated by Dr. César Iván Ojeda Linares (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
Noah Schlager (Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance, University of Arizona)
Randy Young (La Tierra del Jaguar)
Join us for a conversation on how agave can help restore degraded lands in dry regions, from soil health to resilient working landscapes exploring phytoremediation, ethnomicrobiology, and the functional uses of agave. Grounded in local knowledge, field practice, and Indigenous perspectives on biodiversity and stewardship, this session explores agave beyond spirits, including its potential for fiber, forage, food systems, and other place-based livelihood.