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We envision a world where local grain economies that are
good for people and good for the planet can thrive.
Venue: The Skowhegan Hotel clear filter
Wednesday, July 22
 

2:00pm EDT

Check-In
Wednesday July 22, 2026 2:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
We strongly encourage you check-in on Wednesday, July 23rd if possible. The window for check-in on Thursday morning is much smaller, so this will help ease the flow of the conference.
Wednesday July 22, 2026 2:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME
 
Thursday, July 23
 

7:00am EDT

Check-In & Breakfast
Thursday July 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
Locally-sourced meals facilitated by the Miller's Table.

Details coming soon!
Thursday July 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME

10:00am EDT

Starting, Scaling, and Sustaining an Organic Grain Business with Halee Wepking
Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
In this workshop, Halee Wepking will trace her path from the restaurant industry in New York City to operating a certified organic grain and dry bean farm in Wisconsin’s Driftless region. She’ll walk through the succession deal that opened the door, the financial and structural barriers new farmers face when getting started, and how she and her husband John transformed the business with an on-farm grain mill to create value-added products from their harvest.
Speakers
avatar for Halee Wepking

Halee Wepking

Meadowlark Organics
Halee came to farming with a degree in Modern Dance and a resume filled with professional cooking jobs. She met her husband John while working at the restaurant Prune in New York City, and after several years of doing the kitchen hustle, was eager to join in his dream of returning... Read More →
Sponsors
avatar for Skowhegan Savings Bank

Skowhegan Savings Bank

Our Bank was founded a century and a half ago by a group of hard working Mainers with an ambitious vision for the future and a genuine interest in seeing the region prosper. As the mighty waters of the Kennebec River and sturdy White Pine forests beckoned with the promise of economic... Read More →
Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME
  Organic Farmer Track

11:00am EDT

What Makes a Successful Hospitality Business in Maine
Thursday July 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
Join Vanessa Santarelli (Your Maine Concierge) for an insider's perspective on thriving in Maine's hospitality industry. Maine is a magical destination with endless opportunities to see, do, and discover—but standing out in this competitive market requires more than just a great location.

Drawing on expertise as personal Maine vacation and business trip planners, we'll explore:
  • What's hot, what's not, and what truly makes experiences memorable for Maine visitors
  • How to craft carefully tailored recommendations that help guests fall in love with Maine
  • Strategies for transforming your hospitality business from just another option into someone's favorite destination
  • The art of personalized service in an age of information overload
  • Building lasting connections that keep guests coming back season after season
Speakers
VS

Vanessa Santarelli

Founder, Your Maine Concierge
Founder of Your Maine Concierge
Producer & Co-Host on MaineLife

After a distinguished 20-year career in state and federal advocacy and public policy, Vanessa decided to pursue her entrepreneurial dream of starting her own business to promote her beloved home State of Maine, and the destinations, inns, restaurants, artisans, and experiences that... Read More →
Sponsors
avatar for Bromar Printing Solutions
Thursday July 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME
  Business

12:30pm EDT

Local Lunch
Thursday July 23, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
Locally-sourced meals facilitated by the Miller's Table.

Details coming soon!

Thursday July 23, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME

3:00pm EDT

Buyer Panel: Expanding Grain Markets Through Collaboration
Thursday July 23, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
Join us for this producer-led panel discussion on building strong markets for locally-grown organic grains, moderated by Kim Butz of the Rodale Institute!

Panelists Amber Lambke, Joel Alex, Kerry Hanney, and Kyle DePietro will share where demand is growing, what makes grain market-ready, and how growers can enter and expand into new markets. Come ready to listen, share, and build what comes next.

This event is made possible with support from the Rodale Institute and the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program.
Speakers
avatar for Amber Lambke

Amber Lambke

Founder, CEO, Maine Grains
Formerly a speech language pathologist, Amber Lambke shifted gears to respond to a community need for grain processing infrastructure and is the co-founder and CEO of Maine Grains, Inc., carried by specialty food stores and used by bakeries, breweries and chefs throughout the Northeast... Read More →
avatar for Kerry Hanney

Kerry Hanney

Founder + Baker, Night Moves Bread
Kerry Hanney is founder and baker behind Night Moves, a bakery in South Portland, Maine, dedicated to baking high quality naturally leavened bread and investigating the possibilities of sustainably grown regional grain.  Night Moves’ aim is to make sustainable regional grain more... Read More →
avatar for Kim Butz

Kim Butz

Rodale Institute
Rooted in organic agriculture from an early age, Kim Butz developed a natural love for the land. With twenty-six years of experience as a chef and food service professional, she brings a unique perspective to agricultural support. Over the past ten years, Kim has provided technical... Read More →
avatar for Joel Alex

Joel Alex

Blue Ox Malthouse
Joel Alex is the founder of Blue Ox Malthouse, a malthouse based in Lisbon Falls, Maine, dedicated to connecting the state's craft brewing community with its agricultural economy through locally produced malt. Alex founded Blue Ox in 2013 with the goal of fostering relationships between... Read More →
avatar for Kyle DePietro

Kyle DePietro

Sasanoa Brewing
Kyle DePietro is the brewer and owner of Sasanoa Brewing, a MOFGA-certified organic brewery on Maine's Westport Island. A veteran of Brooklyn Brewery, DePietro focuses on saison-style ales brewed with Maine-grown organic ingredients, many sourced directly from Tarbox Farm (including... Read More →
Sponsors
avatar for The Skowhegan
Thursday July 23, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME
  Organic Farmer Track
 
Friday, July 24
 

7:30am EDT

Breakfast
Friday July 24, 2026 7:30am - 8:15am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
Locally-sourced meals facilitated by the Miller's Table.

Details coming soon!

MGA Members: Enjoy an exclusive conversation over breakfast with our accomplished presenters!
Friday July 24, 2026 7:30am - 8:15am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME

9:30am EDT

Heritage Grains & Beans of the Northeast
Friday July 24, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
The most widely grown grain varieties in the modern day were bred for pesticide tolerance, unwavering uniformity, and boosting yields at any cost. In a world full of flavorful, nutritious, and resilient grains, this approach is not quite as “conventional” as it may seem. Join Paul Pollaro, the Maine Grain Alliance’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Project Manager, to discuss how organic farmers can stay competitive with heritage grains, learn how to select the best varieties to achieve your goals, and peek behind the scenes into the day-to-day work of a heritage seed restorationist.

Presented by Key Appliance
Speakers
avatar for Paul Pollaro

Paul Pollaro

TOPP Project Manager, Maine Grain Alliance
Paul Pollaro earned a degree in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems from the University of New Hampshire, following hands-on experience working on several organic farms in New Hampshire. Currently, Paul works as the TOPP Project Manager at the Maine Grain Alliance. He is also a... Read More →
Sponsors
avatar for Redington-Fairview General Hospital

Redington-Fairview General Hospital

Redington-Fairview General Hospital (RFGH) is a local independent critical access hospital providing quality comprehensive health care services. We are located at 46 Fairview Avenue, Skowhegan, Maine.
Friday July 24, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME
  Organic Farmer Track

12:00pm EDT

Local Lunch
Friday July 24, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel

Locally-sourced meals facilitated by the Miller's Table.

Details coming soon!
Friday July 24, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME

1:30pm EDT

Gather With Purpose: Designing Baking Classes That Matter
Friday July 24, 2026 1:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel
If you've ever thought about offering a baking class — or you're already teaching and want to bring more intention to it — this one's for you. We'll use Priya Parker's *The Art of Gathering* as our framework for designing classes that go beyond technique, ones with a real sense of purpose and space for genuine connection. You'll walk away with the tools to build your own class, including the planning materials and run-of-show resources we use at Rebel Bread's Teaching Kitchen.

We'll cover everything from figuring out who your class is really for, to the logistics of recipes and timing, to pricing and booking. You'll pick a class idea at the start — real or imagined — and run it through each step of the framework as we go. Plan to leave with a solid start plus new, unexpected ideas from the bakers around you.
Speakers
avatar for Zach Martinucci

Zach Martinucci

Founder + CEO, Rebel Bread
Zach Martinucci founded Rebel Bread in 2018 — a community bakery and bread school in Denver, CO — after studying Culinary Anthropology at UCLA and completing a professional bread program at the San Francisco Baking Institute. He's spent years designing and teaching baking... Read More →
Sponsors
avatar for Sodexo
Friday July 24, 2026 1:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME
  Business

4:15pm EDT

Closing Remarks
Friday July 24, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel

Speakers
avatar for Tristan Noyes

Tristan Noyes

Maine Grain Alliance
Tristan Noyes is the Executive Director for the Maine Grain Alliance. He is also the co-founder of GROMAINE, an organic farm in Aroostook County. GROMAINE specializes in the production of wide variety of vegetables, with a special concentration on lettuce. The farm sells produce to... Read More →
Friday July 24, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
The Skowhegan Hotel 7 Island Ave, Skowhegan, ME
 

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Wednesday, July 22
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Saturday, July 25
185 Water St
Coburn Park
Maine Grains
Skowhegan Center for Entrepreneurship
Skowhegan State Fairgrounds
Somerset Masonic Lodge #34
Tewksbury Hall
The 1909 House
The Biergarten at the Spinning Mill
The Maine Meal
The Skowhegan Hotel
The Skowhegan Opera House
The Space on the River, LLC
Wood-Fired Oven at the Biergarten
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