Rhode to Regenerative

May 27-28, 2026 | University of Rhode Island 120 Flagg Rd, Kingston, RI 02881

Join us to discuss agroforestry, ocean farming, and land-to-sea connection at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. We'll spotlight ocean farming and its vital connection to terrestrial agriculture, examining how forests, farms, and coastal systems interact through shared watersheds. From the establishment of silvopasture in the Northeast to innovations in regenerative aquaculture, farmers, funders, technical service providers, and researchers will come together to begin a dialogue that informs and supports these interconnected efforts.

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CONFERENCE TICKETS

FARM TOUR TICKETS

Discounts available for farmers, veterans, and nonprofits

Technical & Financial Resources for Farmers
Farmland Ownership and Preservation
3D Mapping & Data Collection with Drones
Farm Runoff and Riparian Buffers
Monitoring Biodiversities Changes
Financing Agroforestry
Philanthropic Funding
Silvopasture
Offtake Opportunities
Building a Cooperative for Equipment
Farming Kelp and Oysters
Kelp as Feed & Fertilizer

AGENDA

Wednesday, May 27

Registration & coffee

Free Parking is at the Fine Arts parking lot, a 10-minute walk through campus from the venue (120 Flagg Rd, Kingston, RI 02881).
Speakers: Cortlandt Meyerson (Why Regenerative), Marc Parlange (President of URI), Jean VanderGheynst (Dean of CELS at URI)
Speaker:
Kate Sayles, Executive Director of the RI Land Trust Council
SPEAKERS: Cassius Spears, Sr. (Ashawaug Farm), Dawn LeBeau (Akiptan), Chanel Ford (Native American Agriculture Foundation), Nicole DeVon (Tribal Agriculture Fellowship)
SPEAKERS: Don Ruggieri (URI), Coleman Reploge (Peckham Farm)
SPEAKERS: Paul Young (Conservation Resources), Frank Austin (Bramblerun / Lucerne Capital), Jeremy Kaufman (Propagate)
SPEAKER: Andrew Tuttle, Edge Perma / Edmonds College
1. Sharing Equipment through a Cooperative (Stanton Terranova, Terranova Farms & Doug Clopp, Maine Food & Sea Coop)
2. Dismantling Barriers to Civic Engagement (Tarshire Battle, Roots2Empower)
SPEAKER: Charles Wade (Fullerfield Capital)
Speakers:
Sara Wuerstle (Ocean Hour Farm), Kevin O'Donnell (restauranteur), Ben Coerper (Wild Harmony Farm)
Sasha Sherman, The Great Chestnut Experiment
Florencia Montagnini (Yale)
SPEAKER: Sara Kuebbing (Yale)
SPEAKERS: Oliver Dixon (Blue Acres Aquaculture)
SPEAKERS:
Andrew Watman (Forbes), David Herring (Wolfe’s Neck Center), Alexander Sterling (Turtle Island Community Capital), Jennifer Pereira (RI Foundation)
Speaker: Cortlandt Meyerson (Why Regenerative)
- Local renowned beer
- Sunset Farm Food Truck
- Oyster & kelp tasting
- Giant jenga
- Corn hole
- Music

*subject to change*

Thursday, Wednesday 28

Field Demos

Meeting at the Fine Arts parking lot and driving over to field in vans & shared vehicles.

SESSION 1: Drones for Analysis & Mapping

SESSION 2: Planting and Protecting Trees

SESSION 3: Recording Biodiversity

SESSION 4: Field Notes Using Voice Recording
Buses return attendees back to the Fine Arts parking lot

Bus Tour - Separately Ticketed & Invite Only

Next, visit an organic row crop farm to learn how soil health principles are applied to large-scale production, promoting sustainable agriculture.
Discover innovative agricultural practices at Fidelity’s Smithfield Campus, where they feed both their employees and the surrounding community with their on-campus farm.
Explore Ocean Hour Farm, a nonprofit farm at the intersection of livestock and agroforestry. You’ll have lunch prepared by their chef and then learn about their work and explore land-based regenerative models,.
In the afternoon, venture to the water to visit Blue Acres Aquaculture’s kelp farm and nearby oyster farms. Understand how kelp & shellfish play a crucial role in restoring coastal ecosystems.
Wrap up the day with a delicious dinner at Matunuck Oyster Bar, recognized by USA Today as one of the top restaurants in the country, where you’ll enjoy a shared meal and good conversation.

Akiptan, American Chestnut Foundation, AquaSteady, Armens Farms LLC, Ashawaug Farm, Blue Acres Aquaculture, Bramble Run / Lucerne Capital Management, Calvert Impact, Conservation Resources, DSuput Consulting LLC, Edge Perma, Farm Credit East, Fidelity Investments, Forbes, Fullerfield Capital, Grazeland LLC, Green Table Farms, Guisto, Harvard, Hb invest earth, ISCO, Johnson and Wales College of Food Innovation and Technology, MA/RI Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation, Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative, Metcalf Institute for Journalism, Moonstone Land and Cattle, Mother Pizzaria, Narragansett Indian Tribe, Native American Agriculture Fund, Norman Bird Sanctuary, NRCS, Ocean Hour Farm, Painterland Sisters, Pratt Institute, Providence College, Revelry Greens / White Horse Farm, RI Food Policy Council, RI Foundation, RI Land Trust Council, Roots2Empower, Saunderstown Garlic Farm, SLM Partners, Slow Food NYC, Slow Money Providence, Terranova Farms, The Dennis Conservation Land Trust, The Great Chestnut Experiment, Tomaquag Museum, Tribal Agriculture Fellowship, Turtle Island Community Capital, University of Maine, University of Rhode Island, Whalers Brewery, Wild Harmony Farm, Winrock International, Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment, Yale School of the Environment + more…

Request Updated Attendee List

Marc Parlange

President
University of RI
Charles Wade

Managing Director
Fullerfield Capital
Andrew Tuttle

Founder
Edge Perma
Paul Young

Partner
Conservation Resources
Tarshire Battle

Founder
Roots2Empower
Don Ruggieri

PhD Candidate
University of RI
Laura Meyerson, PhD

Professor of Ecology,
University of RI
Heather Angel

Elected Tribal Councilor
Narragansett Indian Tribe
Dr. Florencia Montagnini, PhD

Senior Research Scientist
Yale
Sasha Sherman

CEO
The Great Chestnut Experiment
Oliver Dixon

Owner
Blue Acres Aquaculture
Stanton Terranova

Farmer
Terranova Farms
Chanel Ford

Director of Programs
Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF)
Nicole De Von

Executive Director
Tribal Agriculture Fellowship
Dawn Lebeau

Senior Program Officer
Akiptan
Sara Kuebbing, Ph.D.

Research Scientist
Yale School of the Environment
Frank Austin

Portfolio Manager
Bramble Run / Lucerne Capital
Jean VanderGheynst

Dean
College of Environmental & Life Sciences, URI
Andrew Watman

Food & Ag Journalist
Forbes
Doug Clopp

CEO
Maine Farm & Sea Coop
Dave Herring

Executive Director
Wolfe’s Neck Center
Kate Sayles

Executive Director
Rhode Island Land Trust Council
Sara Wuerstle

Executive Director
Ocean Hour Farm
Ben Coerper

Co-Owner
Wild Harmony Farm
Kevin O'Donnell

Chef | Owner
Guisto
Alexander Sterling

CEO
Turtle Island Community Capital
Daniel Kelly

Cofounder
Numanac
Cassius Spears, Sr.

Co-owner
Ashawaug Farm
Coleman Replogle

Farm Manager
Peckham Farm

Silvopasture Project

We've been helping plant a silvopasture on a formerly degraded sod farm at the University of Rhode Island since fall of 2024. We’ve got nearly five hundred saplings planted with the help of the Rhode Island community. Now there’s 1500+ more trees to be planted in 2026 thanks to a generous donation by Tree Pro. Join us at the Rhode to Regenerative conference to visit the project site, learn how to implement a silvopasture, and help regenerate the land by planting trees yourself.

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Partners & Sponsors

Want to Collaborate?

Join us at the University of Rhode Island (URI), an R1 Research University recognized for its cutting-edge research and commitment to sustainability. With strong programs in environmental science, marine biology, and sustainable agriculture, URI provides the perfect setting to explore the connections between agroforestry and aquaculture.