The Oklahoma Conservation Commission and Garfield County Conservation District announce the fourth annual Crossroads Conference, set for July 22 at the Autry Technology Center in Enid.
After taking the conference on the road at the 2025 Crossroads on the Road bus tour, partners anticipate the return to a conference event, building on the success and growth of an event featuring real-world producers speaking about their approach to relatable challenges in today’s agriculture.
Held at the crossroads of our nation, the 2026 Crossroads Conference is designed to bring agricultural producers together to connect, share knowledge, and foster innovation at the intersection of multiple production systems.
This year’s event will feature three distinct tracks tailored to farmers, ranchers, and urban/small farm food producers, ensuring relevant and valuable content for everyone in agriculture.
“Agriculture is constantly evolving, and the Crossroads Conference provides a critical space for producers to learn what others do to stay ahead of the curve,” said Greg Kloxin, Conservation Commission Soil Health Program director. “By bringing farmers together to learn how others are improving their soil health and land system function, we can continue to drive progress and build resilience in our agricultural operations.”
This year’s conference will feature guest speakers, including Kit Pharo, Shaffer Ridgeway, and Brett Peshek.
Owner of Pharo Cattle Company, Kit Pharo is a prolific blogger, podcaster, and rancher focused on developing cattle that fit their environment and can survive strictly on what the ranch produces with little to no additional inputs. Shaffer Ridgeway, owner of Southern Goods Farm, is several years into a small, multi-enterprise, direct-to-consumer farming operation, which he started to gain personal experience in building soil health and system function. Brett Peshek is an Oklahoma-based regenerative rancher and entrepreneur who is widely recognized for his work promoting multi-species rotational grazing, biodiversity, and soil health.
“We hope to connect people whose agriculture practices differ from what their neighbors commonly do, so they can find a community of like-minded people to share ideas and advice with,” said Meg Greski, Conservation Commission Soil Health Program coordinator.
“We also want to bring in knowledge and experiences from other parts of the U.S. and the world that can be applied to solve problems close to home.”
To register for the 2026 Crossroads Conference or to become a sponsor, visit: https:// bit.ly/4dqM6mJ.
For more details, contact Meg Greski at (580) 827-5060 or meg. greski@conservation. ok.gov.