California Agave Symposium Comes to Santa Barbara

California’s quest to develop a viable agave industry — whether for booze, biofuel, or a surprisingly wide array of other products — is in full swing. With multiple ranches from Montecito and Carpinteria to Goleta and Cuyama now growing various agave species, Santa Barbara is a strong hub of that movement, which is why the California Agave Symposium will be held here at the Hilton Beachfront Resort on Monday, March 23.

To get a sense of what attendees can expect, I reached out to a number of people involved in the agave industry who will be here for the symposium, which is open to the general public. Here’s what they had to say, and you can learn more about the event and buy tickets at californiaagave.org.

Chris Stephenson and Davide Berruto, Madre Mezcal

The symposium’s keynote speakers are this duo from Madre Mezcal, which is currently the fastest-selling mezcal in the United States. Pulling from their background in successfully cracking the code for a newer category of spirits, they will address the challenges for building new brands and distribution networks while commenting on the state of the industry and pointing out opportunities for growth.

“It’s a challenging time for any new products in the spirits industry, but categories with an authentic rationale are always interesting,” said Stephenson. “We believe the sustainability story behind the category and the power of the global cultural fascination of California will be powerful assets.”

If all goes well, he predicts that the agave industry here could mirror what happened to wine, becoming a global category and tourist attraction. “California can be to the United States what Jalisco is to Mexico,” said Stephenson.

See madremezcal.com.

Srabani Das, UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources

A statewide expert in regenerative agriculture, Das is leading a study of agave in California to analyze water use, productivity, and impact on soil health. “The objective is to find out which species of agave are most suited for which regions of California and what is their biomass potential,” she explained.

Das emphasizes that agave is not just for spirits. “The ecosystem benefits of agave are mind-boggling and the crop can skillfully be integrated into California landscapes to resist wildfires, arrest erosion, bioremediate soils, sequester carbon, improve soil health, and increase biodiversity,” she said, explaining that recent groundwater legislation continues to force many farms to go fallow. “Agave is the solution. The carbon sequestration potential of the plant is enormous … which could be vital with emerging agricultural carbon markets.”

She would like to see prioritized funding for the biofuel, silage, nutraceutical, fiber, and other applications of agave, and to ensure the development of a diverse and forward-thinking industry. Both small and large farms are needed for a healthy future, Das explained, and any new model “should not replicate prevalent large scale unsustainable monocropping systems.”

Instead, she hopes to one day see larger agave farms thriving alongside almond and pistachio orchards as well as smaller farmers integrating the crop into milpa and dryland systems, ranchers using agave to feed animals, and booming spirit, pulque, biofuel, and other alternative energy markets based on the plant.

See srabanidaslab.wordpress.com.

Grover Sanschagrin, Agave Matchmaker

As founder of the Agave Matchmaker mobile app and website, Sanschagrin seeks to bring the agave growing, distilling, and drinking communities together from all over the world. “I see California being a major player in the world of agave spirits,” he said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but in time the various regions of California will develop an aroma and flavor style all their own.”

The challenge, though, is that there aren’t enough agave-focused distilleries. “Because the agave plant is so different than plants that only require a single season to grow, distilleries should be set up to make the best of what agaves have to offer,” he explained. “Subtle layers of aroma and flavor are all locked inside the plant, and it requires a different process to unlock them.”

Then comes the cost. “How can we keep the price of agave low enough so that the retail price point for a bottle isn’t more than other agave spirits, yet is fair enough for the farmers to make a comfortable living?” he asked.

See agavematchmaker.com and tastetequila.com.

Katie Herzog, Giver Spirits & Reverie Ranch

From her ranch in Parkfield, Herzog is the uniting force for California’s female agave farmers. For the past three years, she’s hosted a monthly Zoom call for more than 30 farmers (including trans and nonbinary folks), bringing in guest speakers on everything from cultural appropriation to agave mites. She hosted a retreat at Reverie Ranch in 2024, which also toured the large-scale Woolf Agave planting in the Central Valley.

“The group provides a space for supported open dialog and exchange, networking, and the ability to really hash out ideas and delve deeper into larger questions that may arise,” said Herzog. “The United Nations declared 2026 to be the International Year of the Woman Farmer, which is amazing and also demonstrates that there is progress to be made regarding gender equity in agriculture.”

Herzog is very focused on ensuring that the cultural history of agave is not overlooked, as the relationship between humans and agave dates back thousands of years. “I hope that diversity, of both agave varieties and growers, is supported,” she said. “I hope that ecological benefits of agave, including carbon sequestration and drought tolerance, are a springboard for more attention to the benefits of ecological farming practices.”

See reverieranch.net.

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The California Agave Symposium will be held in Santa Barbara at the Hilton Beachfront Resort on Monday, March 23. Learn more about the event and buy tickets at californiaagave.org.