There’s a palpable energy surging through the global regenerative agricultural movement right now, and the epicenter of this enlightened farming philosophy when it comes to growing wine grapes is right here on California’s Central Coast.
Paso Robles is home to both the first regen-certified vineyard in the country at Tablas Creek as well as the planet’s most thorough investigation of how these methods compare to conventional farming at Robert Hall. Santa Barbara vintners, meanwhile, are deeply engaged in the One Block Challenge, with more than 15 estates actively converting acreage over to regenerative methods as you read this.
Into this forward-thinking milieu comes the Mindset Regeneration & Resilience Symposium, a three-day conference featuring two dozen speakers and intensive workshops at Cambria Winery in the Santa Maria Valley from June 8 to 10. The brainchild of longtime Napa Valley sustainability expert Anna Brittain, the itinerary is aimed at the wine industry and perennial crop farmers but should actually appeal to anyone interested in learning more about how the regenerative mindset is reshaping agriculture across the world.
“This is the first regenerative symposium for the wine industry, and it’s coming right to this region,” said Brittain. “It will be relevant for anyone who wants to geek out on regenerative agriculture. This is going to be an exceptionally deep dive.”
The first day includes a keynote speech from superstar sommelier-turned-vintner Rajat Parr, who left the world of fancy restaurants a few years ago to work the ground with his own hands at Phelan Farm in the hills above the San Simeon coast.
“Regenerative farming isn’t a trend — it’s a return to something ancient and essential,” said Parr. “The soil is the winemaker. Everything we do above ground is just a response to what’s happening below it. When we farm regeneratively, we’re building complexity, resilience, biodiversity — and yes, better wine. But more than that, we’re leaving the land better than we found it. That’s the whole point.”
Each day includes a practical workshop, a “critical questions” forum, a keynote, and a masterclass, with a wine tasting on the symposium’s final afternoon. Other speakers include John Kempf, a pioneer and leading innovator in regen; Kelly Mulville, known for his work to keep sheep under vines year-round at Paicines Ranch; Mimi Casteel, a visionary vintner from Hope Well Wines in Oregon; and Obi Kaufmann, the author and illustrator of books like The California Field Atlas and The State of Fire. Leading Santa Barbara voices like Alice Anderson of Âmevive, Jesse Smith from White Buffalo Land Trust, and Chiara Shannon from Groundstar Vineyard will also share their insights.
“This is a chance to engage with them one-on-one,” said Brittain, who quickly pulled these experts together due to her reputation for hosting the much larger RISE Climate & Wine Symposium in Napa. “You can’t really break the mold on conferences, but the goal is to do something a little different and build something that accelerates and provides the support to create change.”
Brittain recently moved to Santa Barbara after leaving her executive director job at Napa Green, which is the nonprofit that certifies and supports the sustainability efforts of Napa Valley vintners. But she’s lived here before, having earned her masters in environmental science & management from UCSB’s Bren School, where she worked with the Chumash tribe on climate resiliency as her thesis. When she arrived late last year, the folks she knew and met encouraged her to use her convening powers to help Santa Barbara’s wine industry, which is how Mindset was put in motion.
The timing is right, as the interest in regenerative seems to be far exceeding the previous pushes for organic and biodynamic farming.
“Organic is a lot about what you don’t do, and people are starting to see the limits to that approach,” said Brittain. “Regenerative agriculture is about farming for life. It’s really about building soil health and biodiversity and resilience in a farm system. Part of why it’s taking off is that you can really start on those regenerative practices without being organic. It’s an onramp that people can take to improve their farming.”
Parr is proud to be part of this inaugural event. “Events like Mindset matter because this conversation needs to be louder, wider, and more urgent,” he said. “I’m grateful to the community showing up for it. “
Register to attend at agmindset.com.
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