Thank you to our sponsors!
This convening event was made possible in part by support from Deer Creek Malthouse through the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverage Industry Promotion Board and grant funding from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
2023 Keynote Speakers
Nazirahk Amen
Nazirahk Amen is a naturopathic doctor, Chinese medicine practitioner, peri-urban farmer, and entrepreneur. As a natural health practitioner, Nazirahk practices the Hippocratic view of food as medicine. He has been practicing for 24 years at Wisdom Path Healing Center in Takoma Park, MD. He is the owner and operator of Purple Mountain Organics which offers quality tools, organic farm supplies, and custom farming services, and Purple Mountain Grown, a peri-urban farming operation that specializes in small grains and dry beans at local farmers markets.
Jennifer Lapidus
Jennifer Lapidus is the founder of Carolina Ground, a regional flour mill located in Hendersonville, North Carolina. From 1994–2008, Jennifer was owner, operator, and baker of Natural Bridge Bakery, one of the first wood-fired brick oven bakeries in Western North Carolina milling in-house and producing whole grain naturally leavened breads. With Carolina Ground, Jennifer stands between the farmer and the baker, seeking to understand the challenges of both, while transforming regionally grown grains into high quality whole grain and sifted cold stone milled flours. Jennifer’s book, Southern Ground: Reclaiming Flavor Through Stone-Milled Flour was published in 2021 by Ten Speed Press.