We’re getting pretty excited around the office about all the good things brewing for this year’s Annual Expo and Meeting at Arrowpeak Lodge, outside of Great Falls.

Here’s a little preview of the fun:

Keynote speakers Sarah Calhoun of Red Ants Pants

Photo courtesy of Red Ants Pants Music Festival & RedAntsPants.com

 Sarah Calhoun is the founder of Red Ants Pants, functional and flattering workwear for women, in White Sulphur Springs, MT. Calhoun has been called a “revolutionary figure in rural business today” and a “powerhouse of inspiration for women in business” and is known for her dedication to supporting rural communities. In 2011, she was invited by President Obama to attend a White House forum on jobs and economic development after serving as a US Delegate to the APEC Women in Business Summit, and in 2012 she was the National Women in Business Champion for the Small Business Administration. Closer to home, Governor Schweitzer named her the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Montana. Calhoun and her company have been featured in many national publications including Entrepreneur, National Geographic, Delta Sky, Country Woman, Sunset, and Airstream Life. More here.

& Liz Carlisle, author of Lentil Underground

Photo & bio courtesy of lentilunderground.com

A journalist and Montana native, Liz Carlisle is also a fellow at the Center for Diversified Farming Systems at the University of California, Berkeley.  She holds a Ph.D. in Geography, also from Berkeley, and a B.A. from Harvard University.  A native of Missoula, Montana, Carlisle is a former Legislative Aide to United States Senator Jon Tester. Her book, Lentil Underground, tells the inspiring story of a handful of colorful pioneers who have successfully bucked the chemically-based food chain and the entrenched power of agribusiness’s one percent, by stubbornly banding together. Unearthing the deep roots of this movement, Lentil Underground introduces readers to a memorable cast of characters, from gun-toting libertarians and Christian homesteaders to peace-sign-waving environmental activists. Her eye-opening and richly reported narrative that will be welcomed by readers of food and farm memoirs, as well as everyone concerned with the future of American agriculture and natural food in an increasingly uncertain world. More here.

PLUS

Three days of incredible farm tours, renewable energy, conservation & sustainable agriculture workshops, & panels

Live & silent auction

A BBQ, dancing, and music by Local Yokel

And SO much more (including rumors of a revival of the New Western Energy Show…)