Agave Talks and Tastings

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Club Congress at Hotel Congress311 East Congress Street Tucson, AZ, 85701

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Beyond Distillates: Agave’s Legacy in Art, Food, and Fiber

Ryan Kashanipour (University of Arizona) as moderator
Angelica Afanador Pujol (Arizona State University) 
Valeria Canedo (Polinizador Social para la Conservación y Empoderamiento Rural)

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Rooted Across Borders: Sustainable Agave Cultivation

Leonela Baez (Centro de Colaboración para la Ciencia y Cultura) as moderator
Rachel Burke (Bat Conservation International)
Francesca Claverie (Borderlands Restoration Network)
Julie Figueras (The Lost Explorer)

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Partner Tabling and Tasting Break

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: From the Ground Up: Community Building for Agave Collaboration

Francisco Terrazas (Raices Imports, Tequila Interchange Project) as moderator
Misty Kalkofen (Siembra Spirits, Liquid Productions) 
Niki Nakazawa (Neta Spirits)
Bildo Saravia (Origen Raiz Del Espiritu)

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Living Landscapes: Agave Conservation for Ecological and Desert Resilience

Caitlyn Hall (Agave Heritage Festival, Next Generation of Sonoran Desert Researchers) as moderator
Marsella Macias (University of New Mexico, Chelenzo Farms) 
Chava Rosales Trejo (Tequila Cascahuin)
Randy Young (La Tierra del Jaguar)

RSVP HERE