2026 Fair Speakers

We had a great lineup of distinguished and up-and-coming speakers for 2026.

To browse talks by day and time, see the 2026 Speaker Schedule.

Alan Rockefeller

Researcher and Photographer

Alan is a researcher, educator, consultant and speaker specializing in DNA bar-coding, field photography, and fungal microscopy. With a bilingu…

Andrew Ratz

Field and Lab Technician | University of Minnesota

I am fascinated by biogeography and the dynamic ways life shapes its environment; as well as how these environmental conditions,…

Chad Hyatt

Chef and Author

Chef Chad Hyatt, the author of "The Mushroom Hunter's Kitchen", is an expert forager and classically trained chef who ha…

Christian Schwarz

Research Associate | UCSC

Christian Schwarz is a naturalist based in California, the land of milk (caps) and honey (mushrooms). He teaches Natural History…

Dr. Bill Schoenbart

Practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture

Dr. Bill Schoenbart is a practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture with over 30 years of experience. He has…

Henry Young

FFSC Science Advisor
Foray and ID Specialist | Willamette Valley Mushroom Society

Henry moved to Salem, Oregon in 2016 from Santa Cruz. He is active with the Willamette Valley Mushroom Society teaching…

Jason Raiti

Botany-Mycology Graduate Student
Pringle Lab | University of Wisconsin–Madison

I’m Jason Raiti—a mycologist, educator, and creative technologist. I’m currently pursuing a graduate degree in Botany at the University of…

Jeff Emery

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard

Jeff Emery is the proprietor, winemaker, truck driver, barrel washer, paper pusher and just about everything else for Santa Cruz…

Stephanie Jarvis in Spain with Tuber melanosporum 2018

Stephanie S. Jarvis, MSc

Director of Mycology R & D | M2 Ingredients
Founder | Pacific Truffle Growers

Stephanie Jarvis is an interdisciplinary mycologist and executive cultivator with over 20 years of leadership in solid-state fermentation, fungal biotechnology,…