SBAR at the SWIAA Conference
The Southwest Indian Agricultural Association (SWIAA) hosted its 32nd annual conference in Laughlin, Nevada in late January 2020. SWIAA formed in 1987 to promote the future of agriculture on reservations. The founders included tribes and individual Indian and non-Indian farmers, ranchers, and businessmen. Their stated mission is to maintain “harmony of man, soil, water, vegetation, and wildlife – the agricultural community – because they influence emotional and spiritual well-being.”
As an invited speaker for the thee-day conference, Kim Ogden, SBAR Executive Project Director and Chemical Engineering Researcher, was invited to share SBAR’s progress in building a sustainable bioeconomy in the arid Southwest. Close to 90 people were in attendance, and many Native American agricultural growers were introduced to guayule as a potential crop for Native Nations.