(10/15/26) BATON ROUGE, La. — The LSU AgCenter and Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program are bringing award-winning author, seed advocate and Utopian Seed Project founder Chris Smith to Baton Rouge for two special events focused on seed diversity, resilience and the future of food.

Smith, a James Beard Foundation Award winner and nationally recognized leader in agricultural biodiversity, will present "Seeds Worth Saving: Building a Resilient Food Future" from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the East Baton Rouge Main Library on Goodwood Boulevard. The presentation and community conversation will explore the critical role seed diversity plays in strengthening local food systems and agricultural resilience. An informal seed swap will follow the program. This event is free and open to the public.

Smith founded the Utopian Seed Project, a seed-focused, non-profit working on regional agrobiodiversity and climate resilience. His book, “The Whole Okra,” won a James Beard Award in 2020. He recently received the Organic Educator Award from Organic Growers School, was named a Champion of Conservation by Garden & Gun and joined Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education’s Leadership Program. In 2025, Chris received an Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellowship to recognize and support his work with seeds. His second book, “Saved by Seeds,” will be published by Chelsea Green Publishing in late 2026.

Smith will also participate in the 10th Annual Louisiana Farm to School Conference on Tuesday afternoon, conducting a learning lab where participants will learn practical seed-saving techniques while exploring how seed stewardship can help preserve agricultural diversity and local food traditions.

The Farm to School Conference will be held at the Lod Cook Hotel and Conference Center at LSU from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 in Baton Rouge. Registration is $35 and includes full-day conference access, refreshments, lunch and learning labs. Advance registration is required for learning labs, and space is limited. Registration is available at lsuagcenter.regfox.com/2026-louisiana-conference.

The LSU AgCenter and Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program are bringing award-winning author, seed advocate and Utopian Seed Project founder Chris Smith to Baton Rouge. Photo provided by Chris Smith