Events

As national speakers, Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko both entertain and inspire.

From universities to libraries, farm festivals to energy fairs, the energetic couple may eat the strawberry, ask if you know someone who's a carrot or coffee bean, or remind us to always wear your bike helmet when biking naked.

Their presentations related to Farmstead Chef are as delicious as they are informative.

Special thanks is extended to Organic Valley Family of Farms and Equal Exchange for their donations of food or beverages to many of the educational events related to Farmstead Chef.

Speaking Accolades

"John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist's 'Farmstead Chef' presentation was a tasty hit with our library patrons. Lively, informative and entertaining, Lisa and John know how to walk their talk and their presentation sparked lots of discussion among the attendees."
-- Jeannie Gartman, Librarian - Adult Services, Mead Public Library, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
“Mrs. Kivirist and Mr. Ivanko were diligent and detailed in tailoring the event to our specifications, personable and down-to-earth during the presentation and Q & A segment and offered expertise and experience around the topic of the emerging restoration economy. Our students and guests came away with information and opportunities related to food, energy and livelihood that will benefit those who put these principles into practice. Few speakers have the ability to organize, present, and connect in the way these two can.”
-- Jon Weiss, Instructor, Hospitality & Hotel Management, Lakeshore Technical College
"John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist are deliciously entertaining, informative and wonderfully spectacular on stage. They're Wisconsin treasures."
-- Alison Jones Chaim, Director of the Wisconsin Book Festival
"John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist attracted an enthusiastic audience for their Farmstead Chef presentation, an engaging, folksy approach to eating fresh, seasonal and local. It left attendees both inspired and with a belly full of new ideas, both practical and frugal."
-- Donna Neuwirth, Reedsburg Fermentation Fest and Executive Director of the Wormfarm Institute
“It was a pleasure having John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist speak at the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries 2009 Conference.  Their program was entertaining as well as enlightening and it was great to hear how Wisconsin is leading the way in the  emerging restoration economy.  I would heartily recommend them to speak at any conference or program and all libraries should have copies of their books on the shelf.”
— Linda Pierschalla, Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries Chair 2009 Library Director, Whitefish Bay Public Library
"Mrs. Kivirist and Mr. Ivanko's visit to our campus infused students and the larger community with a real sense of what we as individuals can do to improve our lives and the well-being of our planet. The interactive nature of their presentations, coupled with how imminently 'doable' many of their ideas and examples are, really empowered participants to start making changes in their own daily living. Mrs. Kivirist and Mr. Ivanko have endless energy and enthusiasm, and are very approachable, qualities which our students greatly appreciated. They spent time interacting with our students and community, not only in the lively formal presentations and classroom visits, but also informally, in hallways and over meals, throughout their time at SMSU."
— Nadine Purvis Schmidt, Southwest Minnesota State University
"Mrs. Kivirist is a gifted speaker with a wealth of 'green' knowledge and experience, and great enthusiasm for the topic.  Her presentations were very motivational, and the style was concise, down to earth, and easy to understand. Her entire family is a wonderful source of inspiration and she was the perfect speaker to open our symposium!"
— Kelle Hartman, Green Bay Botanical Garden
"Our event was highly successful in great part due to your outstanding presentation. I have no doubt that our attendees walked away from your program more enriched both personally and professionally."
— Dawn Zanoni, Special Events Manager, Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism, Wisconsin Department of Tourism
"Lisa Kivirist is humorous, engaging and practical. Her storytelling paints pictures that convey messages that resonate over time. She is high energy, authentic and entertaining."
— Liz Johnson, National Director, Rural Programs, The White House Project