Loading…
Welcome to the 37th annual California Small Farm Conference, a week-long event featuring over 40 online workshops as well as a dozen in-person gatherings around the state. Whether you’re a beginning farmer or a seasoned grower, a local food advocate or a farmers market manager, you’ll find something here for you. This year’s theme, "Rooted in Place", honors the vital relationship between farmers, communities and the land they steward.

Check out the schedule below for event times and locations. Click "Reserve Tickets" to register. Admission is on a sliding-scale, to ensure everyone can attend. Please select the amount you’re comfortable paying. Enjoy the conference!

Interested in sponsoring this event? Learn more here
or to register for this event.
Type: Issues in Food & Ag / Other clear filter
arrow_back View All Dates
Sunday, February 23
 

8:00am PST

A New Model for Farmland Access and Transition: The Farmland Commons
Sunday February 23, 2025 8:00am - 9:15am PST
The Farmers Land Trust is a national organization working to support farmland protection, transition, and secure access for farmers through the innovative Farmland Commons model, which decommodifies land by placing it in the ownership of local communities. This dynamic and engaging presentation will share how the Farmland Commons model works, and participants will leave with the knowledge and resources that will enable them to carry forward creative land transition and access opportunities to their own communities.
Speakers
IM

Ian McSweeney

The Farmers Land Trust
KV

Kristina Villa

The Farmers Land Trust

Sunday February 23, 2025 8:00am - 9:15am PST
Online

1:15pm PST

Agricultural Land Equity in California
Sunday February 23, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
In this session members of the California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force will share an update on their work since October 2023. The members will discuss the main challenges the Task Force aims to address, how their draft recommendations address those issues, and how session attendees can engage in the work. There will be time at the end for attendees to share their own experiences, ideas and priorities related to agricultural land equity. The conversation will inform the Task Force as they continue developing their recommendations on how to address the land equity crisis and submit a final report to the Governor and Legislature by January 2026.
Organizer
CF

Camille Frazier

Agricultural Land Equity Program Lead, California Strategic Growth Council
Speakers
avatar for Qi Zhou

Qi Zhou

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Program Manager, California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
DP

Dorian Payán

Director of Holistic Land Relations, Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC)
Sunday February 23, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
Online

4:45pm PST

Is There Soul in the Soil? The Spirituality of Farming
Sunday February 23, 2025 4:45pm - 6:00pm PST
This workshop will explore the weaving of spirituality and agriculture from the experience of several panel members. These will include representatives from (for example) the Biodynamic community, Native American / Indigenous farmers, food producers with a more traditional faith background, and those with an atheist/agnostic spirituality.  

Science has given us so many incredible tools to advance agriculture and especially food production. We can now produce more food with greater nutrition in more diverse ecosystems while paying attention to the impacts of different methods on the environment and segments of society.  But a scientific focus can also lead to objectifying nature as something to manipulate at will, to control and use as a lifeless, mechanical resource.  But what if the soil has soul? What if the land we depend on for life and livelihood has something akin to consciousness or even personhood--different from the human sort but just as real?  Historically, many indigenous cultures have not separated their collective experiential knowledge (another name for empirical science) from their spirituality. What might it look like to form more intentionally collaborative relationships with the more-than-human beings that feed us, to honor spirit and science together?  This upbeat workshop will be facilitated with curiosity, dialogue among speakers, and respect for diverse views. Plus time for Q&A of course!  :)
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Stan Rodriguez

Dr. Stan Rodriguez

Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel
avatar for Angelie Ryah

Angelie Ryah

I'm a new farmer with my very first commercial growing operation!  Belong Farm has been a dream for many years so I am excited to see it take shape. I am using regenerative ag methods, and thrilled to join the badass farmer network that makes up Foodshed where we make uber nutritious... Read More →
Sunday February 23, 2025 4:45pm - 6:00pm PST
Online
 
From $20.00


2025 California Small Farm Conference
From $20.00
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link

Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.
Filtered by Date -