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!
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What is “carbon farming”? As government agencies, retail corporations, and the general public have become more interested in sustainable farming, terms like “organic,” “climate-smart,” “regenerative,” and others have become the buzz words of our time – but often lose some of the meaning and power behind the original intent. Carbon farming is an emerging term to join this list, with growing interest from funding agencies and produce buyers. But what exactly is “carbon farming?”
Join a panel discussion hosted by the new Resource Conservation District (RCD) Regional Ag & Climate Hubs to explore the important role of carbon on working lands and discuss how RCDs are collaborating with farmers. Panel topics will include the basic science behind on-farm benefits of carbon, how RCDs can help growers plan and implement carbon farming, and successes and lessons learned in carbon farming in California. This presentation is aimed at helping farmers understand what carbon farming really is, improving their ability to talk about the environmental benefits their farms provide, and giving them familiarity with Carbon Farm Plans and the agencies that can fund the creation and implementation of these plans. Service providers and the general public are encouraged to join as well to deepen their understanding of these issues.
This workshop is designed to help producers and processors who are new to grant applications. There are many steps to take prior to beginning the application process: registering with the System for Award Management, creating a mission statement, defining your goals and needs, finding programs that are the right fit, and more! This workshop will, 1) provide an overview of everything the small producer should do before beginning their proposal in order to maximize success; 2) outline the differences between private, state, and federal grants; 3) provide resources for applicants searching for the right grant for their business; and 4) provide a few basic tips and tricks for writing a proposal.
RFSI Program Manager, California Department of Food and Agriculture
Lauren McCawley is the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program Manager for the California Department of Food and Agriculture.The purpose of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program is to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain; to provide... Read More →
Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am PST
Online
This presentation will highlight the experience and best practices of the “Save Market Match Coalition”, a diverse group of 250+ agricultural, nutrition, food security, and public health organizations that worked together to convince California budget leaders to reinstate funding for vital programs that both address food security, bring revenue to small and mid-scale farmers, and support the local food system.
Grassroots leaders will share the behind-the-scenes story of how this coalition and thousands of farmers and customers, organized to fight for the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) funding to be reinstated in the 2024-2025 CA State Budget. They will share about the connection between this program that supports both low-income California shoppers and farmers, the CA budget crises, and connection to accessing federal Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) funding. Farmers’ Market industry leaders and others will share the process, best practices, and outcomes of this campaign, and what the current status of funding for nutrition incentive programs is at the state and federal level. Highlighting food and farming program funding updates, participants will learn about programs that benefit local producers, farmers’ market operators and local food systems, as well as some best practices that could be applied to future campaigns.
This panel will focus on the advocacy process industry leaders engaged with, and the decision-making process elected officials must follow to establish the state budget. Included will be a brief overview of changes and issues related to these programs and the federal Farm Bill.
Hear from farmers who are part of the West – Southwest Transition to Organic Partnership (TOPP) Program for a conversation about the importance of farmer-to-farmer mentoring and their pivotal role in expanding organic and supporting beginner farmer success. Join the conversation and find out how to become a mentor or find a mentor!
Advancing organic by supporting people and communities who care for the land. The CCOF Foundation unites the organic community to offer intentional education, financial support, and growth opportunities for organic professionals.
Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:30am - 12:45pm PST
Online
Western Sustainable Agriculture and Research (SARE) supports farmer and rancher driven research on the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable agriculture throughout the western U.S. and Pacific Islands. These research projects produce data-driven recommendations to assist producers and other land managers in making management decisions, such as integrating habitat conservation and restoration into agricultural landscapes.
This workshop will highlight two producers using Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grants to investigate management practices in different California landscapes to enhance sustainable agriculture. Jesse Trace, Traceland Ranch in Cayucos, CA, will discuss his work on implementing rehydration and restoration practices, including berms, recharge basins, and plantings, to increase water infiltration and crop production as well as developing native oak cultivars for use as a food source. Alex Palmerlee, Far View Ranch in Bangor, CA, will talk about how grazing management can aid in natural oak recruitment as a landscape-scale solution. They will share the outcomes of their own research and their experiences in conducting research through the Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant program.
It can be difficult to obtain financing for conservation practices, as many government grants are confusing with burdensome reporting. Zero Foodprint exists to make it easy for growers to access funds for conservation practices, through our Compost Connector and Restore programs. This workshop will outline how each program works including eligibility, timelines, scoring criteria, and how they can overlap. There will also be time at the end for questions and attendees will be connected to the staff members who run each program if they have further questions.
Analysis of California water rights concerning small-scale agriculture and rural water consumers. Exploration of primary rural water systems, focusing on system reliability, life spans, and expenses. Examination of water usage efficiency, including a guide on conducting a distribution uniformity test and overall assessment of water systems, along with the importance of conducting such tests.
