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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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Tuesday, February 25
 

8:00am PST

Research on CalFresh & Other Nutrition Assistance Programs at Farmers’ Markets
Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:00am - 9:15am PST
This workshop will share research updates from three groups of UC ANR academics seeking to grow the use of CalFresh at farmers’ markets, as well as improve the experience of shoppers using CalFresh at markets. The recent funding threat to Market Match underscored the value of programs that connect direct marketing farmers and shoppers using nutrition assistance benefits. Each research program is testing interventions or listening for information that will strengthen those connections. You’ll hear about:

• Sacramento Region Market Access Survey: UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Olivia Henry surveyed the managers of 70 markets in the greater Sacramento region in the spring and summer of 2024. She asked about what motivated and challenged them around CalFresh and the WIC/Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. The results point to several recommendations for public agencies and technical assistance providers.

• NPI’s Market Match Research: In the summer of 2024, the Nutrition Policy Institute enrolled about 80 CalFresh recipients, that don’t use Market Match, in a pilot intervention testing the effectiveness of using text messages to inform participants about the Market Match program offered at a farmers’ market near their recruitment site. Participants completed an initial and follow-up survey, and a small sub-sample took part in an in-depth interview.

• CalFresh at Farmers Market Assessment Tool: UC ANR academics, Shannon Klisch and Cassandra Nguyen, collaborated to develop a tool that supports best practices for market staff to welcome CalFresh shoppers. The tool is based on a systematic review of published literature, pilot testing with market managers, and surveying content experts in the field. Practices included in the tool cover program implementation, accessibility considerations, market culture, communications about programs, and marketing.
Speakers
SS

Samantha Sam-Chen

Project Policy Analyst, UC ANR Nutrition Policy Institute
Samantha is a project policy analyst at NPI. She has a Master of Public Health in Nutrition from UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. Her primary research interests include food and nutrition insecurity, evaluating food and nutrition programs, and early childhood nutrition interventions... Read More →
avatar for Cassandra Nguyen

Cassandra Nguyen

Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, UC Davis
avatar for Olivia Henry

Olivia Henry

Regional Food Systems Area Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension
Olivia Henry is an Area Food Systems Advisor for Solano, Yolo, Sacramento, Placer and Nevada counties. Her program focuses on resilient supply chains; distribution and processing infrastructure; food security; and food waste and recovery. She has a master's degree in community development... Read More →

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:00am - 9:15am PST
Online

11:30am PST

CNIP Nutrition Incentive Program, Advocacy and Funding Updates: A review of the CA State Budget funding for food and agriculture programs
Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:30am - 12:45pm PST
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.
Organizer
PB

Portia Bramble

North Coast Growers' Association
Speakers
avatar for Martin Bourque

Martin Bourque

Executive Director, Ecology Center
AN

Andy Naja-Riese

Agricultural Institute of Martin
SG

Sam Greenlee

Alchemist Community Development Corporation
avatar for Tiffany Germain

Tiffany Germain

Research & Policy Advisor, NexGen Policy
Tiffany Germain specializes in high-level public policy analysis and political research. Her primary areas of emphasis include tackling food insecurity, providing more healthy school meals in California schools, and developing California’s food system networks.Before joining NextGen... Read More →

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:30am - 12:45pm PST
Online

1:15pm PST

Farmers' Market Roundtable: Navigating Hot-Button Issues in Today’s Certified Farmers' Market Landscape
Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
This roundtable, hosted by the CA Alliance of Farmers' Markets, offers a dynamic space for farmers' market professionals and stakeholders to come together and discuss the most pressing issues facing the industry today. In an open and collaborative format, participants will have the opportunity to share challenges, brainstorm solutions, and explore best practices around key topics such as market regulations, vendor management, financial sustainability, marketing, nutrition incentive grants, and the evolving role of markets in local communities.

CA Farmers' Market Industry leaders Cara Mae Woodloge of Napa Farmers Markets and Minni Forman Food and Farming Program Director at the Ecology Center will facilitate the discussion

With a focus on peer-to-peer learning, this session will encourage attendees to share insights, ask questions, and provide support to one another as they navigate the complexities of operating successful farmers' markets in California.

Speakers
TA

Tasha Ardalan

So Cal Farmers' Markets
avatar for Brijet Myers

Brijet Myers

CEO, San Diego Local Markets
Brijet Myers has spent 14 years as a San Diego farmers market manager, operations director, and now CEO of the largest farmers market organization in San Diego County. She and her team have helped launch multiple area markets and still operate the twice weekly Little Italy Merca... Read More →
avatar for Cara Mae Wooledge

Cara Mae Wooledge

Executive Director, Napa Farmers Market

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
Online
 
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2025 California Small Farm Conference
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