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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El taller mostrara la transición de una empresa convencional a un modelo de ganadería regenerativa, mostrando como fueron variando indicadores económicos, ambientales y productivos con el paso de los años. se hablara sobre los objetivos y desafíos que tuvimos que sortear y lo que vemos para el futuro.
Regenerative agriculture practices can build soil health and increase the resilience of farms to climate extremes. Access to equipment and information can be a barrier to entry for farmers who wish to experiment with new practices. This workshop will include a 30 min presentation on practical equipment considerations for implementing regenerative practices on California farms. In addition, the workshop will share practical resources and tools from the Western Cover Crops Council and the University of California Cooperative Extension that farmers can use to manage cover crops and adopt other soil health practices. Stories from California farms will be shared including successes, challenges, and strategies for when things do not go as planned. There is no one-size-fits all for implementing regenerative practices in a Mediterranean climate with diverse cropping systems and short crop rotations. Big picture considerations for maintaining soil health, implementing soil building practices and selecting cover crop species will be shared.
Farmers will learn how to apply federal income tax rules to their unique situation and learn whether they need to file. Farmers will learn minimum IRS requirements for maintaining accurate documentation, and best practices that will help them manage their profitability.
There is no one metric that can be used to quantify soil health. Instead, we rely on measurements from an array of indicators to paint a picture of what is going on in the soil. With all of the options available, how do you know which tests to use? Are the results accurate? How do you put those results into context and build strong soil health on your farm? In this workshop, we will explore the various lab analyses and in-field measurements of soil health and talk about their benefits, drawbacks, and usage for farmers and technical assistance providers. UC Cooperative Extension and UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program staff will share our experiences with measuring soil health and working to develop an in-field soil health assessment for farmers in Northern California.
This virtual workshop will provide a big-picture overview of key management strategies to promote apple orchard health. We will start with a 30-minute presentation that covers soil, nutrient, and water management and Integrated Pest Management strategies for insect pests and diseases focusing on organic/agroecological approaches. This will include examples and helpful photos of visual symptoms of different issues. At the end of the presentation, I will share a quick poll with the audience to ask them to rank which aspects of orchard health they'd like to hear most about from experienced apple growers. I'll share the results with everyone so we can all see which topics are highest priority. For the remainder of the time, we'll hear from a panel of small-scale commercial apple growers to learn which strategies they use in their orchards to promote orchard health, what works best for them in their context, and why. This will help show attendees what these strategies look like in practice and how strategies can be tailored to different orchard situations. After panelists feel they have covered the attendees' identified priority topics, we'll open it up for Q&A to help attendees explore how to effectively apply these strategies in their own orchards.
Urban Agriculture is crucial for communities and local economies, diversity of ecosystems, and climate resiliency. The workshop "Growing Urban Agriculture: Challenges, Pathways, and Equity for a Resilient Landscape" will highlight a collective set of goals aimed at uplifting the importance of and need to support urban agriculture in California. Urban agriculture is a vital entryway for urban communities to connect to the greater food system. This workshop will offer space for important discussion around bridging urban and rural agricultural communities to build stronger relationships and power for our local food producers. It will also inform participants about the benefits and challenges of urban agriculture, current programs and opportunities, and how to advocate for all of California’s small farms.
Keely advocates for agriculture policies that contribute to stronger regional urban grower networks and food systems, managing several statewide multi-year programs that support urban ag. Working with partner organizations, farmers, and government representatives, she works to advance... Read More →
Wednesday February 26, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm PST
Online
Farmer friends and allies, join us to celebrate CAFF’s small farm conference! The day includes: UCCE & NCGA will lead a field day from 1:00-4:00 with a brown bag lunch at Green Spiral Farm Topics: Cover crop strategies, Crops for winter harvest, and more.
Cultivos de cobertura son integrales para la salud del suelo. Existen muchas especies y estrategias de cultivos de cobertura a lo largo de cada temporada. El objetivo de este taller es familiarizarse con las diferentes especies y estrategias de cultivos de cobertura en diferentes estaciones. Un panel de agricultores con experiencia en el uso de diferentes cultivos de cobertura liderará la discusión. El taller comenzará con una breve explicación de los diferentes roles de los cultivos de cobertura y su relación con la salud del suelo, la ecología microbiana y la formación de materia orgánica del suelo. Luego, cada uno de los tres agricultores compartirá sus experiencias con una de las siguientes estrategias de cultivos de cobertura: alforfón como cultivo a corto plazo entre rotaciones en el verano, trébol intercalado en surcos de verduras como brócoli y col rizada, y mostaza intercalada con fresas o verduras en el invierno.
Los tres agricultores panelistas son: Emilia Santos Pérez, propietaria de Alfa y Omega Organic Farm; Guillermo Lázaro, propietario de ALD & Y Organic Farm y Margarita Castro, propietaria de My Organic Farm. El taller será moderado por Daniel Hoffman, especialista en agricultura sostenible del Centro Nacional de Tecnología Apropiada (NCAT). Daniel tiene una M.Sc. en Ciencias de Cultivos y Suelos de la Universidad Estatal de Michigan.
Wanting to start a farm, but unsure if it’ll be successful? Full of great ideas for your farm, but struggle to implement them? Or maybe just trying to strategize your farm’s future, but don’t know where to start? Writing a business plan can dramatically increase the success of implementing your ideas and goals. The AgPlan online business planning software has multiple templates to help you organize your business into a comprehensive business plan allowing you to highlight your unique operation. Templates include value added, agritourism, commodity, and a short-term operating plan. In this workshop, we will guide you in creating a business plan to incorporate your farm vision into your operation.
Economist, Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota
Curtis Mahnken joined the Center for Farm Financial Management in 2010 as an Extension Economist. Prior to arriving at the center, he spent four years with the University of Kentucky as an Area Extension Specialist in Farm Business Management. While at UK, he authored the 2008 Dairy... Read More →
La producción de semilla y la selección intencional de germoplasma que resista y sea productiva en ambientes cambiantes hace parte de los elementos que aumentan la resiliencia productiva y económica de quienes producen alimento en nuestro país. El Organic Seed Alliance ha trabajado por más de 20 años en proyectos de investigación y educación que buscan facilitar el acceso abundante y libre a semillas orgánicas en nuestros campos. En este taller queremos compartir con el público elementos sobre como producir, limpiar y almacenar semilla orgánica de alta calidad en la finca, y conocimientos básicos de sobre fitomejoramiento y experimentos y ensayos de selección con énfasis en rasgos que aumenten la resiliencia climática en la finca.
Es para mi y la organización con la que trabajo, El Organic Seed Alliance, un gran honor ser parte de este selecto grupo en esta importante conferencia. Me alegra inmensamente ver tantas caras conocidas. Esta vez vamos a estar hablando de cómo y por qué producir semillas orgánicas... Read More →
Wednesday February 26, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Online
Are you exploring income generating activities for your farm that go beyond what your farm produces? Perhaps you have a new invention that you'd like to sell to other farmers, a service, agritourism activities, or perhaps a new product that you plan to develop & sell? This workshop will provide perspective on legal and business assurances to help a farm prepare for receiving additional income. Topics to include tax requirements, employment law, land use, adding an additional business entity, and a review of protecting intellectual property.
Learning objectives: 1) Understand what legal protections and business considerations should be in place when selling a produce or service outside of farm income. 2) Understand how to prepare for product development and sales of product. 3) Protecting your intellectual property. Understand the differences and benefits between trademarks, patents, non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality agreements.
My passion for farming goes way back to the days when I proudly proclaimed that I wanted to be a farmer when I grew up. I’ve lived out that dream in many ways, from working on farms to managing a community garden, starting a catering company that featured local foods and running... Read More →
Wednesday February 26, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Online
Farmer friends and allies, join us to celebrate CAFF’s small farm conference.
Humboldt Regional Gathering at NCGA Harvest Hub (5720 West End Rd, Arcata CA): 4:30-7:00: Light dinner provided. 5:30: Evening program includes meet your local resource providers and each will have 1 slide/2 mins/table to give an overview.
Navegar por el proceso de inspección orgánica parece difícil, pero con la preparación adecuada, usted puede asegurar una experiencia de inspección sin problemas y con éxito. Este taller está diseñado para agricultores y productores que quieren certificar orgánico o aquellos que desean mantener su certificación. Si usted es nuevo en la certificación orgánica o si ya ha pasado antes por una inspección, esta sesión práctica le proporcionará las herramientas, los conocimientos y la confianza necesarios para prepararse para una inspección orgánica.
En este taller interactivo, los participantes aprenderán: - Comprender las normas orgánicas: Obtener un conocimiento de las normas del Programa Nacional Orgánico (NOP) y cómo se aplican a su granja u operación. - Requisitos de mantenimiento de registros: Aprender qué documentación se requiere para la inspección, incluidos los registros de producción, cosecha y venta. Discutiremos cómo establecer y mantener registros precisos que reflejen las prácticas orgánicas. - Creación de un Plan de Sistema Orgánico (OSP): Descubra cómo desarrollar un Plan de Sistema Orgánico completo y efectivo que se alinee con los estándares NOP y aborde las necesidades específicas de su operación. - Errores comunes de inspección: Comprenda los errores más comunes cometidos durante las inspecciones orgánicas y cómo evitarlos. Proporcionaremos consejos prácticos para ayudar a asegurar un proceso de inspección sin problemas. - Preparación de su instalación: Obtenga consejos para organizar su granja o instalación para la inspección, incluyendo qué esperar durante la inspección, cómo preparar a su equipo, y cómo demostrar que sus prácticas cumplen con los requisitos orgánicos. - Tratamiento de los incumplimientos: Aprenda a abordar los posibles incumplimientos que puedan surgir y asegúrese de que las medidas correctas se toman a tiempo. - Inspección: El presentador cubrirá los detalles de una inspección correcta para poner en práctica lo aprendido.
Al final del taller, estará totalmente preparado para enfrentarse a su próxima inspección orgánica con confianza, asegurándose de que su granja o instalación sigue cumpliendo con los altos estándares de la certificación orgánica. Tanto si se está preparando para su primera inspección como si está revisando sus procesos para la renovación, este taller le dará las habilidades necesarias para tener éxito.
A quién va dirigido: Este taller es ideal para agricultores, ganaderos, procesadores de alimentos y cualquier persona involucrada en el proceso de certificación ecológica, así como para aquellos interesados en mejorar sus prácticas y documentación ecológicas.
Duración: 1 hora (puede ajustarse en función de las necesidades de los participantes) Lugar de taller: Conferencia sobre pequeñas agrícolas del CAFF Únase a nosotros y dé el primer paso hacia una experiencia de inspección orgánica eficiente y exitosa.
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.
