2025 California Small Farm Conference: Full Schedule

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

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12:30pm PST

North Bay Regional Gathering

Thursday February 27, 2025 12:30pm - 6:30pm PST

Green Valley Farm + Mill - 13024 Green Valley Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472

Join us at Green Valley Farm + Mill, just outside Sebastopol, CA, for the North Bay gathering of the CA Small Farm Conference. This event, open to anyone working within the small farm community, will feature an afternoon of educational workshops, panels, farm tours and networking events followed by a happy hour social.

FULL SCHEDULE
ARRIVAL & WELCOME
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

SESSION ONE
1:00 - 2:15 pm

Farm to School
Dry Farming Techniques
Farm Tour with Green Valley Farm + Mill & Brambletail Homestead (repeated at 4pm)

SESSION TWO
2:30 - 3:45

Rodent Pest Control
Selling to Food Banks
Pricing for Different Markets & Knowing Your Cost to Grow

SESSION THREE
4:00 - 5:15 pm

Selling Wholesale & Working with Food Hubs
Farmers Markets & Other Direct Sales
Farm Tour with Green Valley Farm + Mill & Brambletail Homestead (repeated at 1pm)

HAPPY HOUR WITH FOOD & DRINKS
5:30 - 6:30 pm

NOTE: Snacks, drinks, and lite bites (tamales!) during happy hour will be provided. Warm layers and farm-appropriate attire encouraged. Make sure to add this event to your personal schedule on Sched to receive updates.

EVENT PARTNERS:

Community Alliance with Family Farmers
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Agricultural Institute Of Marin
Southwest Regional Food Business Center, University of California, Santa Cruz

Organizer

Layla Aguilar

Ecological Farming Program Manager, CAFF

Arabelle Schoenberg

North Bay Regional Lead, Farmer Services, CAFF

Evan Wiig

Communications Director, CAFF

Evan Wiig is the Director of Membership & Communications for Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and the founder of The Farmers Guild. A community organizer with a passion for regenerative agriculture, he's not only worked on farms and ranches across California, but previously... Read More →

Speakers

Caiti Hachmyer

Farmer, Red H Farm

Clare Reisman

criesman@santarosa.edu

Yvonne Socolar

Research Scientist, UC Berkeley

Yvonne's research interests lie at the nexus of agriculture and climate resilience. She studies how diversified management practices influence plant-soil-microbe interactions to promote farms’ ecological and economic well-being, particularly in the face of water limitations.

Zuriel Bernier

Breanna Martinico

UC Cooperative Extension

Thursday February 27, 2025 12:30pm - 6:30pm PST
Green Valley Farm + Mill - 13024 Green Valley Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472 13024 Green Valley Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472

In Person Gathering

Audience Experienced Farmers, Farmers, New & Beginning Farmers

2:30pm PST

Sacramento/Yolo/Solano Gathering (Farm Tour and Social Evening)

Thursday February 27, 2025 2:30pm - 8:00pm PST

West Sacramento Community Center - 1075 West Capitol Avenue West Sacramento, CA 95691

Farmers and local food advocates are invited to the Sac/Yolo/Solano gathering to mix, mingle, and enjoy food and drinks as a culminating event to this year's California Small Farm Conference. Stay tuned for more information.

SCHEDULE:
- 2:30-3:30 PM: Farm Visit and Tour at the Center for Land-Based Learning's Riverfront Farm (985 Riverfront St, West Sacramento, CA 95691)
- 5:00-8:00 PM: Social and Mixer at West Sacramento Community Center (1075 W Capitol Ave, West Sacramento, CA 95691)

For parking information around Riverfront Farm: There is a gate by the farm at the corner of Riverfront St & Bridge St. You can park by the dog park there. If overflow parking is needed, there is free 2 hour parking along Riverfront St., and paid hourly parking in the city lot on Bridge St.
For parking information around West Sacramento, please refer to this list.

Organizer

Elliott Ge

Administrative and Systems Specialist, CAFF

Thursday February 27, 2025 2:30pm - 8:00pm PST
West Sacramento Community Center - 1075 West Capitol Avenue West Sacramento, CA 95691 1075 West Capitol Avenue West Sacramento, CA 95691

In Person Gathering

3:00pm PST

San Diego Regional Gathering

Thursday February 27, 2025 3:00pm - 6:00pm PST

S&S Friendly Ranch - 2105 Hollister St, San Diego, CA 92154

Farmers and local food advocates are invited to the San Diego regional gathering to mix, mingle, and enjoy food and drinks as a culminating event to this year's California Small Farm Conference.We'll be hosted by S&S Friendly Ranch in the Tijuana River Valley and have a dynamic afternoon full of discussion and sharing. We are excited to gather and share our collective efforts! Attendees can plan to participate in the following:

Discuss the Tijuana River crisis and an exciting pilot project the farm is participating in
Walking tour to visit TRV Community Garden, Wild Willow Farm & Education Center, South Bay Sustainable Communities
Advice seeking on establishing a food forest
Discuss soil-building techniques that have worked well in similar environments or in zones with past degradation history
Learn about successful self-service farm stand models from those who have implemented them

Organizer

Elizabeth Vaughan

Small Farm Technology Specialist, CAFF

Thursday February 27, 2025 3:00pm - 6:00pm PST
S&S Friendly Ranch - 2105 Hollister St, San Diego, CA 92154 2105 Hollister St, San Diego, CA 92154

In Person Gathering

4:00pm PST

Central Coast Regional Gathering

Thursday February 27, 2025 4:00pm - 7:00pm PST

United Way Monterey County Center - 232 Monterey Street, Suite 200, Salinas, CA 93901

Farmers and local food advocates are invited to the Central Coast regional gathering to mix, mingle, and enjoy food and drinks as a culminating event to this year's California Small Farm Conference. Field day and/or public viewings of select workshops may be added to the lineup. Stay tuned for more information.

Organizer

Paulina S. Hernandez

CAFF

Thursday February 27, 2025 4:00pm - 7:00pm PST
United Way Monterey County Center - 232 Monterey Street, Suite 200, Salinas, CA 93901 232 Monterey Street, Suite 200, Salinas, CA 93901

In Person Gathering

2025 California Small Farm Conference

From $20.00