Name: Merced / San Joaquin Valley Gathering
Start: 2025-02-28T09:00:00-0800
End: 2025-02-28T15:00:00-0800

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!

The majority of our conference workshops are recorded for later viewing at any time on CAFF’s YouTube channel, with the exception of certain small group and facilitated sessions for privacy reasons.
Interested in sponsoring this event? Learn more here

Friday February 28, 2025 9:00am - 3:00pm PST

Merced Community College - 3600 M St, Merced, CA 95348

The SJV Regional Gathering connects farmers, community members and supporters of family farms in the Central Valley to come together, meet one another and grow our community. In 2025, our regional gathering will feature a keynote address by Rizpah Bellard of Nova Farming, a variety of educational workshops, and a buyer-farmer mixer focused on connecting small-scale farmers with buyers.

DIRECTIONS:
*The Merced College address will not direct you to the event parking and event. Use the map and written directions below to make sure you arrive at the event*
Merced College Map
Coordinates: 37.33672° N, 120.47088° W
- From G Street, turn onto Community College Drive - North
- Take the first Left onto Community College Drive - East
- Take the first Left onto University Drive
- Enter the roundabout and park in either parking lot
Parking in these two parking lots is free

FULL SCHEDULE (click link for PDF version):
ARRIVAL & WELCOME
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
EVENT OVERVIEW & MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
9:00 AM - 9:25

OPENING REMARKS (INCLUDING PRESIDENT VITELLI) & KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY RIZPAH BELLARD
9:25 AM - 10:05

WORKSHOP SESSION ONE
10:15 - 11:45 pm
- How to Get Your Farm Business Ready for Organic Markets with Laura Marquez, Kitchen Table Advisors
- Local Food For All!: A Local Food Marketing Campaign Centering Central Valley Farmers & Ranchers
- Food Safety From Beginning to Advanced: Food Safety Plan Basics & 3rd Party Certification(s) with Dr. Karl Kolb
- Food Processing for Small Producers
- College Farm Tour

NETWORKING LUNCH
11:45 - 1:05

WORKSHOP SESSION TWO
1:15 - 2:45
- Farmer-Buyer Mixer
- Path to Organic Agriculture: Transition and Certification with Jennifer Nunez, CCOF and Grace Jackson, CAFF
- Local Food For All!: A Local Food Marketing Campaign Centering Central Valley Farmers & Ranchers
- Know Your Soil(s): Soil Science 101 with Sara Rosenberg, UCCE Mariposa County
- Land Assessment at the College Farm with Liya Schwartzman, California FarmLink

EVENT PARTNERS:
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Merced College
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Nova Farming

Organizer

Rasheed Hislop

Farm to Market Senior Manager, CAFF

Selling produce. Developing direct markets (CSAs). Helping small farmers access institutional markets. Food Hubs.

Grace Jackson

Farmer Services Regional Lead - Central Valley, CAFF

Speakers

Liya Schwartzman

Senior Program Manager, Equity and Conservation on Working Lands, California FarmLink

“I am honored to serve our diverse California farmers and ranchers in conserving, securing and transitioning our increasingly limited and infinitely invaluable working lands.”Liya manages FarmLink’s land access, land tenure, succession planning and innovative conservation work... Read More →

Estefania Flores

CAFF

Rizpah Bellard

Nova Farming

Rizpah Bellard is a graduate of Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (BS '15). Raised on a Black Angus cattle ranch, Cornell was the perfect fit. Through both lived and academic experiences, Rizpah has combined natural sciences with social sciences. In her... Read More →

Anna Larsen

CAFF

Dr. Karl Kolb

Ceres Certifications, International

Dr. Karl Kolb has been involved in small farming since birth. Born on a small farm inWisconsin, his first recollection of farming was watering his dad’s many rows ofvegetables which not only supported the family but also markets throughout the localarea. Growing up he raised herbs... Read More →

Chris Vitelli, Ed.D.

Superintendent/President, Merced College

Sara Rosenberg

Regenerative Agriculture Farm Advisor, UC Agriculture and Natural Resource - Cooperative Extension

Sara Rosenberg is the University of California Cooperative Extension Regenerative Agriculture Advisor for Mariposa, Merced and Stanislaus Counties. Her program evaluates and supports management decisions which improve soil health, biodiversity, and water conservation outcomes, decreasing... Read More →

Laura Marquez

Farm Business Advisor, Kitchen Table Advisors

Growing up in a family with a strong agricultural background, Laura’s connection to the agricultural world was established early on, with her maternal grandparents and their children all working in the Salinas Valley for various agricultural businesses. As a young adult, she immersed... Read More →

Briyette Andrade

Co-owner/Operator, Bakersfield Meat Co

Briyette Andrade is the co-owner and operator of Bakersfield Meat Co., a USDA-certified meat processing facility that has been serving the community since 2019. Specializing in the processing of beef, pork, and lamb carcasses, the company caters to both retail and non-retail needs... Read More →

Vicky Garcia

We have been growing almonds as a family since 2010. Having that experience, we were called to share just how delicious almonds are in their various forms. Every week we look forward to seeing our customers at farmers markets and festivals. Our love for our work has only grown since... Read More →

Friday February 28, 2025 9:00am - 3:00pm PST
Merced Community College - 3600 M St, Merced, CA 95348 3600 M St, Merced, CA 95348

In Person Gathering

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2025 California Small Farm Conference