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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Beneficial birds and insects target a range of insect and rodent pests in agriculture. Farmland can offer diverse habitats to meet their reproductive and overwintering needs, which helps support these natural predators and creates a comprehensive defense system. In this workshop, we will explore the advantages of incorporating natural enemy birds and insects into agroecosystems and discuss ways to attract and support them using nest boxes, perches, flower patches, shrubs, trees, hedgerows, and riparian zones. We’ll also address their preferences for various native and nonnative plants. By inviting these beneficial species to your farm, you enhance sustainability and promote local biodiversity.
To successfully raise poultry on pasture, or in rotation with crops, farmers need practical plans to launch, scale and manage a successful business. In this workshop, seasoned farmers will discuss practices and innovations that work well. According to the interest of those participating in the workshop, we will discuss production systems design, enterprise budgets and profitability calculators, breed selection, brooder management, sturdy mobile coops, preventive health, predator management, managing pasture for poultry, and navigating regulations on meat processing and egg marketing. NCAT/ATTRA will share highlights of the poultry entrepreneurs toolbox and take-home messages from experiments in three states on broiler production in rotation with vegetable crops. Aspiring and beginning poultry farmers will learn about how to access to sources of practical information and ongoing support.
Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, National Center for Appropriate Technology
NCAT/ATTRA information service for farmers, ranchers and other food systems peopleBeginning Farmer workshops Pastured poultry integration with crop productionOrganic certificationCulture and agriculture Soil for Water, healthy soils, conservation planningLife, meaning and cycles... Read More →
Sunday February 23, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am PST
Online
Strawberries thrive in the cooler, sunny climates of California’s Central Coast which is why the region is home to the majority of the state’s commercial strawberry production. However, there are many small-scale operations throughout the state growing strawberries in hotter, drier regions. What does it take to successfully grow strawberries on a smaller scale—especially in less climatically ideal regions? How do coastal practices need to be adapted to hotter growing conditions? How does the heat affect disease and pest prevalence?
Join UC Cooperative Extension Small & Organic Farms Advisor, Margaret Lloyd, and Community Education Specialist, Lindsey Kelley, as we dive into these questions plus topics like cultivar selection, irrigation needs, planting and harvesting schedules, post-harvest handling, and more!
We will cover the practical and legal knowledge required to run a successful operation in California alongside wildlife. We will cover deterrence, exclusion, guardian animals, and the dynamics of "Barnyard CSI" and kill site forensics. We will also touch on conflict with domestic animals (especially loose dogs) with livestock, and how wildfires, drought, and a changing legal landscape impact farmers, ranchers and wildlife. Our perspective is pro-farmer, pro-rancher, pro-homesteader, and pro-wildlife. Attendees will come away informed and empowered, including with information on how to access free resources to solve conflicts with wildlife legally and safely.
Every farm has unique challenges and, in striving towards solutions, farmers are innovative problem-solvers well-versed in constant trial and error. However, as a farmer, you may not think of yourself as a researcher or what you do as experimental trials. This workshop will break down the basic steps you can follow to conduct practical on-farm research projects to answer questions about a range of practices, from soil health, plant breeding and cultivar selection, and climate resilience. It will feature a panel of farmers who will share their motivation for doing research on their farms, their experience running basic experiments with accessible and inexpensive tools, and the different opportunities available to receive funding and assistance to develop farmer-led research projects. The aim of this workshop is to provide the background and tools needed to cultivate your curiosity and problem-solving skills into your own research.
"First we eat, then we do everything else." ~ MFK FisherReyna also works for CAFF as a Groundwater Community Engagement Contractor, helping small farmers navigate and understand SGMA.
Moet supports the Ecological Pest Management Program to help farmers implement and sustain ecological pest management practices through applied research and outreach. She is based in the San Joaquin Valley, and conducts on-farm experiments in walnut orchards and winegrape vineyards... Read More →
Monday February 24, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Online
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.
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.
Soil health is paramount in urban agriculture for the following reasons: 1. Nutrient Supply: Healthy soil provides essential nutrients fostering growth and productivity. 2. Water Retention: Proper soil structure allows for adequate water retention, reducing frequent irrigation, which is important in urban areas where water may be scarce or expensive. 3. Pollution Mitigation: Urban soils can be exposed to various pollutants from industrial activities, traffic emissions, and waste disposal. Healthy soil can mitigate the effects of these pollutants thus improving the environment. 4. Carbon Sequestration: Urban agriculture can contribute to carbon sequestration. Healthy soils act as carbon sinks, helping to mitigate climate change by reducing carbon dioxide levels. 5. Biodiversity Support: Healthy soils harbor diverse microbial communities and beneficial organisms, which contribute to nutrient cycling, soil aeration, and pest control. Promoting soil health in urban agriculture fosters biodiversity and ecological balance within urban ecosystems. 6. Resilience to Climate Change: Climate change can exacerbate challenges in urban agriculture, such as extreme weather events and changing precipitation patterns. Healthy soils are more resilient to these changes, providing a stable environment for plant growth despite fluctuating conditions. 7. Erosion Prevention: Urban areas often experience increased runoff and erosion due to impervious surfaces like pavement and buildings. Healthy soils are more resistant to erosion, maintaining the integrity of urban landscapes. Other topics will include soil sampling, laboratory analysis and mitigation practices. Prioritizing soil health in urban agriculture is essential for sustainable food production, environmental conservation, and resilience in the face of urban challenges.
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.
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.
