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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This half-day training, developed by the California Alliance of Farmers' Markets, offers farmers' market workers, managers, volunteers or enthusiasts insight into the rules and regulations and best practices for running a CA certified Farmers market. The program is designed to equip market managers, staff, volunteers, enthusiasts, with the essential skills needed to enhance the integrity, management, and sustainability of Certified Farmers’ Markets across California.
During this interactive session, participants will dive into the foundational elements of the Farmers' Market Manual, which promotes direct farmer-to-consumer relationships and supports small independent farmers. Upon completion of the training, participants will receive a free farmers' market management manual.
The training will be led by farmers' market longtime professionals and industry leaders Portia Bramble (North Coast Growers Assn), April Lancaster (Visalia Farmers markets) , Tanya Wolf (Ag institute of Marin), and Minni Forman (Food Farming dir. Ecology Center).
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:
• 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.
• 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.
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.
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.
