2025 California Small Farm Conference

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

Michelle Bearmar

Black Mountain Farm

Owner/Manager/Farmer

Ramona

farmblackmountain.com

Find me on

About me

Small diversified farm in the foothills above San Diego. We do Seasonal veggies, pasture raised poultry (meat and eggs) and turkeys for thanksgiving. We are about cycling nutrients back into the soil and soil life and regenerating the land in the process while providing top quality products to our local communities.

8:00am PST

A New Model for Farmland Access and Transition: The Farmland Commons OnlineIan McSweeney • Kristina Villa

9:45am PST

Practical Entrepreneurship Guide for Raising Poultry on Pasture or Integrated with Crops OnlineCaleb Barron • Ann Baier

11:30am PST

Mechanization for the Small Farm OnlineElizabeth Vaughan • Nathan Dorn • Fernando Garcia • Charlotte LeMieux • David Haynes

1:15pm PST

Agricultural Land Equity in California OnlineCamille Frazier • Qi Zhou • Dorian Payán

4:45pm PST

Is There Soul in the Soil? The Spirituality of Farming OnlineJacqueline and Soleil Develle • Abraham Marquez • Benny Thompson • Angelie Ryah • Lacey Cannon

8:00am PST

Let’s Talk About Nitrogen on Your Organic Farm OnlinePatricia Lazicki • Margaret Lloyd

9:45am PST

Small-Scale Composting: Getting Started, Growing, and Building a Network OnlineYaynicut Franco • Eric Wellington • Michael Rodriguez • Rocio Perez • Rebecca Ryals

11:30am PST

A Farmer's Guide to Groundwater and SGMA OnlineCatherine Van Dyke • Robbie Jaffe • Sonia Rios • Lauren Crotty • Rogelio Ponce • Cheetah Tchudi On-Farm Recordkeeping Technologies and Strategies OnlineMaria Ridoutt-Orozco • Paulina S. Hernandez • Arabelle Schoenberg

1:15pm PST

Organic IPM for Vegetables OnlineEllie Andrews Path to Organic: How to Prepare for Organic Certification OnlineMegan Robertson • Kristen Draz • Grace Jackson

3:00pm PST

Steps for Conducting Research on Your Own Farm OnlineEllie Andrews • Reyna Yagi • Caiti Hachmyer • Samuel Guitron • Moet Takata

4:45pm PST

Regulatory and Advocacy Tools for Small Food Producers OnlineChristine Dzujna

8:00am PST

What is Carbon Farming? OnlineMargot Flynn • Joshua Kouri • Joe Pozzi

9:45am PST

Know Your Rights: Farmers, Workers, Immigrants & Allies OnlineJudith Redmond • Vivian Wauters • Wendy Sosa • Nicole A. Gorney

11:30am PST

CNIP Nutrition Incentive Program, Advocacy and Funding Updates: A review of the CA State Budget funding for food and agriculture programs OnlinePortia Bramble • Martin Bourque • Andy Naja-Riese • Sam Greenlee • Tiffany Germain

3:00pm PST

New and Ongoing Resources for Producers: Simple Grants for Compost and up to $25k for Healthy Soil Practices OnlineAlana Williams California Agriculture & A New White House OnlinePhillip Escoriaza • Mike Lavender

8:00am PST

Practical Tools for Implementing Regenerative Agriculture Practices OnlineNick Andrews • Sarah Light

9:45am PST

Soil Health In-Field Tests and Lab Analyses: What do they tell us? What are their limitations? How do they compare? OnlineMargaret Lloyd • Lindsey Klein • Vivian Wauters

3:00pm PST

San Diego Regional Gathering S&S Friendly Ranch - 2105 Hollister St, San Diego, CA 92154Elizabeth Vaughan