Small Acreage Farmers and Ranchers Reap a Bounty from Conference

More than 500 participants recently gathered in Sacramento for the 22nd California Small Farm Conference -- the “biggest little conference” for family farmers and those that support them.  NRCS had a major role in planning the conference and sponsoring short courses, tours, technical workshops, exhibits, and other educational activities that focused on NRCS planning services and technical and financial programs designed primarily for smaller-acreage, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers.  The conference provides learning opportunities that cover the breadth of sustainable and profitable agricultural operations including conservation, production and marketing.

This year’s theme, “Farming for the Future,” focused on the ideas and innovations that small-acreage farmers can invest in today to sustain their operations for future generations.  In California, planning for the future means drought preparedness, insuring a safe and wholesome food supply, implementing conservation systems, responding to increased demands for specialty crops and USDA-certified organic products, and addressing a whole host of other issues.  These topics were addressed through a wide format of activities consisting of six, field-based short courses; five, themed workshop tracks; and learning-based networking activities including a tasting reception featuring locally-grown products, a technical expo designed to foster ideas and find solutions for today’s small farms, and a recognition program honoring service in support of family farms.  California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura delivered the keynote address and shared his views on the importance of a reliable and environmentally sustainable food supply grown by an economically vital California family farm and ranch industry. 

The pride and joy of the California Small Farm Conference, a non-profit organization supported by NRCS and other USDA agencies including Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Development, Rural Management Agency, and National Agricultural Statistics Service, is its Scholarship Program that offers California agricultural producers, along with a few students and farmers’ market managers, the opportunity to participate in the conference. About 100 scholarships were awarded this year.

All of California and the diversity of its farmers are represented at the conference thanks to the focused outreach efforts of California NRCS employees and other conference partners.  For those who learn more effectively in their non-English native languages, volunteers assist with real-time translation assistance and conference mentorship.
Your contact is California NRCS outreach coordinator Lisa A. Hokholt at 925-371-0154 Ext. 118.