Week-long California Small Farm Conference Offers Online and In-person Opportunities

The 35th annual California Small Farm Conference will host more than 50 online workshops, videos, interactive forums and in-person gatherings across the state from February 26 – March 3. The conference also includes Spanish-language virtual events.

Following is a sampling of events that will take place during the week-long conference that may be of interest to California avocado growers. Please note all the events listed below are virtual except where otherwise noted

Sunday, February 26

• Farm Resources Workshop — 8:30 a.m.
• Ag Wells 101 — 9:45 a.m.
• Farming Through Wildfire Season — 1:00 p.m.
• Understanding Farm Insurance Options — 3:00 p.m.
• Drought and Water Scarcity Impacts on Small-Scale Farmers in California — 4:15 p.m.

Monday, February 27

• Negotiation Skills for Women in Agriculture — 9:45 a.m.
• Easing the Transition: Succession Planning for Farmers — 9:45 a.m.
• Post Harvest is Not a Post-Script — 11:45 a.m.
• Serious Soil Sampling — 4:15 p.m.

Tuesday, February 28 

• How Can Small Farmers Better Access State Funding — 9:45 a.m.
• Planning for Success: Business Planning for Access to Capital — 11:45 a.m.
• Defensible Space and Infrastructure Protection for the Farm/Ranch (wildfire related) — 3:00 p.m.
• Apprenticeship: Creating Pathways to Success — 4:15 p.m.

Wednesday, March 1

• Legal Issues Facing Small Farms — 11:45 a.m.
• Recursos y Asistencia Financiera para el Agricultor Principiante (Resources and Financial Assistance for the Beginning Farmer) — 2:00 p.m.
• Seguridad Alimentaria en las operaciones agricolas: auditorias y el método de 3 (Food Safety in Agricultural Operations)— 4:15 p.m.
• Solar PV: On-farm Solar Generation — 4:15 p.m.
• Foro para los Acricultores y Campesinos (Forum for Farmers) — 6:00 p.m.
• Agricultra en tiempos de insendios forestales (Agriculture in the Times of Forest Fires) — TBD

Thursday, March 2

• San Diego Gathering (in person) — 1:00 p.m.

Please refer to the California Small Farm Conference website for a complete schedule. A list of speakers scheduled for the conference also is available online. The conference offers a pay-what-you-can admission fee.