Training & Networking Events Around the Country

 

(Listed in order by DATE) 
Email Honesta Romberger at honesta@farmersmarketcoalition.org to add your conference or training to the list.

Iowa:
Save the date: The Iowa Farmers Market Association will host its annual conference February 2, 2019 from 9:00-5:00pm at Grace Lutheran Church 3010 52nd St. in Des Moines, IA. More details forthcoming.

Pennsylvania: 
The Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture Association (PASA) will hold its annual conference February 6-9, 2019 in Lancaster, PA. Click here for more info.

Missouri:
The Webb City Farmers Market and its partners will host the Winter Production Conference February 11-12, 2019 at Carer Farm in Jefferson City, MO. Registration is limited to 100 participants. Click here for more info.

West Virginia:
The 15th Annual West Virginia Small Farm Conference will be held February 13 – 16, 2019 at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center in Charleston, WV. Annually, the conference boasts a variety of useful topics, unique events and informative speakers across more than 100+ sessions. Under the organization of the WVU Extension Service Small Farm Center, 550 conference goers enjoyed locally sourced meals in 2018. Click here for more info.

Texas:
The Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will hold its 2019 conference February 14-16, 2019 in Corpus Christi, TX. The conference includes two days of interactive learning sessions, plus multiple add-on pre-conference workshops and farm tours. Click here for more info. 

Maryland:
The Maryland Farmers Market Association is hosting a farmer and farmers market manager meet up on February 18, 2019 in Millersville, MD. The meet up is for a farmers who want to add another market for the season but doesn’t know where to begin to look, or market managers who need a few more farmers to round out their product line up. Click here for more info.

Tennessee:
The Pick TN Conference will be held February 21-23, 2019 in Franklin, TN. Workshops will include everything from farming, beekeeping, flower growing, farmers markets, TN wine growing, organics and everything in between! Click here for more info.

Oregon:
The Oregon Farmers Markets Association will host the OFMA Annual Meeting on Friday, February 22, 2019 in Corvallis, Oregon, which will be followed by a Farmers Market Track on Saturday as part of the OSU Small Farms Conference.  Details posted here when available.

California/Nationwide:
The InTents Conference will be held February 24-26, 2019 in San Diego, CA. The conference will welcome small farmers, food makers, and market manager from throughout the US for 3 days of speakers, panels, workshops, and networking. Speakers include Anastasia Cole Plakias of Brooklyn Grange, author of The Farm on the Roof, Ben Feldman of the Farmers Market Coalition, and Brent Preston of The New Farm. FMC save on registration with Discount Code FMC2019. Click here for more info.

Oklahoma: 
The 5th annual Oklahoma Farmers Market Conference will be held February 27-March 1, 2019. will include sessions and programs targeting growers, market vendors, market managers, community partners & agritourism producers. Click here for more info.

Massachusetts:
The Harvest New England Agricultural Marketing Conference and Trade Show will take place February 27-28, 2019 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA. Sponsored by the six New England State Departments of Agriculture, this biennial conference features nearly 30 workshops, a trade show of almost 100 exhibitors, and a full day of programming for farmers market managers on February 27th. The market manager seminar includes presentations such as: Charting the Course through Demographic Change; Is it Local? Integrating a Traceability and Product Source Policy into Your Farmers Market; Risk management; and Leveraging Consumer Shopping Habits for a Successful Market. Click here for more info.

Colorado:
The Colorado Farmers Market Association Annual Conference will be held March 1-2, 2019 at Chatfield Farms/Denver Botanic Gardens, Littleton, CO. The conference will include tours of local farmers markets and farms, a Meet and Greet with local farmers and presentations on topics including: Getting Involved in Food Access/Food Systems Advocacy, Double-Up Food Bucks and Promoting Farmers Markets. There will be time built in for small group sharing, as well as informal networking. Click here for more info and to register.

Louisiana:
Campti Field of Dreams will host Back to Your Roots: A Sustainable Agriculture Masters Series March 7-9, 2019, at Reese Hall on the Louisiana Tech University campus and other locations in the Ruston, Louisiana, area. This 3-day conference has much to offer those in all phases and interests of gardening and sustainable farming. The theme of Food Leading Change covers topics ranging from edible landscaping, beekeeping, and pasture management, to season extension using high tunnels and other appropriate technology. Click here for more info.

Alaska:
The Alaska Food Policy Council and the Alaska Farmers Market Association are partnering for the 4th semi-annual Alaska Food Festival & Conference March 8-9, 2019. Click here for more info.

Vermont:
Save the Date: The Vermont Farmers Market Conference will be held March 20, 2019. More details forthcoming.

Ohio:
The Ohio Farmers Market Conference will be held March 21-22, 2019in Dublin, OH. The conference is open to market managers, market producers, and other vested individuals. This year’s conference will include Food Safety 101 with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, a statewide report from Produce Perks Midwest, and an update on the Farmers Market Promotion Program from the organization. Other topics include strategic and long term planning, cultural competencies and more, including Fresh Link Ambassador training hosted by Case Western. Click here for more info.

Washington State:
The Washington State Farmers Market Association will host the 2019 Washington Farmers Market Conference March 21-23, 2019 in Walla Walla, WA. Join the Pacific Northwest’s finest farmers market managers, board members, farmers, partner organizations, market vendors, and volunteers for targeted workshops and training opportunities, dynamic speakers, fun-filled social/networking events, local tours, and the WSFMA’s annual member meeting. Click here for more info.

Minnesota:
A project of the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Renewing the Countryside, and the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association, “Blazing Trails through the Jungle of Food Regulations” is a half-day training workshop about local food regulations. An April 17, 2019 workshop will be held in Goodview, MN. Contact Shannon Randall at shannonr@goodviewmn.com or 507-452-1630 to RSVP and for more details.

Virginia:
4th Virginia Urban Agriculture Summit will be held April 23-25, 2019 in Virginia Beach, VA. The summit brings together more than 100 urban farmers, gardeners, foodies, ag-tivists, policy makers, and government leaders for three days of networking and learning about one of agriculture’s fastest growing sectors. Call for abstracts still open for oral, panel and poster presentations. Click here to learn more.

Virginia:
The Virginia Farmers Market Association will host its 7th annual conference November 13-15, 2019 at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton Virginia. Click here to learn more.