Conference Schedule at a Glance

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 – Preconferences

9:30 – 12:30 PMBFTP 2025 Presentations & GraduationColesville
1:30 – 4:00 PMChesapeake Herbshed Gathering & Organoleptic Tea TastingFenton Room (2nd Floor)
1:30 – 4:30 PMCut Flower Production 201: Deep Dive Into Intermediate Crops – Ranunculus, Lisianthus, Dahlias, and More!Spring Room
1:30 – 4:30 PMBFTP 2026 OrientationColesville
1:30 – 4:30 PMSeed Farming IntensiveEllsworth Room B
 

Thursday, January 22, 2026

8:00 AM – 7:30 PMRegistration Open & ExhibitsExhibitor Hall
8:00 AM – 9:00 AMCoffee & Tea AvailableHeated Tent & Exhibitor Hall
Session I
8:30 AM – 9:45 AMFrom Soil to Human Health: Findings from the Rodale Vegetable Systems TrialMain Ballroom
8:30 AM – 9:45 AMFrom Field to Shelf: Herb Drying and Processing for MarketFenton Room (2nd Floor)
8:30 AM – 9:45 AMField-Grown Cut Flowers: How to Maximize Quality and ProductionSpring Room
8:30 AM – 9:45 AMLet’s Talk About Farmer CooperativesEllsworth Room A
8:30 AM – 9:45 AMDocumenting Foodways: Archives and Intergenerational MemoryEllsworth Room B
8:30 AM – 9:45 AMCultivating Community: The Agrovillage ModelColesville Room (2nd Floor)
 
10:00 AM – 11:30 AMLand Acknowledgement & Keynote Session: Origins of Regenerative Agriculture PanelMain Ballroom
11:30 AM – 12:45 PMBoxed Lunch + Farmer-to-Farmer Meet UpsAll Rooms
 
Session II
12:45 PM – 2:00 PMPasa Soil Health Benchmark Study: Insights from 7+ years of Data from Mid-Atlantic FarmsMain Ballroom
12:45 PM – 2:00 PMThe Happy CSA Farmer – Build a Profitable CSAFenton Room (2nd Floor)
12:45 PM – 2:00 PMIntegrating Pastured Poultry with a Vegetable OperationSpring Room
12:45 PM – 2:00 PMRaising Hair Sheep HolisticallyEllsworth Room A
12:45 PM – 2:00 PMWhat is Care Farming?: Utilizing Farming for Therapeutic PurposesEllsworth Room B
12:45 PM – 2:00 PMStrengthening School Meals Through Aggregator PartnershipsColesville Room (2nd Floor)
 
Session III
2:00 PM – 4:30 PMCoffee & Tea AvailableHeated Tent & Exhibitor Hall
2:15 PM – 3:30 PMFarm HR: How to Hire and Manage EmployeesMain Ballroom
2:15 PM – 3:30 PMIntro to Soil HealthFenton Room (2nd Floor)
2:15 PM – 3:30 PMStatewide Guidance to Navigate the Complexities of Value-Added AgricultureSpring Room
2:15 PM – 3:30 PMSilvopasture for Pigs and PoultryEllsworth Room A
2:15 PM – 3:30 PMIntroduction to Produce Safety, Cleaning and Sanitizing Food Contact SurfacesEllsworth Room B
2:15 PM – 3:30 PMSpecial SessionsColesville Room
 
Session IV
3:45 PM – 5:00 PMWhat is Wrong with My Plant Quiz GameFenton Room (2nd Floor)
3:45 PM – 5:00 PMIntro to Farm Digital Marketing ToolsSpring Room
3:45 PM – 5:00 PMSoup Is the Stock of the People: Reclaiming Black Foodways as Community Practice and Economic Resilience [DEMO]Ellsworth Room A
3:45 PM – 5:00 PMEdible Winter Peas: The Possibilities and AdvantagesEllsworth Room B
3:45 PM – 5:00 PMPoultry, Sheep and Goats: Protecting Your Small Livestock from PredatorsColesville Room (2nd Floor)
  
5:00 PM – 7:00 PMHappy Hour: Cash Bar & Appetizers, Live Cooking Demo & Comedy Show!Main Ballroom & Exhibitor Hall
 

Friday, January 23, 2026

7:30 AM – 4:30 PMRegistration Open & ExhibitsExhibitor Hall
8:00 AM – 9:30 AMCoffee & Light BreakfastHeated Tent
8:15 AM – 9:30 AMAnnual Membership MeetingMain Ballroom A
 
Session V
9:30 AM – 10:45 AMCSA Design and AdministrationMain Ballroom
9:30 AM – 10:45 AMSmall Farm Investments for a Climate-Resilient FutureFenton Room (2nd Floor)
9:30 AM – 10:45 AMNonbinary BotanySpring Room
9:30 AM – 10:45 AMAlternative Fertility Sources for Forage SystemsEllsworth Room A
9:30 AM – 10:45 AMFrom Plot to Pivot: Growing Community Through Urban Agriculture & Wholistic EntrepreneurshipEllsworth Room B
9:30 AM – 10:45 AMProduction Planning and Scaling Up to Sell to SchoolsColesville Room
 
11:00 AM – 12:15 PMKeynote: Lisa Held, Civil EatsMain Ballroom
12:15 PM – 1:45 PMBoxed Lunch + Farmer-to-Farmer Meet UpsAll Rooms
 
Session VI
1:45 PM – 3:00 PMSeed Farming at Any ScaleMain Ballroom
1:45 PM – 3:00 PMSave Silver with Old IronFenton Room (2nd Floor)
1:45 PM – 3:00 PMWorkshop with Dr. Nazirahk AmenSpring Room
1:45 PM – 3:00 PMWool in the SoilEllsworth Room A
1:45 PM – 3:00 PMSmall Farm Meets Big Institutional PartnerEllsworth Room B
1:45 PM – 3:00 PMNative Habitat Design for Regenerative AgricultureColesville Room (2nd Floor)
 
Session VII
3:15 PM – 4:30 PMUSDA Reorganization, Changes in Food and Agriculture Policy, and Grassroots Advocacy in a Tumultuous YearMain Ballroom
3:15 PM – 4:30 PMDeciding if Organic Certification is Right for Your OperationFenton Room (2nd Floor)
3:15 PM – 4:30 PMYou’ve Got to Be Kidding Me – Mitigating Risk on the FarmSpring Room
3:15 PM – 4:30 PMNRCS Customer Service (What to Expect)Ellsworth Room A
3:15 PM – 4:30 PMGrowing for Diversity: Meeting the Needs of a Changing CommunityEllsworth Room B
3:15 PM – 4:30 PMFarming with Care: When Farming Promotes Physical & Emotional ResilienceColesville Room
Special Field TripField Trip to Koiner FarmOffsite (Meet at Registration)
 

Saturday, January 24, 2026 – Post-Conference

8:00 am – 5:00 pmProduce Safety Rule (PSR) Grower TrainingSpring Room
9:00 am – 1:00 pmFRESHFARM Farmer’s Market of Downtown Silver SpringOffsite