The 2024 conference schedule allows each attendee to participate in NINE unique sessions!
Plus keynote addresses and lunch on Friday and Saturday, Friday evening activities, and Thursday pre-conference intensives, if you choose.
Click on the program cover (left) or scroll down to browse and plan your conference experience.
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19TH |
| Beginning Farming Calvert Ballroom CD | Understanding NRCS: A Deeper and Practical Approach – When it comes to USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), it can feel like “Apply apply apply, deny deny deny” for the historically underserved farmer or rancher. Join Hillery and Jaimie for a farmer and fact-based perspective on applying to and succeeding with NRCS programs like EQIP and CSP. This session is for all farmers, land stewards, and service providers. (Jaimie McGirt, RAFI; Hillery Goodgame, Blue Heron Urban Farms & Sanctuary) |
| Business of Farming & Crop Production Salon F | My Best CSA Marketing Strategy – Want to know farmer Lisa Duff’s effective market strategy to retain CSA and market customers in a few hours a week? Marketing and retention are crucial for farmers in order to become and stay profitable. Lisa will present about her email market strategy and how she fits in marketing amidst all the other tasks as a working farm owner. (Lisa Duff, Oak Spring Farm LLC) |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | On-Farm Composting & Compost Use in Maryland – On-Farm Composting and On-Farm Compost Use are essential for cultivating soil health, the availability of high-quality compost, and for circular food systems in Maryland. This session will dive into an innovative approach to adding composting operations to your farm and how to holistically integrate compost application with other soil health practices. (Kristie Blumer, Compost Crew; Keith Ohlinger, Porch View Farm; Linda Bilsens Brolis, Institute for Local Self-Reliance) *VA CEUs *MD CEUs |
| Wellbeing, Environment & Community Salon E | Adding Solar to Your Farm – Agrivoltaics, or Agrisolar, is the simultaneous use of land for generating solar power and agriculture. It has potential to strengthen farmer financial stability at the same time as building soil health, and capturing energy. This panel includes a current solar grazer in Maryland. (Devora Kimelman-Block, Fair Farms & Waterkeepers Chesapeake; Emily Chamelin, Aerie Farm East & Maryland Lamb Co-op) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Experienced Farmer Chat – This session is for farmers who have 5+ years experience farming. Meet up with old friends and make a few new ones. Two experienced diversified vegetable growers will host with a few prepared topics. (Emma Jagoz, Moon Valley Farm; Bryan Alexander, Good Dog Farm) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Calvert Ballroom AB | Farmers as Endurance Athletes: Stretch and Strengthen to Stay In the Game – Farming is an active lifestyle – full of repetitive movements but not always ideal ergonomics. In order to keep farming the way that best suits you, avoid injury (and/or recover from), and enjoy best physical fitness, you’ll benefit from stretching and strengthening complementary muscle groups on a regular basis. (Janet Aardema, Broadfork Farm) |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19TH |
| Beginning Farming Calvert Ballroom CD | Let’s Talk Leases – What can you do to best protect yourself when it comes to writing up and signing leases with land owners? David Giusti of Second Spring Farm will host an honest discussion on how to successfully lease land. Lawyer Megan Todd will walk through common lease questions and showcase the Conservation Lease Builder website. (David Giusti, Second Spring Farm; Megan Todd, University of Maryland Agricultural Law Education Initiative) |
| Business of Farming & Crop Production Salon F | Leveraging Online Sales for Collaboration and Profitability – Curious how multi-producer organizations get started and thrive? Learn how and why Dreaming Out Loud launched its online marketplace, CSA, and wholesale programs. You’ll leave this session with practical knowledge about how to source and manage inventory, improve community access to fresh and local food, and help producers increase profitability. (Nathan Ley, Dreaming Out Loud; William Jennings, Dreaming Out Loud; Stefanie Jaeger, Local Food Marketplace) |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | Building Your Fertility Plan: Soil Health, Fertigation, and Foliar Feeding – From cover cropping, to fertigation and foliar feeding, hear from experienced grain and diversified vegetable growers on how they have built practical soil fertility plans for their farms. (Nazirahk Amen, Purple Mountain Organics; Heinz Thomet, Next Step Produce) *VA CEUs *MD CEUs |
| Wellbeing, Environment & Community Salon E | Expanding Food Access For All with Online SNAP Payments for Farmers – Accepting and processing Online SNAP benefits as a payment method is core to advancing a healthy, just and sustainable food system. This presentation will give context for the new Online SNAP benefit program and guide attendees through the process of becoming Online SNAP eligible. (Eric Sannerud, Farm Generations Cooperative; Amy Crone, MarketLink) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Make Your Own Fire Cider (Advance sign-up required) – Fire cider is a tasty and spicy vinegar-based herbal tonic featuring ingredients that help support our bodies through the winter months. Aylén (they/she/elle) is a queer Indigenous herbalist, teacher, medicine maker and weaver of Mapuche* ancestry based on Piscataway land in Baltimore, MD. (Aylén Maquehue Ober, Ruka Healing House) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Calvert Ballroom AB | Sharing the Impacts and Opportunities of Climate Change – How is your operation being impacted by climate change? From a production point of view, how have you changed or intend to change your practices to adapt? From a business point of view, are what are the challenges and opportunities? This session is a space for farmers to discuss current experiences and future plans in the face of climate change. (Rachel McDonald, Million Acre Challenge) |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19TH |
| Business of Farming & Crop Production Salon F | Four Season Carrot Production – Carrots can be a challenging crop for many growers. Customers love them but getting consistent results can be difficult. In this session we will take a deep dive into the many aspects of growing carrots throughout the year. (Janet Aardema & Dan Gagnon, Broadfork Farm) |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | Building Soil Health & Profitability while Transitioning to Organic Grains – The demand for organic grain is strong but transitioning to Certified Organic grain production is no easy feat. The challenging 3-year process requires using 100% organic approved practices but most likely only getting conventional prices. Join this session to learn about Ray and Biwek’s four years of research trials (and tribulations) testing different management strategies for the transition period. (Ray R. Weil & Biwek Gairhe, University of Maryland) *VA CEUs *MD CEUs |
| Wellbeing, Environment & Community Salon E | Growing Together: Farm to Food Bank – Manna Food Center’s Farm to Food Bank Initiative collaborates with local farmers to provide fresh produce to those in need. Manna also offers extensive grant opportunities for hoop houses, fencing, walk-ins, and other farm expenses. Hear from Manna Food Center and from a participating farmer to see how it works and how this program strengthens food system resilience all around. (Annarose Kennedy, Manna Food Center; Marcey Guramatunhu, Chirandu Farm; Isabella Bruno, Chesapeake Bay Foundation) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Profitable Meat Marketing – Farmers struggle to set meat prices that deliver a profit. Learn marketing techniques and how to use the Cornell Meat Pricing Tool to develop prices that deliver a profit in every channel. This session offers an easy approach to the topic and introduces a free, online pricing tool from Cornell University. (Matt LeRoux, Cornell University; Becca Rimmel, Bottomland Farm) |
KEYNOTE: Kevin Atticks, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture |
| 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm Calvert Ballroom | Future Harvest farmers are at the forefront of finding solutions to bay pollution, climate change, energy and food security. Join Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, Christopher Bradshaw, Executive Director of Dreaming Out Loud, and Temitope (Tope) Fajingbesi farmer at Dodo Farms to discuss “Agriculture as the Solution.” |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19TH |
| Beginning Farming Calvert Ballroom | Secrets of the Farm & Tool Auction – Our region’s rural areas have a rich history of farm auctions, where thrifty farmers congregate for deals on everything from hand-tools to tractors, but auctions can feel complicated and intimidating to new attendees. Learn how a farm auction works, what those auctioneers are saying, and practice in our own mock auction so you’ll be ready to confidently bid. (David Giusti, Second Spring Farm) |
| Business of Farming Salon F | Data-Driven Pricing for the Farmers Market – Learn from the findings of a multi-year study conducted at farmers markets in NY. We’ll share results and their implications for farms selling fruit, vegetables and/or meat. We’ll also have farmer Becca Rimmel’s perspective as a research participant. (Matt LeRoux, Cornell University; Becca Rimmel, Bottomland Farm) |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | The How, What, Why, When, and Where for Grazing Cover Crops – Cover crops can be utilized by grazing livestock and can provide an opportunity to realize mutual benefits of improving soil health while providing forage to livestock. For cover crop grazing to be successful, both forage and livestock must be managed correctly. This presentation will discuss how to manage grazing annual forages to optimize the benefits while minimizing potential issues. (Amanda Grev, University of Maryland Extension) *MD CEUs |
| Wellbeing, Environment & Community Salon E | Agro-Ecology, Agro-Forestry, and the Farm Environment: Perspectives from a Seed Farm – Ecology, forestry, and the farm are linked by integrated disciplines which provide environmental, social, and food security benefits. Explore how each of the disciplines are implemented at the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance Tayman Demonstration Seed Farm and Training Ground in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. (Bonnetta Adeeb & Kathy Anderson, Steam Onward & Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Serving Small Farmers: Maryland Department of Agriculture |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19TH |
| Beginning Farming Calvert Ballroom | Tree Crops: A Case Study of a Young, Diversified Orchard – Swallowtail Forest Farm produces pawpaws, chestnuts, and persimmons from a diversified orchard and markets these crops locally and at a DC area Farmers Market. This session will offer an overview of our production techniques, challenges, ecological inspirations, land management, marketing strategies, and explore how you can potentially incorporate these unique tree crops into your operation. (Ethan and Anna Strickler, Swallowtail Forest Farm) |
| Salon F | Indigenous Farmer Meet-up |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | Pickin’ Chickens: Breeding and Buying for Farm Flock Success– Learn to navigate the abundant and burgeoning smorgasbord of mail-order chicken options. Walk through the old-time, hands-on techniques and measurements used at Tangly Woods to identify the most productive birds to use as select breeders for flock replenishment and improvement. (Jason Myers-Benner, Tangly Woods; Nick Sette, Oak Spring Garden Foundation) |
| Salon E | Black Farmer Meet-up |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Farm to School: Becoming a School Meals Supplier – The Maryland State Department of Education is in the planning stages of designing an online marketplace for ordering and fulfilling local products. Take a moment to join this session and learn more. (Kanika Campbell & Leslie Sessom-Park, Maryland Department of Education) |
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| Beginning Farming Calvert Ballroom CD | Getting Out The Dirt: Three Farmers Share Lessons Learned from Their First Year of Operations – An herbalist/value-added farmer, a produce farmer, and a flower farmer will share lessons learned from their first year of operation. Each will share an overview of their farm business including structure, licenses, and sales channels, as well as their top three lessons learned. (Maura Russell, Ad Astra Farms of Maryland; Kendra Ragland, Practical Botanicals; Melanie Wright, Agape Farm) |
| Business of Farming & Crop Production Salon F | Investment Decisions and Enterprise Budgeting – If you have a hard time weighing the costs and benefits of new opportunities, such as selling at a new farmers market or purchasing new equipment, this workshop on enterprise budgeting will give you a framework for decision making and show you how to evaluate whether an investment is affordable. (Julia Shanks, Julia Shanks Food Consulting) |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | Benefits, Barriers & Opportunities of Agroforestry in the Chesapeake Bay Region – This panel of agroforestry producers, technical assistance providers and academics will discuss the combined opportunities and barriers to adoption – and also discuss ways that producers and staff at supporting organizations can connect right now with new resources and funding aimed to help expand agroforestry in the Chesapeake region. (Ruth Tyson; Jonathan McRay, Silver Run Forest Farm; Ben Davies, Wild Fox Farm; John Munsell, Virginia Tech; Eliza Greenman, Savannah Institute) *MD CEUs |
| Wellbeing, Environment & Community Salon E | Cultivating Communities – As a young nonprofit, The Community Ecology Institute will share lessons learned from our stewardship of two farm properties and the implementation of our experiential and intergenerational education programs. In particular, we will highlight the impact of our work to promote climate action and collective wellbeing in our community, and discuss challenges, successes, and areas for future collaboration. (Simon Sauvageau & Chiara D’Amore, Community Ecology Institute) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Value-Added Farming: Creative Strategies for Diversifying your Farm Business – In this session, we will explore inventive ways to make your farm enterprise more resilient and profitable by offering value-added opportunities. We will discuss different approaches to enhance the value of your farms by making products, hosting agritourism activities and more. Benefits include diversifying market share, increasing direct to consumer sales and establishing local brand awareness. |
| Chats & Special Sessions Calvert Ballroom AB | Food as Medicine with Farmer Nell: Making Smoothies – Farmer Nell will demonstrate how to make healthful smoothies. Farmer Nell is a photographer, activist, and farmer-chef focused on healing communities through various mediums. In 2016, Farmer Nell created CityWeeds, a healthy food and urban farming business that grows microgreens and creates cold-pressed juices. CityWeeds’ youth empowerment program, BeMoreGreen, operates out of The Food Project in southwest Baltimore. (Farmer Nell, CityWeeds) |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20TH |
| Beginning Farming Calvert Ballroom CD | Site Design for Farmers – Structures, driveways, water, fences, wildlife…your site is a puzzle. Your site design can blend your goals, gifts, and values with nature’s patterns to benefit you, your community, and the Earth. Good design is fun, easy, inexpensive and empowering. This session will introduce permaculture site design as a useful framework for making observations and plans. (Greg Strella, Pearlstone) |
| Business of Farming Salon F | Pricing Strategies What’s the right price for your products? – You may look at what other farmers charge to set your prices but if you don’t know your cost of production and other expenses, then you may not be charging enough. In this workshop, you will learn how to evaluate the factors involved in setting the right price, from understanding your costs, to knowing what makes your product special, to evaluating different selling opportunities. (Julia Shanks, Julia Shanks Food Consulting) |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | Getting Down and Dirty with Your Soil Biology – Soil is one of our most precious resources, nourishing our crops and livestock. Lisa Blazure is an experienced conservation professional who advocates for improving soil health to achieve water quality and economic goals. She will break down the basics of soil biology for crop and livestock producers. Bring your questions and curiosity! (Lisa Blazure, Stroud Water Research Center) *VA CEUs |
| Wellbeing, Environment & Community Salon E | Fireside Chat with Erika Allen of Urban Growers Collective – Bring your ideas for the universe of urban growing to this Q&A with Erika Allen moderated by Farmer Chippy of Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm in Baltimore Maryland. (Erika Allen; Richard Francis) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Advocating for Change: Agricultural Leadership and Community Building Through the Lens of Reparative Food Sovereignty – This presentation offers approaches to create a more resilient local food system guided by the goal of reparative food sovereignty – including how to cultivate and build partnerships and explore examples of collective action and solidarity to affect policy and institutional influence. (Stephanie Miller, Mystic Pine Farm) |
| Farmer-to-Farmer Calvert Ballroom AB | Gullah Geechee Country Apothecary & Stories with Brown Girl Wellness – Rica’s love of herbs runs deep. She will share her own story and herbs from her Gullah Geechee heritage and then invite you to share your own stories of healing with herbs. Brown Girl Wellness provides narrative justice experiences and outreach services to combat illiteracy, food insecurity, health and educational disparities. (Dr. D Rica Wilson, Brown Girl Wellness Inc.) |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20TH |
| Business of Farming & Crop Production Salon F | High Tunnel Systems – Small, diversified growers now use high tunnels as an essential tool for supplying their markets with consistent, quality crops year-round. This session will cover the decisions and costs involved in purchasing and siting a tunnel as well as the construction process. It will then look at the unique growing conditions created in these structures and how they influence crop selection, irrigation, and soil fertility. (Chris Lent, National Center for Appropriate Technology) |
| Soil Health & Livestock Salon G | Food as Medicine with Dr. Nazirahk Amen – Dr. Amen is a farmer, naturopathic doctor, homeopath, and Chinese Medicine practitioner with over 20 years experience. He is licensed as both a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in the state of Maryland. (Dr. Nazirahk Amen, Wisdom Path Healing Center) |
| Wellbeing, Environment & Community Salon E | Fall in Love with Microgreens – Microgreens production is a growing concept in urban farming that is providing additional revenue for traditional farmers. They are considered a value-dded produce and have become quite popular amongst health conscious households. Let’s dig deeper into the growing, benefits and uses of Microgreens. (Tresor Thomas, Integrative Nutritional Health Coach Founder & CEO My Mustard Seed, LLC) |
| Chats & Special Sessions Harriet Tubman Room | Shedding Some Light on Lambs – Emily Chamelin and her family are the force behind Aerie Farm East. They specialize in raising classic English type Border Cheviot sheep along with cattle, Guinea Hogs, and meat goats. As co-founder of the Maryland Lamb Co-op, Emily will share how she’s been able to raise and market her lambs. (Emily Chamelin, Aerie Farm East & Maryland Lamb Co-op) |
KEYNOTE: Erica Allen, Urban Growers Collective |
| 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm Calvert Ballroom | Erika Allen co-founded the Urban Growers Collective, a Black- and women-led non-profit farm in Chicago, Illinois working to build a more just and equitable local food system. The collective aims to address the inequities and structural racism that exist in the food system and in communities of color. Rooted in growing culturally-affirming and nutritionally-dense food, the collective cultivates eight urban farms on 11 acres of land, predominantly located on Chicago’s South Side. Erika will share about the farm, her more than 20 years doing this work, and paint a picture of what she sees for the future. |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20TH |
| Chats & Special Sessions | The She-EO at Future Harvest – Calvert Ballroom Veterans Caucus – Salon F Finding Federal Funds for Your Farm or Ranch – Salon G LGBTQ+ Caucus – Salon E CAIC Listening Session – Harriet Tubman Room |
PRE-CONFERENCE THURSDAY, JANUARY 18TH |
| 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Salon F | Aging Gracefully: Strategies for Transitioning off of the Farm – Join us for a frank discussion and practical information on how to transition off the farm gracefully. This session will walk you through the legal and practical planning you need to transition farm and business ownership, along with the communication skills you may need to navigate difficult conversations and relationships. We will also have an open discussion on how you may like to provide opportunities for up-and-coming farmers to grow beyond the beginning farmer stage. Can we establish an equitable farm use agreement to the benefit of the farm owner and the next generation? (Presenters: Paul Goeringer, Agriculture Law Education Initiative, College Park, MD; Alex Chan, University of Maryland Extension, College Park, MD; Mike Klein, Good Fortune Farm, Brandywine, MD) |
| 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Salon G | Edible Native & Vegetable Perennial Plants for your Farm or Garden – Why plant, weed, cultivate and water annual vegetables year after year when you can grow perennials that mimic the annuals, plant them once, and harvest them year after year with minimal labor? Attendees will learn about the growth habit, food value and aesthetic appeal of highly nutritious perennial vegetables, herbs, flowers and leaves in addition to potential markets for these carefree plants. We will also take a close look at Native perennial edibles. These plants range from trees to bushes, groundcovers, roots and even vines and provide edible nuts, fruits, berries, flowers, leaves and more! They are well adapted to our climate, have relatively few pest and disease problems, require minimal care, and provide habitat for native creatures. In this illustrated talk, Dani will describe the growth habit, preferred habitat, care required, food value, other uses, aesthetic appeal and propagation techniques for over 25 native perennial food plants you can grow on your farm. (Presenter: Dani Baker, The Enchanted Edible Forest & Cross Island Farms, Author of “The Home-Scale Forest Garden: How to Plan, Plant and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape,” Wellesley Island, NY) $35 |
| 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Salon E | The Elephant Garlic in the Room: How to Find Land and Money for your Farm Business to Flourish |
| 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Salon F | From Ideas to Profits: Developing Successful Value-Added Products – How can you transform your ideas and commodities into new value-added products? Instructors Al and Catherine Renzi, who founded and sold a successful cheesemaking business, will share their expertise during this intensive workshop. The workshop will begin with an overview of the value-added products industry, along with strategies for finding your own niche in the market. Then we will go into how to get a product onto shelves, navigate red tape, optimize sales, and how get the funding you need to take your business to the next level, with insight from industry veterans. (Presenters: Al and Catherine Renzi, Yellow Springs Farm, Talbot County, Maryland) $25 |
| 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Salon G | Nourish Yourself! From Low Back to Burnout – It’s not easy as farmers to take time to care for ourselves, but our wellbeing is critical. Make an investment in yourself and your farm or work, by considering ways you can better care for your physical and mental health in the long run. We’ve got a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a registered dietician, and mental health counselor on board. They will walk you through exercises for your Lower Back Pain(LBP), tips for improving and understanding your nutrition, and coping skills for burnout, anxiety, and depression. Come with your questions, and leave refreshed. (Presenters: Judeline Altema, Guidance of Hope LLC, Hanover, MD; LLarance Turner & Andre Watson, Howard University, Washington DC; Chimene Castor, Complete Nutrition & Howard University, Washington DC; Daphne Altema-Johnson, Center for a Livable Future & Howard University, Washington DC) $25 |
The following conference sessions have been approved for Virginia Nutrient Management CEUs
- On-Farm Composting & Compost Use in Maryland
- Building Your Fertility Plan: Soil Health, Fertigation, and Foliar Feeding
- Building Soil Health & Profitability While Transitioning to Organic Grains
- Getting Down and Dirty with Your Soil Biology
- On-Farm Composting & Compost Use in Maryland
- The How, What, Why, When, and Where for Grazing Cover Crops
- Building Your Fertility Plan: Soil Health, Fertigation, and Foliar Feeding
- Building Soil Health & Profitability While Transitioning to Organic Grains
- Benefits, Barriers & Opportunities of Agroforestry in the Chesapeake Bay Region