Advocacy 101: Grassroots Movements for Farming Communities
Speakers: Alice Morrison: Co-Executive Director of Friends of Family Farmers; Jenny Jonak, Dragon Song Farm and member of FoFF’s Farmer Policy Advisory Committee; Taylor Sarman, Mahonia Public Affairs
Join Friends of Family Farmers for a session exploring how to build a movement in your farm community. We will go over tips for rural organizing, identifying your problem and target, and deep dive into the behind the scenes of a legislative session! We will learn how to determine the origin of your problem (local/county, state law, or federal law), how the state sessions work (in both a short and long session), how a bill becomes a law, how to give effective written and oral testimony, navigating OLIS, tracking particular bills you care about, and building relationships with your legislators and advocates.
It is now more important than ever farmers learn the skills and understand the importance of advocacy and they have the potential power to make systemic changes to our local food system. We want to create more opportunities for farmers to build the skills necessary to be a successful advocate for themselves and their farming community.
Bookkeeping Basics: Find Your MVP Bookkeeping System
Speaker: Geoffrey Van, Rogue Farm Corps
Farms need good financial systems for many reasons – filing taxes, applying for loans/grants, budgeting, making business decisions, to name a few. The world of farm finances begins with good financial data points. Learn how to set up what we like to call a MVP (minimum viable product) bookkeeping system (using Quickbooks online), and how every farm can use a bookkeeping system to level up their business. Approachable to the numbers-shy with practical takeaway knowledge. No prior experience with financials required!
Crop Planning for Market Growers
Speaker: Dan Brisebois, Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm & the Seed Farmer Podcast
With a good spreadsheet by your side, you can plan your crop successions so you can provide a steady supply of crops for your farmers markets and CSA baskets. Come and walk through a simple yet thorough crop planning spreadsheet system to set your financial goals, your sales plan, your field plan, and your nursery plan. We will explore the nuts and bolts of Pivot Tables and how to get the most out of your spreadsheets.
Cultivating Native Seed Production Capacity: Lessons from a Native Seed Farmer Search in Oregon
Speakers: Mara Friddle, IAE Farm & Facilities Manager; Kate Wellons, IAE Greenhouse Manager & Grower Outreach Coordinator
This presentation outlines the lessons learned from a multi-year project to develop more native seed farmers by two restoration-focused nonprofits, The Institute for Applied Ecology and The Understory Initiative. These organizations specialize in producing native seeds for conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Recognizing a need for more native seed producers, they sought to incubate a network of Oregon growers to increase the diversity and quantity of plant materials available for restoration work. Farmer development involved providing technical guidance to both new and experienced farmers to enhance their suitability as native seed producers. Additionally, a new online resource, Oregon Restoration Growers Guild (ORGG), was created to help connect growers throughout the state. Key considerations at each farm: watering systems, weed management practices, available personnel and expertise, harvesting techniques, and seed cleaning capacities. The presentation will share insights gained from the farmer development process and will highlight successful strategies and common challenges as well as introduce the ORGG. These findings will provide insight into connecting farmers to the restoration supply chain through native seed production thereby improving local economies and highlighting a pathway to supplemental income.
Exploring the Small Farm Dream
Speakers: Shannon Shannon Rauter, Oregon State University Small Farms Program; Maud Powell, Oregon State University Small Farms Program
This session will introduce the many factors involved in making decisions related to the use of small-farm property. We will discuss the small farm as a hobby, an agricultural tax deferral, and a family income, as well as how to consider financial resources, credit options, strengths, and goals. We will introduce how to match crop choices to the farm’s physical resources, such as soil type, irrigation potential, and climate, and how to choose a production technique, select traditional or specialty crops, and market crops.
From Distress to Resilience: Finding Purpose and Connection through Climate Change
Speaker: Maud Maud Powell, Oregon State University Small Farms Program
Many people are suffering from emotional consequences associated with anticipated or actual environmental changes and reacting with despair, grief, or uncertainty. Farmers, ranchers, and food producers have uniquely intimate relationships to places and landscapes, and as a result, are especially vulnerable to climate-related losses and grief. This session will offer an introduction to the notion of climate grief or eco-distress. Participants will be encouraged to explore their climate emotions and then strategize how to make their farms more resilient in the face of greater uncertainty and risk.
Growing kalo (taro) to perpetuate culture and cultivate connections with the Native Hawaiian community in Oregon
Speakers: Leialoha Kaʻula; Nicole lee Kamakahiolani Ellison, MPH; Alexandra Malia Jackson, PhD
Affiliation: Ka ʻAha Lāhui O ʻOlekona Hawaiian Civic Club of Oregon and SW Washington
In 2021, the Ka ʻaha Lāhui O ʻOlekona Hawaiian Civic Club (KALO HCC), a community organization dedicated to preserving Hawaiian culture in Oregon, developed a community garden to cultivate kalo (taro) in partnership with the Oregon Food Bank. Kalo is a traditional and spiritually significant food. KALO HCC hosts weekly and monthly workdays for families to maintain the garden, learn Hawaiian values, practices, and language, engage in talkstory, share knowledge about growing and preparing kalo, and enjoy a meal together. Recognizing the potential benefits, a community research hui (group) created and implemented a mixed-methods Indigenous evaluation during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. We will describe how we have evaluated this program and highlight the findings from the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. While this program specifically serves the Native Hawaiian community, we believe it could be adapted for other Indigenous communities to nurture and elevate their culture among those living in diaspora.
Know Your Rights: A session on immigrants’ rights for farm owners & managers
Speaker: Kate Sinkins, Esq., Zantello Law Group
Join experienced immigration law attorney Kate Sinkins for this session on immigrants’ rights. With over 20 years of experience—including work as an asylum officer and attorney for both immigrant children and adults—Kate will share valuable and timely legal insights. This session will cover:
• How to prepare I-9 Forms in advance of an ICE visit
• Where to store I-9 Forms
• Emergency contacts for employees
• What questions to ask if ICE shows up at the farm
• 3 key differences between administrative and judicial warrants
• Best practices if a raid occurs
Ms. Sinkins is providing general information and is not providing legal advice. The discussion does not establish an attorney-client relationship. No privilege is created by participating in discussion with this attorney.
OrCAN Connects – Come Chat with your Local Soil Health Network Hub
Speakers: Sage Fairman, Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network; Shannon Cappellazzi, OSU Organic Agriculture Program; Cesar Zamora, Marion Soil and Water Conservation District; Javier Urenda Camacho, Adelante Mujeres; Nan Xu, OSU Extension Service; Nikita Vincent, Mid-Willamette Valley BIPOC Farmers Co.Op; Rowan Steele, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District; Penny Feltner, Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council
Healthy soil is essential for disaster preparedness, farm viability, and climate resilience. Come learn about OrCAN’s statewide Soil Health Network, a collaborative initiative that offers farmers place-based, peer-driven, and culturally-specific support and resources through local Soil Health Hubs. This session is a chance to build excitement for healthy soil, learn about your regional hub, and connect with others working towards soil health.
The Western Water Resilience Collaborative: Lessons Learned and Next Steps
Speakers: Gabrielle Roesch-McNally, PhD. Social Science Director & Women for the Land Advisor at American Farmland Trust; Matthew Davis, Faculty Research Assistant at Oregon State University; Diane Choplin, Small Farms Education Program Assistant at Oregon State University; Carly Boyer, PNW Training and Education Manager at American Farmland Trust; Erin Upton, PhD. Social Science Analyst at American Farmland Trust
The Western Water Resilience Collaborative will share findings and results from our USDA Climate Hub Partnership award (2023-2025) and the work we were able to complete prior to the abrupt termination of the grant. We’ll share overviews from the learning circles, on-farm dry farming demonstrations, and OSU research, and we will explore how we are continuing this collaborative work throughout Washington, Oregon, and California. Participants will gain knowledge of regional water challenges, learn best practices for dry farming and other water-resilience strategies, gain access to locally based resources, and learn about upcoming virtual and on-farm events in Oregon. They will leave feeling more connected to this collaborative and with tangible next steps for improving their on-farm water resilience. Collaborative founders include American Farmland Trust, Dry Farming Institute, Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network, Oregon State University, and Washington Water Trust, in partnership with the USDA’s Northwest and California Climate Hubs.
Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP)
More information and full session description coming soon! The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is a network assembled by the USDA’s National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and resources.
Pricing Info For 2026
- Registration $85 per person until Feb. 3rd
- After Feb. 3rd $100 per person
- At the door registration may NOT be available due to venue capacity.
