Skip to Content

Program

Want to see the full program?

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Sunday August 11th: Pre-Conference Workshops

  • Water Design & Management
  • SNAP Incentives at Farmers' Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Cooperatives
  • Farm Financials
  • Youth Workshop

Click here for workshop descriptions, times, and locations!


Scroll down for Mon/Tues schedule...

Monday, August 12: General Conference

The schedule as currently planned is below. Some topics may shift, so stay tuned for the full schedule, to be posted soon.

Plenary with Texas State Representative Eddie Rodriguez

POLICY TRACK

  • The Impact of Corporate Consolidation:  Patty Lovera & Doug Constance
  • Running for Office:  Kim Olson
  • What the 2019 Texas Legislative Session Means for Local Food: Judith McGeary
  • Food Sovereignty & Community Food Control: Krysten Aguilar and Diana Padilla

HOMESTEADER/GARDENER TRACK

  • Nutrition & Health:  Dr. Lane Sebring
  • The Three Pillars of Beekeeping:  Dennis Gray
  • Foraging & Hunting:  Sean Wall & Jesse Griffiths
  • Rainwater Collection & Water-Smart Landscaping:  Billy Kniffen

CROP PRODUCTION TRACK

  • Sustainable Texas Fruit Production:  Dr. Jim Kamas, Glen Miracle
  • Annual Variety Trials:  Dr. Daniel Leskovar
  • Olive & Grape Production:  Cara Gambini, Brianna Hoge
  • Row Crop Niche Markets:  James Brown & Eric Herm

LIVESTOCK TRACK

  • Getting the Best Value from Your Processor: Wendy Taggart
  • Sheep & Goat Health
  • Genetics & Ranching:  Josh Eilers & Travis Krause
  • Healthy Soils Through Grazing:  Deborah Clark, Jenny Pluhar, & Justin Zanzenberg

BUSINESS AND MARKETING TRACK

  • Holistic Planning:  Kathy Harris & Peggy Sechrist
  • Launching & Diversifying a Farm Operation:  Butch Tindell
  • Value-Added Production Options: Sue Beckwith, & Stephanie McClenny
  • Online Options for Producers: Richard Sechrist & Sam Lillie

SMALL-GROUP Q&A TRACK

  • Small Producer Stakeholder Meeting:  Katie Tritsch
  • Opportunities for Veterans in Agriculture:  Erin Kimbrough & Justin Duncan
  • The Funding Ecosystem: Debt Basics & Beyond Debt:  Jarred Maxwell, Tim Traister, Bertha Venegas, & Katie Jolander

Our Farm-to-Table Dinner takes place Monday at 6 p.m. in the J.C. Kellam Administration Building on Texas State campus. The keynote speaker for the dinner will be Mark Shepard, author of the book Restoration Agriculture: Real World Permaculture for Farmers and a worldwide teacher of agroforestry and permaculture. Tickets are $70 for conference attendees and can be purchased along with registration.

Tuesday, August 13: General Conference

Keynote: Deborah Clark & Emry Birdwell

POLICY TRACK

  • Food Access: Susie Marshall, Alex Canepa, & Casey McAuliffe
  • Water Policy: Robert Mace, Texas Rep. Erin Zwiener, & Charlie Flatten
  • GMO Basics and Hot News:  Howard Vlieger & Alan Lewis

HOMESTEADER/GARDENER TRACK

  • Finding Good Food:  Alan Lewis & Nora Chovanec
  • Home Gardening & Backyard Poultry:  Zach Halfin
  • Youth & Local Food: Max Elliott & Rocio Hernandez

CROP PRODUCTION TRACK

  • Agroforestry: Techniques for Texas:  Mark Shepard
  • Soil Health Principles: Willie Durham
  • Crop Planning:  Pedro Schambon

LIVESTOCK TRACK

  • Scaling Up Pastured Poultry
  • Diversifying with Hunting Leases, Agritourism, and Wilding:  Pam Mitchell, Justin Dreibelbis, Sean Wall, & Matthew Williams
  • How to Monitor Your Pastures: Collin Mitchell & Kara Kroeger

BUSINESS AND MARKETING TRACK

  • Specialty Crop Market:  Abbie Hannon & Robert Maggiani
  • Wholesale Readiness:  Kara Kroeger & Foodshed Investors
  • Local Food Logistics:  Juan Raygoza & Caroline Krejci

SMALL-GROUP Q&A TRACK

  • Fermentation Basics:  Abby Wetzel
  • Connecting With Mid-Scale Buyers:  Natural Grocers, Wheatsville, Common Market