The 16th Annual Emerging Farmers Conference
Reclaiming our Voices: For Farmers, by Farmers, with Farmers
Our annual conference will be held virtually on January 27 – 30, 2021.
Learn more and register www.emergingfarmers.org
Conference Overview
The annual Emerging Farmers Conference (formerly the Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference) serves to advance the success and sustainability of farmers who traditionally face barriers to the education and resources necessary to build profitable agricultural businesses, including immigrant farmers and farmers of color.
This innovative conference focuses primarily on the needs and interests of these farmers, and supports their contributions to local economic development and building healthy communities. It does so by connecting farmers, farm advocates, educators, professionals, experts, and agency officials.
The Emerging Farmers Conference (EFC) is FREE for all farmers and language interpretation in 2021 is available in Swahili, Spanish, Karen, Burmese, Kirundi, Hmong, Nepali, Arabi, Mai Mai/ kizigoua, and Somali. Interpretation is based on registration. (We do our best to accommodate all farmers, but cannot guarantee interpretation for last-minute registrations.)
2018 Emerging Farmers Conference
The Emerging Farmers Conference is a program of Big River Farms. It is planned and hosted by a collaborative of farmers and volunteers, government, nonprofit, and University of Minnesota personnel.
Purpose
This conference provides education and resources, fosters relationships between farmers and community partners, and empowers participants to lead change in their communities through healthy food access, education, and economic opportunity.
- RESOURCES – Farmers obtain a deeper understanding of resources available to them and methods by which they can access those resources to support and grow their farming businesses. For example, farmers will be provided with financial plans, soil maps, and contact information for organizations who provide land leasing and purchase information.
- CONNECTIONS – Valuable connections are made between local farmers, vendors, organizations, and community groups which support emerging farmer populations and strengthen all components of the local food system.
- KNOWLEDGE – Farmers gain specific, hands-on knowledge which is directly applicable to their farm businesses and will increase the success of their farm operations. For example, farmers will leave with a deeper understanding of weed management or production techniques for specialty crops. Organizations and community stakeholders gain exposure to a deeper understanding of the contributions immigrant and minority farmers make to the local food system, and the importance of supporting sustainable agricultural practices in their communities.
- EMPOWERMENT – Conference participants are empowered to enact change in their local communities, specifically in the areas of racial equity and sustainable agriculture as they relate to the local food system. For example, participants will have the opportunity to connect with other farmers in our collaborative problem solving workshop. This facilitated discussion aims to foster relationships between farmers, allows them a space to talk about common challenges, and find solutions to those challenges.
Questions?
Interested farmers and community-based members who have questions should contact [email protected] or 651-433-3676.
