BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — The eighth annual Oklahoma Local Agriculture Summit is set to take place March 1 – March 3, 2022, at the Stoney Creek Hotel located at 200 W. Albany Street, Broken Arrow, Okla. The focus of the conference is to increase the availability of local food in Oklahoma communities and strengthen farmers markets and agritourism sites through education and networking opportunities.

Featured speakers include Lt. Governor of Oklahoma Matt Pinnell, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, along with many more influential speakers. The conference is facilitated by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, ONIE Project, Langston University and key stakeholders from agricultural, community and public health agencies.

Two in-depth workshops will take place on Tuesday, March 1, including hands-on marketing training and a workshop sharing best farm practices. The full summit with more than 20 breakout sessions is scheduled for Wednesday, March 2 followed by two bus tours, the agritourism rolling workshop and innovative farm tour on March 3.

All events associated with the summit are free to attend; however, registration is required for each event. Registration is open online at www.onieproject.org/oklas and will close on March 1 at noon or once capacity is met.

The conference has five tracks addressing topics of special interest to farmers market managers, growers, agritourism producers, Christmas tree growers, and community support organizations. Topics will include accepting SNAP/EBT, growing practices, marketing to consumers, and more. A locally sourced meal on March 2 will be provided to all registrants.

There are more than 37 registered farmers markets and 400 agritourism producers in Oklahoma, providing quality and tasty local food and enjoyment to communities across the state. Information on Oklahoma’s agritourism industry can be found at www.oklahomaagritourism.com.

–Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry