Since 1999, Future Harvest has gathered Chesapeake region farmers, agricultural service providers, and foodies each winter for our annual conference. The 2-day Main Conference, Friday and Saturday, is organized into six tracks:

• Beginning Farming

• Crop Production

• Regenerative Agriculture

• Grassfed Meat & Dairy

• Business of Farming

• Environment, Community, & Policy

View Full Conference Program HERE

Alongside these deep-dives, farmers and attendees will have the opportunity to learn from each other in our Farmer-to-Farmer Roundtables, and during our intensive pre-conference workshops (Thursday).

We’ll also have some new, unique experiences for attendees:

• Two LIVE virtual keynote addresses:

  • Friday: Tope Fajingbesi – Farmer, Author, Lecturer, Social Entrepreneur, and Accountant; Dodo Farms

  • Saturday: Chris Newman – Farmer, Writer, Activist; Sylvanaqua Farms

• Interactive Farmer Awards

• Breakout sessions to allow deeper dives into topics with your peers

• Customizable attendee profiles to help you meet attendees who share your interests

• A Virtual Exhibit Hall where you can interact with vendors

• Recorded sessions for later viewing

• Prizes and gatherings

Plus, we’ll have the same great learning opportunities and events we have every year:

• Expert-led, in-depth farming and food pre-conference intensives

• Two packed conference days for advanced and beginning farmers, foodpreneurs, and educators

• Farmer-to-Farmer Roundtables

• More than 20 sessions and workshops

• One-on-one business and marketing training

• Annual membership meeting and farmer awards

Click here for more information about the 2021 confernence and make sure to subscribe to our email list for important conference updates.

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Our Thursday Pre-Conference workshops are led by regional and national experts and offer intensive, “hands-on” experience diving deep into the biggest topics in agriculture today. These workshops are not included in 2-day, main conference registration and spaces are limited, so register today!

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS:

• Pre-Conference 1: Guide To Owning Your Own Land — Resources and Mentorship Thursday 1/14/2021 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Some people might say that finding land is the single biggest barrier to growing this country’s next generation of farmers. While there are many ways to go about finding and accessing land, this workshop will focus on two paths – buying land and long-term leases – that are aimed at achieving a long-term land tenure. We will spend the majority of the time guiding participants through the process of finding farmland to purchase. A panel of new landowners will share and answer questions about their journeys, and give frank feedback on the various programs available. Representatives from FSA, MARBIDCO, and Farm Credit will present information on their respective programs and be available to answer questions.
• Pre-Conference 2: Online Sales Platforms Winners and Losers – Farmers’ Review Thursday 1/14/2021 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Come learn about the variety of online sales platforms available to farmers. We’ll talk about which ones work well in local markets, explore some best practices, and learn about legal considerations when direct-marketing products. This pre-conference session includes small-group breakout sessions led by our farmer experts so you can share your experiences, too. Considering Harvie? Feeling comfortable with your DIY setup? Not sure whether to use Weebly and Square or Squarespace? This is the session for you!
• Pre-Conference 3: Predator Protection for Livestock and Poultry Thursday 1/14/2021 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Learn how to keep your livestock and poultry safe from large and small predators, roaming dogs, and birds of prey. During the first portion of the workshop we will discuss how to perform an assessment of potential threats; how to identify predator damage; and the use of practical prevention strategies such as predator proof fencing, use of livestock guardians, secure housing, good husbandry, and fright techniques. The remainder of the workshop will delve deeper into the fundamentals of using guardian animals, including information about the pros and cons of using llamas, donkeys, and dogs, how to choose the right animal for your farm, and basic care.  We will also delve into typical training or troubleshooting issues, and discuss the use of livestock guardian dogs with poultry.
• Pre-Conference 4: Stronger Together – Cooperative Farming Models Thursday 1/14/2021 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Farmer cooperatives are nothing new, but the recent explosion of interest in all manner of cooperative models is. More small-scale farmers are banding together to gain greater market access and compete with larger organizations. Cooperative models range from informal collaborative marketing, multi-farm CSAs, shared accountants and expertise, and bulk ordering, all the way to legally structured, worker-owned business entities. Hear from experts in the field who will give an overview of the various forms of co-ops that are best suited for farming. A panel of farmers will present a broad range of co-ops models. Attendees will meet other farmers and producers in the region interested in collaborating.

REGISTER HERE

Refund Policy: We will not be offering refunds for this year’s virtual conference. Ticket purchasers will have access to recordings of the keynote speakers and workshops. Tickets are transferable before December 31, 2020. Please email conferencesupport@futureharvest.org to transfer your ticket to another person.