Farm and Food Leadership Conference

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Farm and Food Leadership Conference 2017 – Conference and Registration Information

The annual Farm and Food Leadership Conference is coming up fast!  This special event offers family farmers and local food enthusiasts opportunities to learn about the local and sustainable food movement, and how you can help transform our food system.  This year’s conference will be September 24 – 26 in McKinney, Texas (just north of Dallas).

This Conference brings together a diverse group of people, including farmers and ranchers, activists, homesteaders, cottage food producers, consumers, and restauranteurs … people who care about where our food comes from. 

With three tracks – on policy, consumers & public interest, and farm & food businesses – you will have the opportunity to gain important knowledge no matter what your background and interests!

Register For the Farm and Food Leadership Conference by Tuesday, August 15, to receive 15 percent off your registration fee.

https://farmandranchfreedom.org/farm-food-leadership-conference/registration

Featured Sessions:

The pre-conference workshop on food safety is a “don’t miss” for produce growers of all sizes, both those who have to comply with FDA’s new regulations and those who are exempt. Learn how small, diversified farms can manage food safety risks effectively.  Two other pre-conference workshops – one on forming successful co-ops and one on holistic livestock ranching – provide important practical information for ranchers and food producers of all types.

On Monday, join us for a keynote by international sustainability leader Fred Kirschenmann, president of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and author ofCultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher.  Then stay for sessions on seed diversity, growing local grains, activating your microbiota for health, the Farm Bill, and more.

On Tuesday, Alan Lewis, who directs government affairs and food and agriculture policy for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, will speak about the current state of the local food movement … where we are now and how much more needs to be done.  The day will continue with sessions on GMOs, foraging for your food, the Texas legislative session, revenue streams for farms, the future of farmers’ markets, and yet more!

See the complete list of Farm and Food Leadership Conference topics at https://farmandranchfreedom.org/farm-food-leadership-conference/program/, including information about a Monday evening on-farm dinner at Pure Land Organic farm in McKinney, prepared by Chef Andrea Shackelford of Harvest Seasonal Kitchen from locally grown ingredients. 

Scholarships and volunteer opportunities are available: https://farmandranchfreedom.org/farm-food-leadership-conference/volunteer-scholarships/

REGISTER at https://farmandranchfreedom.org/farm-food-leadership-conference/registration/

The Farm and Food Leadership Conference is hosted by:

• Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance – Changing the rules that favor Big Agribusiness and Big Food over small-scale, local producers, helping independent family farmers make a living, and ensuring that consumers have access to healthy, local foods; and
• Council for Health Food Systems – Through education and research, promoting diversified local and regional food systems that are healthy, safe, and economically sound, and environmentally sustainable.

For more information about the Farm and Food Leadership Conference contact the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance

at Teresa@FarmAndRanchFreedom.org or 254-697-2661