The Emerging Farmers Conference Supports Local Growers & Producers

We believe everyone deserves access to nutritious, culturally familiar foods, and a big part of that equation includes supporting the growers who produce those foods in order to build a more equitable food system for all. The Food Group’s farm programs do just that by providing land and resources for farmers to learn sustainable practices, grow organic foods, and build strong businesses. 

One of our cornerstone events is the annual Emerging Farmers Conference. For 19 years, the EFC has been supporting farmers who traditionally face barriers to the kinds of resources needed to succeed with educational workshops, networking opportunities, and information to help them build and maintain thriving farm operations.

“The Emerging Farmers Conference is an important space for farmers who are looking for that one to one connection with other farmers from different background and farming practices,” shared KaZoua Berry, Farm Director, Big River Farms, a program of The Food Group. “We provide simultaneous interpretation in over 9 languages. That’s the norm here at our conference so people who need language support to advance their farm businesses do not feel left out or that they are inconveniencing anyone because this is the culture of our conference. We support our farmers with what their needs are, and that starts with language.”

Since the very beginning, the EFC has been designed for farmers by farmers. Last year’s conference saw attendees from 14 different U.S. states and three different countries, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Vermont, Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio, New York, North Dakota, Missouri, Washington, California, Iowa, Tennessee, Cameroon, and Ghana. Conference-goers enjoyed a wide variety of workshop topics and had the opportunity to hear directly from growers just like them. This year’s event — organized by a unique collaborative of farmers and volunteers, as well as government, nonprofit and University of Minnesota personnel — is coming up Nov. 1-2 in Minneapolis. Attendees can expect to walk away from the two-day conference with a wealth of resources and knowledge, including:

• a deeper understanding of the resources available to them and the methods by which they can access those resources to support and grow their farming businesses;

• a space where they can forge valuable connections with vendors, organizations, and community groups;

• specific, hands-on knowledge that’s directly applicable to their farm businesses to help increase the success of their operations; and

• the empowerment 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.

This year, the EFC planning committee is honored to welcome Erika Allen as keynote speaker. Allen is CEO of Urban Growers Collective, a Black- and women-led non-profit farm in Chicago, Illinois that’s working to build a more just and equitable local food system. Her work exemplifies a strong commitment to sustainability with her dedication to the eradication of environmental injustice and promotion of regenerative, urban agriculture within Chicago. Her wealth of experience will be invaluable to attendees. 

Online registration for the 19th annual Emerging Farmers Conference closes on October 20th. Walk-up registration is available. For more information, visit www.emergingfarmers.org.