For the sixth time since 2008, the National Farm Viability Conference is an opportunity to learn and share in our field of work. It will be held in West Virginia from April 29 to May 2, with a focus on: 1) strengthening farm sustainability, 2) building stronger and more resilient local food systems, and 3) supporting the long-term profitability of farming and agri-entrepreneurs. Several FarmLink staff and advisors will join peers from around the country in this year’s conference. Our team has a significant role in sharing FarmLink’s approaches focused on access to land, financing, and knowledge.
Workshops and presentations involving our team include:
- Plenary Address: Ethics and Values for Business Advisors and Organizations (Poppy Davis and David Mancera)
- Farmland Access Pathways and Pitfalls (Liya Schwartzman)
- Farmlinking Roundtable (Liya Schwartzman and Margaret Rossano)
- Shifting Power to Farmers: Equitably accessing land and capital (David Mancera, co-presenter alongside Kitchen Table Advisors)
- Successfully Integrating Business Technical Assistance with Conservation, Environmental & Climate Initiatives (Dorothy Suput)
- Asset Protection and Catastrophe and Disaster Preparedness and Response (Winona Dorris)
- Hands-On Tax Workshops to Help Farmers Prepare to File Income Tax Returns (Asia Hampton, Andrea Levy, and David Mancera)
- Using Climate Resilience Thinking in Farm Business Planning (Dorothy Suput)
- Emerging Farm Transfer Planning Models - A Discussion of Successes and Challenges (Liya Schwartzman)
- Working with white* farmland owners: addressing issues of land ownership and power dynamics (Laura Poliné González)
- *White landowners, who control 98% of farmland nationally, hold a tremendous amount of power, but also the opportunity to ensure that land is available for the next generation.
- New Resources for Teaching The Basics of Federal Income Tax to Small and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Poppy Davis and Winona Dorris)
California FarmLink’s focus on business fundamentals – like land access, fair and affordable loans, and knowledge-sharing – has enabled our team to serve as a growing resource for peer organizations nationwide. In the next few months, we will share resources with Community Development Financial Institutions and others to illustrate FarmLink’s program model for financing and supporting equitable food and farming systems.
View the full conference agenda here and join their network to learn about future conferences.
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