2023 Virginia Farm to Table Conference to be held Dec. 12-13

If you’re interested in local agriculture and regional food system development and want to implement values that enhance your business, organization, and community, plan to attend the 2023 Virginia Farm to Table Conference. The conference will be held Tuesday, Dec. 12, and Wednesday, Dec. 13, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Weyers Cave, Virginia, at the Blue Ridge Community College’s Plecker Workforce Development Center. 

Speakers will focus on the theme  “Nourishing and (Re)Imagining Collaboration, Conservation, and Community” and will share their expertise, experience, and knowledge of food, farming, and community health topics as well as practical applications for drought-resilient farming, regenerative agriculture, community building, farm profitability, and emerging farm-to-table business initiatives. Keynote speakers include

• Wichita State University Professor of Education Elizabeth Heilman, whose work focuses on sustaining human flourishing through environmental ecology, emotional ecology, regenerative agriculture, and food systems
• Cultural anthropologist and farmer Gail Myers, a longtime advocate for Black farmers who is co-founder of Farms to Grow Inc. and director of the documentary “Rhythms of the Land”
• Ken Meter, one of the most experienced food system analysts in the U.S, who is president of Crossroads Resource Center and author of “Building Community Food Webs”
• Dale Strickler, farmer, advisor of AgSpire, and author of “The Drought Resilient Farm” and “Restoring Your Soil”
• David Montgomery and Anne Biklé, authors of “Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life” and “What Your Food Ate”
• Ennis Carter, director of Social Impact Studios, a social enterprise to engage people in issues and culture through creative communication and grassroots organizing
• Pedro Aponte, owner of Saint Isidore Homestead and Permaculture, a small family farm in Grottoes, Virginia, that produces high-quality food using sustainable practices and ethical principles of care for the common good

Myers’ presentation on Tuesday will begin with a special screening of “Rhythms of the Land,” her multimedia documentary film that’s described as “a valentine to generations of Black farmers in the United States from the enslavement period to the present, whose intense love of the land and dedication to community enabled them to survive against overwhelming odds.” 

Concurrent sessions will be held Wednesday afternoon on regenerative grazing, mid-Atlantic grain and flour value-chain collaboration, the New Urban Agriculture Initiative, and much more. 

Visit the conference website for a detailed agenda and to register for the conference.

The 2023 Virginia Farm to Table Conference is hosted as a partnership of Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, 4TheSoil, Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Agua Fund, Virginia Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, LD & B Insurance and Financial Services, Farm Credit of the Virginias, and many other community partners. 

“The Virginia Farm to Table Conference gives everyone a chance to engage and network with like-minded people, have thought-provoking discussions, and gain timely knowledge on food production, marketing, natural resource management, and community relationships,” said Mary Sketch Bryant, director of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. “People leave this conference feeling inspired by outstanding speakers, stimulating panel discussions, new connections, and wonderful food provided by Harvest Table of Dayton, Virginia.”

For questions, or if you need assistive devices to attend, please call 540-232-6006 at least five days prior to the event.