2014 Young Farmers Conference
2014 Young Farmers Conference was held December 3 – 5 at Stone Barns Center. This annual—and now, wildly popular—gathering is three days of educational programming and training for beginning farmers. The centerpiece of our Growing Farmers Initiative, the conference offers the much-needed opportunity for new and aspiring farmers practicing resilient agriculture to learn from leading thinkers and practitioners, as well as the chance to come together with peers and mentors to network, socialize and dream big. Click through to see some photos and get some facts about this year’s conference. Photos by Erik Jacobs.
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This year’s conference drew together more than 250 young and beginning farmers from 31 states and British Columbia.
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Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and donors, we were able to give 58 scholarships to help offset the costs of attending.
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On Wednesday, December 3, more than 100 attendees came to the Climate Change and Agroecology pre-conference, which offered 14 workshops, a working lunch panel discussion, and conversations with scientists, farmers and policy experts to examine the implications of a changing climate on our farms and prepare farmers to build resilient farm operations.
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At the main conference on December 4 and 5, for the third year in a row, we continued to focus on giving farmers the practical knowledge, skills and resources they need to run profitable farm businesses. Farming expert Eliot Coleman pictured above.
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Blue Hill at Stone Barns Chef Adam Kaye and butcher Jose Morquecha break down a whole pig and discuss how the kitchen uses various cuts.
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In total, we offered 65 well-attended workshops, from hands-on poultry processing to specialty fruit crop production; from MIG welding to basic body care and ergonomics for farmers.
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Through the Business Planning Track, we offered 15 consulting sessions with experts in farm business planning, farm financing, marketing, food law and farmland access; 42 farmers attended these one-on-one and small-group consultations. Farmer Richard Wiswall pictured above.
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We were honored to have David Orr with us as the keynote speaker. Dr. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President of Oberlin College, and author of Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse.
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The conference is vital for these new farmers as they expand their knowledge and build the connections necessary to foster successful farm enterprises now and into the future.
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In each of the past seven years, we’ve seen the popularity and relevance of the National Young Farmers Conference grow stronger among our target audience: beginning young farmers, most of whom did not grow up on farms and who need guidance, practical information and exposure to ideas and resilient farming practices.
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Farmers above close out dinner with a spirited contra dance. Music by Edith & Bennett and Friends, and calling by David Harvey.
This year’s conference drew together more than 250 young and beginning farmers from 31 states and British Columbia.
-
-
This year’s conference drew together more than 250 young and beginning farmers from 31 states and British Columbia.
-
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and donors, we were able to give 58 scholarships to help offset the costs of attending.
-
On Wednesday, December 3, more than 100 attendees came to the Climate Change and Agroecology pre-conference, which offered 14 workshops, a working lunch panel discussion, and conversations with scientists, farmers and policy experts to examine the implications of a changing climate on our farms and prepare farmers to build resilient farm operations.
-
At the main conference on December 4 and 5, for the third year in a row, we continued to focus on giving farmers the practical knowledge, skills and resources they need to run profitable farm businesses. Farming expert Eliot Coleman pictured above.
-
Blue Hill at Stone Barns Chef Adam Kaye and butcher Jose Morquecha break down a whole pig and discuss how the kitchen uses various cuts.
-
In total, we offered 65 well-attended workshops, from hands-on poultry processing to specialty fruit crop production; from MIG welding to basic body care and ergonomics for farmers.
-
Through the Business Planning Track, we offered 15 consulting sessions with experts in farm business planning, farm financing, marketing, food law and farmland access; 42 farmers attended these one-on-one and small-group consultations. Farmer Richard Wiswall pictured above.
-
We were honored to have David Orr with us as the keynote speaker. Dr. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President of Oberlin College, and author of Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse.
-
The conference is vital for these new farmers as they expand their knowledge and build the connections necessary to foster successful farm enterprises now and into the future.
-
In each of the past seven years, we’ve seen the popularity and relevance of the National Young Farmers Conference grow stronger among our target audience: beginning young farmers, most of whom did not grow up on farms and who need guidance, practical information and exposure to ideas and resilient farming practices.
-
Farmers above close out dinner with a spirited contra dance. Music by Edith & Bennett and Friends, and calling by David Harvey.
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This year’s conference drew together more than 250 young and beginning farmers from 31 states and British Columbia.