Scholarships available for the California Small Farm Conference

The California Small Farm Conference will grant nearly 100 scholarships to small scale farmers, agriculture students, family farmers, small farm employees and farmers’ market managers who may otherwise not have the finances to attend the California Small Farm Conference, March 10 to 12, 2013, in Fresno.

Scholarships are awarded based on financial need. Depending on need, scholarships may include conference registration, conference-hosted meals, a ticket to attend the tasting reception, travel and lodging costs, and a reduced field course rate.

Scholarship applications, which are available on the California Small Farm Conference website, will be accepted until Dec. 3, 2012. Bilingual scholarship advisors are available statewide to assist in the application process. Visit the website for a list of advisors and their contact information

The California Small Farm Conference, sponsored by an array of agencies that include the University of California small farm program and UC Cooperative Extension, provides the small scale farming community with the opportunity to address industry issues, engage in educational sessions, attend local farm operations for additional insight, and participate in networking opportunities.

Success in agriculture does not depend solely on a farmer’s ability to raise crops. Today’s successful agriculturists must also be expert business managers, marketers and stewards of the land. The California Small Farm Conference hosts the annual conference to offer diverse learning topics for small scale farmers and ranchers. The 2013 conference theme, Harvesting Knowledge: Growing Small Farms, reflects the goal of the California Small Farm Conference and its scholarship program.

“This organization exists to provide small scale farmers and those in the industry with access to relevant farming education,” said California Small Farm Conference President Casey Walsh Cady. “Our scholarship program ensures that access to farmers in California.

The California Small Farm Conference scholarship program is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Department of Food & Agriculture, and fund-raising activities offered at the conference. 

Since its inception in 1982, more than 7, 500 farmers have benefited from the California Small Farm Conference. The conference is the state’s premier gathering for small scale farmers, farmers’ market managers, agriculture students and small farm industry professionals, which attracts about 500 attendees each year.

For further information, contact communications manager Ashley Bradley, abradley@californiafarmconference.com, (888) 712-4188.