Community Conversations

Workshop Session I: 9:15-10:30 a.m.

Breaking Ground in Land Access for Landowners Community Discussion

Jerah Pettibone, OEFFA

Are you a farmer approaching a transfer of your land or business? Do you want to see your legacy carried on to the next generation? Collaboratively explore the many factors, needs, and concerns surrounding land transfer, sale, and leasing. Explore some of the parallel needs and concerns of emerging farmers and land seekers, and gain strategies for “bridging the gap” between you and the right person. Then, bring what you’ve learned to the 5 p.m. Heartland FarmLink Mixer to connect with seekers already in the community.

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Workshop Session II: 10:45 a.m.-Noon

BIPOC Breakout Room

Erica Powell, OEFFA

This is a facilitated discussion for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (non-white people). Together, focus on connecting with each other, identifying goals, sharing resources, finding points of collaboration, and addressing barriers to access. The conversation will also be an opportunity to reflect on the conference themes as they relate to our communities and lived experiences.

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Workshop Session III: 1:30-2:45 p.m. 

Breaking Ground in Land Access for Farm Seekers Community Discussion

Jerah Pettibone, OEFFA

Are you a farmer looking for land? Collaboratively explore the many factors, needs, and concerns surrounding land leasing, use, and sale. Explore the parallel needs and concerns of land owners, and gain strategies for “bridging the gap” between you and the right farmland. From there, bring what you’ve learned to the OEFFA Land Mixer this evening to connect with landowners already in the community, and carry it forward in your farm seeking journey.

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Workshop Session IV: 3-4:15 p.m

Growing Seed Crops and Seed Swap!

Lindsay Klaunig, Trouvaille Farm, Kaleb Wilkins, Rooted in Thyme

This informal conversation about seeds will offer insight into contract growing, how seed growing can be integrated into other farming and gardening settings, participatory breeding projects, the state of the seed industry, and what we can do to strengthen our local seed community. And then we’ll have a seed swap! Seeds will be provided from the speakers’ own farms and gardens, and some donated from companies. Participants are encouraged to bring their own to share; it can be your own collected seeds or leftover packets.

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Workshop Session V: 10:45-Noon

Seed Commons as a Pathway to Community Resilience

Jim Embry, Sustainable Communities Network

Continuing the morning’s keynote presentation, learn about the development of bioregional seed commons. This transformation of our agrifood system depends on us doing many things differently, thinking not just out-of-the-box but out-of-the-barn. But one thing is clear: this paradigm shift cannot happen without securing, adapting, sharing, and honoring the diversity of plant seeds—from grasses to trees.

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Workshop Session VI: 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Queer Farmer Breakout Room

Jerah Pettibone, OEFFA

This is a space intended for farmers who identify as LGBTQIA to come together and make connections. It will be a loosely structured conversation around the different joys and challenges we face as queer farmers. If this applies to you, come, meet, share, and connect in community.

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Workshop Session VII: 3-4:15 p.m.

Building a Farm Labor, Skill Share, and Volunteering Network

Erica Powell and Abbe Turner, OEFFA

Learn about OEFFA’s new community engagement platform, GivePulse. Walk through a demonstration and meet with people who want to make an impact, learn new farm skills, and serve others.

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