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2020 Virtual Conference

Mon-Tues | Oct 26 & 27 | Virtual Event

Farm & Food Leadership Conference 2020 logo

Presented by the Small Producers Initiative, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and the Council for Healthy Food Systems, with major support from Capital Farm Credit.

Our virtual event will feature:

  • Keynote speakers, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) & Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on the federal-level focus on small farmers and sustainable agriculture

  • 2 days of timely sessions on crop & livestock production, ag policy, farm business & marketing, and other special topics like cooperatives and racial justice in agricultur

  • Exhibit hall w/ Q&A sessions

  • Sponsorship opportunitie

  • Silent auction

  • Easy online engagement with other attendees, speakers, and exhibitors who care about local, sustainable food

  • Access to recorded sessions, documents, exhibitor booths, and other features for 1 year

...All for the low price of $40!

Conference Program

Speaker List

Event Sponsors (thank you!)

Still unsure?

We know... you're over video chatting at this point. But there are at least 11 reasons why you should attend our virtual conference this year!

  1. You won’t miss a session.  All of the sessions are recorded, so your ticket gives you access to watch sessions later if there are two sessions in the same time slot that you want to hear.

  2. Recorded sessions enable you to duck out at any moment to deal with that minor farm emergency that inevitably comes up!

  3. You'll still have the chance to engage with speakers in real time.  Each session will have a Q&A portion, both to cover questions that we get ahead of time and questions that occur to you on the spot.

  4. No waiting in line for registration and no badges around your neck. Login in a few quick steps and you’re off and running to explore all the virtual conference has to offer.

  5. Even easier to connect with other attendees!  While there's no substitute for face-to-face interactions, our virtual platform allows each attendee to create a profile and indicate their interests (urban farming, food policy, microgreens, grass-fed cattle, pastured poultry … you name it!) – and then connect with other attendees based on their profiles. 

  6. Participate in your pajamas or your “farm” jeans and coveralls!  Not that we enforce a dress code any year, but this year, if you’re watching from the comfort of your home, comfort clothes and snacking suddenly feel even more acceptable!

  7. Your phone will never die. You don’t have to worry about your phone running out of battery when you’re not competing for an outlet.

  8. No jogging from session to session. Ever been in the middle of a conversation with another attendee or exhibitor, and realize that the session you want to attend is starting and is on the other side of the conference building?  Now you’ll be able to wrap up that conversation and get to the session in a matter of seconds.

  9. If you’d be coming from afar: Save money on travel!  No long drive or plane ride, no hotel.

  10. If you’d be coming from close by: No commuting or parking! You can watch inspiring keynotes, participate in engaging discussions, learn about amazing organizations and businesses in our digital pavilion, and build your network, all from your living room. 

  11. And finally, reduced event costs translate to lower registration fees for you - only $40 for 2 days, plus access for 1 year afterwards.


Peruse our cash sponsorship levels, silent auction donations, in-kind donations, and others in our 2020 Sponsorship Packet (above).

Contact Katie Tritsch at smallproducers@txstate.edu with any questions.

Photo of 2019 exhibitor hall

Exhibit at the Event

Our platform will feature a Virtual Exhibitor Hall. Attendees can click through Exhibitor profiles throughout the 2-day event, as well as for 1 year afterwards! We'll build in 15-30 min breaks between sessions for attendees to visit the Exhibitor Hall, plus 20 min afternoon sessions where Exhibitors can deliver a short presentation about their products/services and answer LIVE questions from attendees. Exhibitors can include promotions, email lists, and other information in their profile to collect attendee information. Other promotional benefits include a listing on our websites and a promotional email to our membership lists.

*While 2019 was in-person, our event was highly rated. We had approximately 35 exhibitors accessing 425 attendees - mostly small farmers and ranchers in Texas. Our event was rated 4.7 out of 5 from exhibitors, and 95% said they would return in 2020.