The third annual Growing Together Latino Farmer Conference will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017, in Palm Desert, California. This annual conference brings together the Latino farming community, industry representatives, and advocates for sustainability and agribusinesses for a day of workshops, networking, and learning from fellow farmers.
Hosted by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the conference is open to all farmers and ranchers and uniquely tailored towards Spanish-speaking growers. The program will be translated into English via translation headsets.
Over the past two years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the USDA, has worked to reach and better understand California’s historically underserved agricultural communities.
“Together we can use our perspectives and skills so that employees and customers alike are aware of our appreciation for California’s rich cultural diversity and our commitment to bring quality conservation assistance to all our farmers and ranchers,” said Carlos Suarez, State Conservationist with NRCS.
The conference will feature a series of panels, a keynote address, networking opportunities and eight educational breakout sessions. Similar to last year’s event, the courses will be held in two 90-minute blocks. This allows each attendee to choose two different subjects of interest throughout the day. The topics will cover: farm financing, irrigation water and soil management, direct marketing, labor laws, food safety, and access to conservation programs. The day will conclude with a beginning farmer panel discussion.
The 2017 conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UC Riverside Palm Desert Center, located at 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, CA. The event is free to all attendees and will include breakfast, lunch and light appetizers. Please contact Victor Hernandez at (530) 792-5628 and Christine Chavez at (530) 792-5695 with any questions pertaining to the conference.Attendees must register in advance, as space is limited. Please visit https://latinofarmerconference.ncat.org/register.php to register.