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Small Farm Conference

Small Farm ConferenceFor nearly two decades, the WVU Extension Small Farm Conference has offered the most authentic and inclusive view of agricultural opportunities for West Virginia small farm families. Annually, the conference boasts a variety of useful topics, unique events and informative speakers across more than 110 sessions. Under the organization of the WVU Extension Small Farm Center, 500+ conference goers come together to learn and enjoy locally sourced meals each year.

21st Annual West Virginia Small Farm Conference

February 26 - March 1, 2025

Goals for Conference

  • Unlock the potential of West Virginia small farms to produce food profitably.
  • Help small farms transition from commodity production to food production for community and local consumption.
  • Support West Virginia’s 23,000 small farm families by:
    • Providing reliable, tested knowledge about current trends, needed skills, and latest production and operation information
    • Building an understanding of how to develop a successful small farming enterprise.
  • Support and further develop West Virginia’s food system and local communities by encouraging local production, processing, wholesale and retail marketing, and consumption.

Register for the 2025 Conference 

Registration for the 2025 conference is currently closed and will open in December 2024.

Conference Scholarship

Our conference scholarship program prioritizes beginning farmers that are first time attendees. The scholarship completely covers the cost of registration. Scholarship applications are now open for 2025. Apply before January 31, 2025. 

Apply Here 


Winter Blues Farmers Market

The annual Winter Blues Farmers Market will be held Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 1 - 6 p.m. at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center located at 200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston, West Virginia. 

This indoor market event is held in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture to showcase the bounty that West Virginia can produce during winter months. During the four hours of operation, thousands of shoppers from the Kanawha Valley and beyond shop a diverse array of products - fresh vegetables, maple syrup, meats, soaps, salsa and more! This event is free to the public, includes live music, and activities for children. Shoppers will have the chance to talk to vendors and find out how they grow, make or produce their goods. Many vendors will also be sampling their products.

The Winter Blues Farmers Market has been proven successful with sales topping $142,000 in 2024. If you would like to become a vendor for this event, the application is available online. Winter Blues Farmers Market is a producer-only market; we do not permit resale or consignment. 

Questions?

If you have questions about the conference, please contact Lisa Jones. 

For information contact: Lisa Jones, Program Coordinator at 304-293-2715 or email Lisa.