The Southern Family Farmers & Food Systems Conference is an annual event jointly hosted by the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Small Producers Initiative at Texas State University, and Council for Healthy Food Systems.

Our two-day conference will energize and inspire whether you’re brand new to farming or have been doing it for years. We are committed to bringing relevant, farmer-driven information to the small- to medium- scale agricultural community in Texas and surrounding Southern states.

This year’s Annual Meeting will build upon the exciting work undertaken during RVCC’s 19th Annual Meeting, which explored the emerging vision for rural western communities rooted in the stewardship economy - an economy shaped by the need, and responsibility, to manage for the sustainability of both land and communities. What practices, strategies, investments and policies will lead to thriving landscapes and people in the face of shifting economic drivers and population trends, environmental challenges such as catastrophic wildfire and climate change, and historic levels of funding for conservation and rural communities? Agenda topics included:

Wildfire resilience in federal policymaking

Structures and strategies for all-lands partnerships

Community-based rural development

Sustainable and accessible recreation

Building the stewardship workforce

New federal funding sources and rural community accessibility