04/05/2026
When we first started bringing this conference to life, we didn’t just want to put on a ‘conference’. We wanted to build something that mattered. Something that would teach, of course, but also something that would light a fire in folks. Something that would ride home with you in the truck, sit with you at the kitchen table, and make you think about what comes next for your farm, your business, and your future.
Our hope was simple, really. That every single person who walked through those doors would leave with something real and meaningful. A new idea. A new connection. A new direction. A little more confidence. A little more hope. Something to take home and put to work.
And, in our humble opinion, we believe that’s exactly what happened. Our partner organizations (West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, Shepherd University, Shepherd University Farm, VABF Virginia Association for Biological Farming, and Appalachian Cellar), speakers, presenters, and supporters showed up in a very big way, bringing knowledge, experience, and opportunity together in one place, and we are more thankful for that than we can properly put into words.
But the truth is this. This conference would have been nothing without the people who showed up and soaked it all in. The farmers, the growers, the producers, the folks who work long days, take big risks, get back up when things don’t go right, and keep going anyway. The kind of people Appalachia has always been built on. Hardworking, big-hearted, stubborn in the best possible way, and willing to show up for each other.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Truly. It means more to us than you know.
Now we have one question for you.�Who would like to see this grow and become an annual event? Let us know in the comments!
