The 2009 California Small Farm Conference will be held March 1-3 in Sacramento.

The theme for this year's statewide gathering of small farmers and their supporters is “Farming for the Future.” The conference will include 25 workshops related to farm transitions, production, marketing, equipment and other topics. Optional tours on the first day of the conference highlight cherry production and risk management, urban agriculture, small-scale livestock, regional marketing, transitioning to organic, and farmers market innovations.

Featured speakers include Thaddeus and Moyra Barsotti, Capay Valley farmers; Ann Evans, Davis food and agriculture writer/community leader; and A. G. Kawamura, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The UC Small Farm Program is an organizing sponsor of the conference, which will also include several speakers from throughout UC Cooperative Extension, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley.

Early registration for the three-day conference is $100-$245 before Jan. 16. Scholarships are available for students, farmers and farmers market managers. The application deadline for scholarships has been extended to Jan. 22.

To register or for more information, visit www.californiafarmconference.com.