Small Farm Conference

Yesterday I took a vacation day and headed down to San Diego for the California Small Farm Conference with a fellow lawyer/wannabe farmer-rancher. The main attraction? The "Opportunities for New Farmers" workshop, which didn't disappoint. I took pages of notes during the presentation of the Executive Director of California FarmLink. This non-profit organization is nothing short of the answer to the prayers of all aspiring farmers and ranchers in California. FarmLink, which serves as a clearinghouse of information and contacts, links retiring farmers with aspiring farmers and provides advice on land sales, business planning, and innovative farm financing techniques. We also enjoyed the keynote address of A.G. Kawamura, the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. I've previously blogged about visits to Tanaka Farms here in Orange County. Turns out, Tanaka Farms is run by Secretary Kawamura's third-generation farming family.

Sometimes I am so caught up with the ranch fantasy (open spaces, happy animals, and the simplicity, freedom, and independence associated with ranch life) that it is easy to overlook the harsh realities faced by many of the small farmers and ranchers in this country. We caught the Q&A session with Rayne Pegg, Administrator of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, and I was brought back to reality with a jolt as I listened to one woman's impassioned and tearful plea for help from the USDA. Her family farm was recently foreclosed. Other members of the audience rose and spoke of their need for help--what do you when growing a tomato costs you three times as much money as Wal-Mart is willing to pay you for that tomato?

I looked around and found myself surrounded by real people. Jeans, dusty boots, and deep suntans of the outdoor labor, not spray-tan, variety. After all the seats were occupied in the meeting room for one of the break-out sessions, latecomers just plopped down on the floor. I couldn't help but compare and contrast this conference with the law conferences that I usually attend. Much food for thought. It was a good day.