Southwest Marketing Network: Seventh Annual Conference

We will introduce this theme ("Building a Good Food System in the Southwest") at the Opening, with presentations by Marty Gerencer of the National Good Food Network and a diverse panel of food system stakeholders who are building good food systems in their communities. For example, Diana Endicott of Good Natured Family Farms will explain how this association of over 100 family farmers has banded together to get their products —including produce, dairy and meat—into eight local supermarkets. Rich Pirog of Iowa State University’s Leopold Center will introduce us to the idea of “value chains” and explain how diverse collaborators are working together to build local value chains in Iowa. Paula Garcia, of the New Mexico Acequia Association, will discuss the key role land and water play in building Southwestern good food systems.

From there you will participate in interactive workshops geared at helping you to identify and expand your role in developing the local food system. We will present four tracks for in-depth, interactive learning, translating to action beyond the day:

1. Scaling up to New Markets:What you need to know to expand your farm or ranch business to sell to schools, restaurants, grocery stores and other institutions.

2. Growing your Organization’s Capacity to Grow the Food System: Focused on community groups, this track will provide presentations and small group consultation on key organizational development issues such as grant-writing, project development, and developing collaborations.

3. Making your Farm/Ranch Business Work for YOU: This track will focus on making life easier as a farm/ranch business owner; including new business management and recordkeeping tools, information on alternative energy, and planning for the next generation.

4. Mooving More Livestock: How to make your ranch a marketing success story.

While participants are not required to stay in one track for the duration of the day, it is strongly encouraged as each session will build on the previous one.

Wednesday morning will offer a more traditional smorgasbord of workshops to choose from on climate change, community projects in the Native American Southwest, beginning farmer programs, and food and agriculture policy. In our closing plenary, we will ask participants to take what they’ve learned throughout the conference and tell us how they’re going to take it home.We’ll also ask for your help in letting the Southwest Marketing Network know what it can do to help you build your local and regional good food system.