Registration is now open for the 8th biennial Harvest New England Agricultural Marketing Conference and Trade Show. The virtual program is set for two half days on February 24 and 25 and will be offered at no cost to attendees. Reserve your spot at the conference at www.harvestnewengland.org.

This year’s conference theme is Diversifying for Agri-Businesses: Strategies for Weathering the Storms. Kicking off the educational workshops on Wednesday, February 24 at 8:45 am is best-selling author and seventh generation farmer, Forrest Pritchard from Berryville, Virginia. His presentation, entitled Lessons from 2020, Opportunities for 2021, will examine what the past year taught us about business operation, marketing, and personal growth, and how farmers can use these lessons to make positive changes for 2021 and beyond.

Additional workshops will follow on Wednesday and Thursday that will include farmers and experts from across the region. Program topics include:    

• Sharing Experiences on Navigating Farm Businesses Through the Pandemic (regional farmer panel)
• Increasing Profits Through Season Extension and Diversification by Adding Value to Your Farm Products
• Diversification: Business Planning Tools to Achieve Your Goals
• Considerations for Diversifying Your Farm Operation (regional farmer panel)

Effective Marketing Solutions – How to Make the Best of a Difficult Situation

Information about all of the workshops, schedule and speakers, can be found at www.harvestnewengland.org.

Harvest New England is also hosting a New England Farmers’ Market Managers Seminar to be held in conjunction with the conference on February 22 and 23. Topics include market challenges and successes of 2020, creating effective community partnerships, conflict resolution, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, SNAP program participation. Complete program information can be found on www.harvestnewengland.org.

Harvest New England recognizes that this year has been unprecedented for producers in many ways, and feels strongly that now more than ever, it’s important to provide agricultural businesses throughout the Northeast with the tools to remain viable, cultivate innovators, and foster the next generation of farmers.

Harvest New England would like to thank the Farm Credit East Ag Enhancement program for its generous sponsorship of the 2021 conference.  Other presenting sponsors for the 2021 conference are Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Wafler Nursery, and Author Jodi Dee. Harvest New England is greatly appreciative of these and other program sponsors, and details can be found at www.harvestnewengland.org.

Harvest New England (HNE) is a cooperative marketing program created by New England’s state departments of agriculture in 1992. It has sponsored this regional conference since 2007. For more information, go to www.harvestnewengland.org.