Conference

The annual conferences for the Northern Nut Growers Association (NNGA) and Chestnut Growers of America (CGA) will be held jointly Friday, July 31-Monday, August 3, 2026 in Amherst, Massachusetts. The conference’s main events include a welcoming dinner with a show and tell session, two all-day technical sessions, live auction, social/banquet, and an all-day field tour. Attendees will include a diverse mix of commercial growers, researchers, educators, extension specialists, and hobbyists. Expect to hear a lot about chestnuts and hazelnuts, especially when grown in agroforestry practices. Learn more and register at the link below.

Whether from dwindling supplies, international turmoil, or regulations, we can expect fossil fuel prices to remain turbulent and high—along with the many basic farm inputs derived from petroleum. Farm operators have no choice but to absorb these price increases. Or do they? The Ohio State University’s Agroecosystem Management Program (AMP) invites farmers, policy makers, educators, food processors and distributors, researchers, and non-profits to join us for an all-day event on September 18. At the 20th annual Stinner Summit, attendees will brainstorm, discuss, and prioritize projects that could reduce our farming systems’ dependence on fossil fuel-based inputs. The Summit process invites people from different backgrounds to share their ideas and experiences. Farmers and others are responding to high fuel and input prices in many ways – including agroecological and regenerative approaches that reduce the need for inputs, alternative fuels and energy sources, and more energy efficient local food supply chains. Together we will discuss the pros and cons of strategies and projects that can be supported by the Stinner endowment. The event is free but pre-registration will be required. More information will be available at amp.osu.edu/collaboration/annual-stinner-summit.

The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Food and Farming Network is hosting its annual conference October 2-3, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. The BIPOC Farming Conference empowers farmers, deepens community bonds, and provides educational opportunities. There is an intentional effort in this year's conference to include a range of cultural identities with the theme "Honoring Our Heirlooms, Fortifying our Future." For more information, email them at info@BIPOCFoodAndFarmNetwork.org.