Something
special happened on Friday, March 1: farmers and the people who work with them
came from all over the North
Coast to spend a day
together. It wasn't a meeting. It wasn't a conference. It was a convergence –
of people, ideas, and inspiration.
The
First Annual North Coast Farmers Convergence was hosted by North Coast
Opportunities, with many community sponsors including Barra Winery in Redwood Valley where the event was held.
"We
didn't want this to be just another meeting," said Miles Gorden, Gardens Project Coordinator. "We knew that the experts
would be the folks in the room, and the real value was in getting them to talk
to each other."
The
idea struck a chord, with so many people registering for the free event that
there was a waiting list to attend. In all, 150 people from Mendocino, Lake,
Napa, Sonoma, and Humboldt counties came together to exchange ideas and talk
about the future of farming in Northern California. The day ended with live
music, local beer and wine, and a delicious "farm to table" dinner prepared by Tamara Frey Catering.
Connections
were made throughout the day among farmers, suppliers, and organizations such
as Community Alliance with Family Farmers. Several people commented that they
met people they'd heard about or wanted to meet for years. In one case, a
year-old dispute was resolved when it was discovered that the root of the
problem was a simple miscommunication between two people who had never met in
person before.
According
to Farm to Fork Coordinator, Susan Lightfoot, "This turned out
better than anything we could have imagined." The sentiment was echoed
across the board by participants. "I've never been to such a
well-organized event," said one participant.
"They really hit it out of the park."
Another participant commented on the immediate benefits of the convergence:
"I met so many fabulous people and felt inspired and energized. Plus, I
got a new client!"
It
might have been ambitious to call this a "first annual" event, but
the organizers took a leap of faith and landed on solid ground. Throughout the
day, participants were buzzing about how to build on the day's success: whether
they could do quarterly convergences, or replicate the event in another county,
or even create multi-day retreats around the same concept.
A
repeating theme that came up in discussion throughout the day was that farmers
need to work cooperatively instead of competitively. With a growing emphasis in
modern society on both eating locally and building community, the First Annual
Farmers Convergence is sure to be just that: the first in a series of inspired events
that bring North Coast farmers together.
A huge thank you to all who contributed:
Click here to see pictures from the event!
