Farmers Market, Agritourism conference Feb. 10-12 in Edmond

EDMOND, OK — The sixth annual Oklahoma Farmers Market and Agritourism Conference is taking place Feb. 10-12 at the Hilton Garden Inn and Edmond Conference Center, located at 2833 Conference Drive in Edmond.

The conference’s focus is to increase the availability of local food in Oklahoma communities and strengthen farmers markets and agritourism sites through education and networking opportunities. Featured speakers include Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Conservationist Gary O’Neill, nationally recognized farmer and author Michael Kilpatrick, along with many more influential speakers.

The conference is being facilitated by the ONIE Project, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Oklahoma Agritourism and key stakeholders from agricultural, community and public health agencies.

A variety of in-depth workshops will take place on Feb. 10, including grant writing, produce safety training, marketing, and plasticulture. The full conference day will take place on Feb. 11, followed by an agritourism rolling workshop and innovative farm tour on Feb. 12. Prices for the workshops and full conference day range from $0 to $25, and registration is required for each event.

The conference has four tracks addressing topics of special interest to market managers, growers and producers, agritourism producers, and community support organizations. Topics will include accepting SNAP/EBT, farming technology, marketing to the public, small agriculture advocacy and more. A locally sourced meal will be provided to all registrants. Registration is open online at www.onieproject.org/okfmac and will close on Feb. 3 at noon or once capacity is met.

There are more than 96 farmers markets and 391 agritourism producers in Oklahoma, providing quality and tasty local food and enjoyment to communities across the state. Information on Oklahoma’s agritourism industry can be found at www.oklahomaagritourism.com. Details about the state’s farmers markets are available at www.okgrown.com.