North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s 35th Annual Small Farms Week will be held March 21-27, 2021, and will offer a variety of virtual events and educational programs designed to inform the public and provide research-based information to support small farmers.

The 35th annual Small Farms Week is presented by Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T with the theme, “35 Years: Resilience. Strength. Diversity.” The week’s virtual events are designed for farmers with limited incomes and acreage and will provide them with information to become more resilient and more profitable.

Farmers and interested members of the public are invited to sign up free of charge at the Small Farms Week registration webpage.

Overview of the agenda:

• Friday, March 19: Virtual kickoff highlighting agriculture in Avery County, the home of the 2020 Small Farmers of the Year, Amos and Kaci Nidiffer. The event will include a presentation about farming in Avery County, a panel of local farmers and recognition of the Nidiffers for their award.
• Monday, March 22: Sessions about the health benefits of community gardening and ways to boost your immune system during the pandemic.
• Tuesday, March 23: Virtual education forum covering plant production, farm management, high tunnel winter production and livestock production. A panel of N.C. A&T students will discuss the wide variety of career opportunities available in agriculture and related fields.
• Wednesday, March 24: Virtual educational forum on marketing and agribusiness and a small farms update by members of N.C. A&T’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. The day also includes one of the highlights of the week: the virtual Small Farmers’ Appreciation Program, with a keynote address by Jimmy Gentry, president of the North Carolina Grange, and the announcement of the 2021 Small Farmer of the Year.
• Thursday, March 25: Panel discussion among N.C. A&T students about opportunities for young people in agriculture.

  Find the full agenda here.