Description
Course Schedule: Tuesday, December 8 and Wednesday, December 9, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Registration opens at 7:30 am)
Location: Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center, One College Lane, Weyers Cave, Virginia 24486
Conference hosts: Eric S. Bendfeldt of Virginia Cooperative Extension and Mary Sketch Bryant of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition in, in partnership the VT School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, the VT Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program, Virginia Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE), and community partners
If you need any assistance with registration, please contact our helpline at vceprograms@vt.edu.
To learn and enjoy collaboration, conversations, and community with farmers, practitioners, and researchers, plan to attend the 2026 Virginia Farm to Table Conference on Tuesday, December 8 and Wednesday, December 9 at Blue Ridge Community College’s Plecker Workforce Development Center in Weyers Cave, VA. Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, in partnership the VT School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, the VT Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program, Virginia Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE), and community partners are please to host the conference on the theme of “Resilient Farms and Health Foods for the Commonwealth and Common Good.” Farms, and Health.”
The 2026 conference will feature Michael Rozyne and Kelsey Gosch of Red Tomato and EcoCertified, Bob Jones Jr. of The Chef’s Garden, Julia Freedgood of American Farmland Trust, Chef Radelle Reese of Virginia State University, Duron Chavis of Happily Natural Day, and other panelists and voices from the field on community and regional planning, local and regional grains, orchards and vineyards, and health in the farming and food system. Additionally, Chef Radelle Reese will provide a demonstration on functional foods.
Conference topics will include presentations, conversation, and discussions around regenerative agriculture, soil health, resilience and the convergence of food systems issues, local and regional food system development, heritage grain varieties, regional value chain connections, and everyday opportunities to impact health in the farm and food system. Producers and practitioners will share their local and regional expertise and perspectives on concurrent session panels.
On Tuesday evening, an offsite networking time will be held at The Granary at Valley Pike Farm Market from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a brief presentation by the Common Grain Alliance and the Virginia Heritage Grains Project.
Who Should Attend?
The 2026 Virginia Farm to Table Conference will be of interest to farmers, producers, buyers, chefs, food entrepreneurs, agricultural development officials, community and regional planners, health professionals, policymakers, educators, technical service providers, natural resources conservationists, and regenerative agriculture stakeholders
Note: We are applying for Certified Nutrient Management Planners, Certified Crop Advisors, and continuing education credits for nutritionists and dietitians.
Notes
WAYS TO REGISTER
Any refunds issued may incur a processing fee. Additionally, a $20 refund processing fee for refunds requested after December 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
If you have any questions about this program, please contact: Eric S. Bendfeldt, ebendfel@vt.edu, 540.232.6006
If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact your local Extension Office during the business hours of 9:00a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event. *TDD number is 800-828-1120.