RECAP: SSAWG 2020 Conference

Every year, the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) brings together people from across the region who have the same passion for sustainability and commitment to bettering our food system. This year two Barn2Door members, Bernice and Lauren, attended the SSAWG Conference. It was held in beautiful Little Rock, Arkansas, where you can find great food (duck pot pie? Brunch poutine? Count me in!), and even better conversations with the locals (Southern hospitality? It’s real).

The conference was held at the Statehouse Convention Center, attached directly to Little Rock Marriott. The exhibitor tables were all in the Governor’s Hall, while the different educational sessions were held in separate rooms, helping attendees navigate around the venue seamlessly.

Session topics varied, but revolved around this year’s conference focus: climate change. The sessions attended offered innovative solutions for Farmers navigating these challenges. Here’s some key takeaways. 

Session: High Tunnel Production and Marketing Challenges

Speakers: Krista Jacobsen and Tim Woods

Takeaways:

• Production first and marketing second is not a sustainable business model.

• It is important to be intentional about what and how Farmers are growing and selling.

• Many Farms feel like they are on their own for marketing— Farms need help to know where their market is going.

• Extending Seasons: the longer you are able to sell, the stronger your relationship with those customers. (Both Retail and Wholesale)

Session: Introduction to Restoration Agriculture

Speaker: Mark Shepard

Takeaways:

• We can save the planet and eat well! 

• The agriculture system “as is” does not feed the current population.

• There are many ways to work with nature for a profit. 

• Use history as reference for which plants have been successful in your area.

• If we need to supplement the soil, we are doing something wrong. Soil is created naturally.

• There are many effective growing strategies that mimic natural systems: rainfall management, agroforestry, silvopasture, and stacking plants in limited areas.

• Working with nature allows the natural ecosystem to thrive.

Session: How Farmers Can Combat Climate Change

Speakers: Johnny Wray, Marshall Bartlett, Jody Reyer, Allen Williams, and Jim Worstell

Takeaways:

• Overgrazing and understocking leads to desertification, so utilize adaptive stewardship grazing— it can change the microclimate.

• Every decision you make at your Farm should be financially feasible, have a lower carbon footprint, and align with your environmental and humane treatment principles.

• The most unsustainable Farms will not be there next year.

• To be a good grass Farmer, you first and fundamentally have to be a dirt Farmer.

Being surrounded by people working towards the same goal naturally leads to very meaningful conversations. At the Barn2Door booth, we were able to meet Farmers interested in transitioning to either putting their Farm products online, or making it easier to sell them to their customers. We also were ecstatic to meet and give hats to Farmers who already use Barn2Door and attended the conference! 

What Bernice and Lauren had to say:

“Working in Marketing, I don’t always get the opportunity to talk to Farmers, so attending this conference where I got to meet and have great conversations with them has been such an exciting learning experience!” - Bernice

“Getting the opportunity to shake the hands of Farmers has strengthened my belief in what we do at Barn2Door. Farmers are some of the most wonderfully kind, humble and genuine people I’ve ever met and I’m grateful to get to serve them.” - Lauren

If you’re curious to learn about Barn2Door’s services for your own Farm, you can learn how it works with a short video demo.