The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) will host its 22nd annual Business of Farming Conference on February 22, 2025, at Blue Ridge Community College in Hendersonville, NC. This year’s event emphasizes recovery and resilience planning as farmers in the region prepare for their first growing season following Hurricane Helene.

The conference, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers professional and aspiring farmers practical tools to strengthen their operations, with workshops on financial management, marketing, legal considerations, and labor strategies. Notable sessions include You Can’t Do It All: Hiring and Keeping a Productive Team and Planning for Farm Resiliency.

Networking opportunities include the popular Grower-Buyer Meeting, where farmers meet directly with chefs, grocers, and wholesalers to explore potential business relationships. The conference also features an exhibitor hall, one-on-one sessions with experts in food safety, tax, and legal matters, and the Farmers Market Summit—a dedicated forum for market managers to collaborate and plan for the year ahead.

Registration is now open at asapconnections.org. Early bird pricing of $75 is available until February 1, increasing to $95 after that date. Discounts are offered for farm partners registering together, and scholarships are available for limited-resource and BIPOC farmers. The cost includes a locally sourced breakfast and lunch, with the midday meal sponsored by Farm Burger.

Support for the conference comes from Dogwood Health Trust, the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.