The Nevada Small Farm Conference keynote speaker is Vance Corum of Farmers’ Markets America in Vancouver, Wash. The conference is March 12-13 at the Fallon Convention Center.

Corum will address “The Next Generation: Farmer Innovations & Keeping Our Kids on the Farm.” Corum will highlight farms that have successfully transitioned to the next generation by direct marketing their products to the consumer.

The farms reviewed will span the country from California’s Capay Organic with its 6,000-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, to Maine’s Harris Dairy that bottles milk in glass and sells beef by the quarter and half.

Nationally recognized for his 30-plus years of work developing new marketing options for farmers, Corum has worked with 3,000 farmers during the years and has helped set up farmers markets in more than 75 communities. Corum is co-author of “The New Farmers’ Market: Farm-Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers & Communities.”

Conference coordinator Ann Louhela says a record number of farmers have registered for the conference compared to prior years. She said increasing consumer demand for locally-grown food has created greater interest in small farm production.

The conference offers a variety of sessions, including chicken and egg production, direct marketing beef, hoop house and specialty crop production, farmers market management and more.

The conference is still open for registration, including on-site. Contact Ann Louhela at (775) 351.2551.