Registration Opens for Small Farms Week 2025’s Salute to Next Gen Agriculture

By Kenwyn Caranna

Registration for this year’s Small Farms Week is open, offering a bevy of forums, tours and networking opportunities for farmers, agricultural enthusiasts and the community. The 2025 Small Farmer of the Year also will be announced at the 39^th annual event, sponsored by Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

“We are excited for Small Farms Week, another opportunity to honor and learn from North Carolina’s small farmers who contribute to making our state’s $111 billion agriculture industry a successful venture daily,” said M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., associate dean and extension administrator.

This year’s theme for the event, March 23-29, is “Next Gen Agriculture.” Participants will learn about new technologies and new farming practices designed for environmental sustainability and resilience in this era of climate change.

Small Farms Week was launched in 1987 by Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T as a way to connect with small-scale farmers  including minority farmers and those in limited-resource communities  to ensure they receive the latest research-based information on farming techniques, new tools and technologies. It also gives the public a chance to meet their agricultural neighbors and learn about farm operations and food production.

The celebration kicks off at the Warren County Armory Civic Center, 501 U.S. 158 Business E., Warrenton, and includes a tour of Brown Family Farms, 2024 co-winner of Small Farmer of the Year, and on-farm technique demonstrations.

On March 25-26, educational forums and workshops will be at the N.C. A&T State University Farm Pavilion, 3020 McConnell Road, Greensboro.

And, in a shark-tank style competition March 27,  teams of A&T students will pitch their tech-based solutions to increase the sustainability and profitability of small farms at the farm pavilion.

The week wraps up March 28 with a tour of Secret Garden Bees Farm, 6930 Moray St., Linden (2024 co-winner of Small Farmer of the Year), and a closing luncheon and recognition at the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Center, 201 E. Mountain Drive, Fayetteville.

The event will include remarks from McKinnie, Biswanath Dari, Ph.D., assistant professor and natural resource specialist at N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension, Patrick Brown of Brown Family Farms and Jim Hartman of Secret Garden Bees.