Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology has released details for the 2025 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference, which will be hosted August 18th and 19th at The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor.

This event has been educating farmers and committed home growers from northern Michigan and beyond for twenty-five years with an annual conference.

With the average age of farmers at 58, continuing a trend of farmers getting older and not being replaced by younger farmers, events like this are essential for the long-term stability of our food system in northern Michigan and beyond.

This year’s summer conference is two days packed with on-farm learning opportunities, engaging sessions, and inspirational keynotes. It will feature two keynotes: Monday from chef and award-winning cookbook author Abra Berens from Granor Farm and Tuesday from Bridget O’Brien and Dr Charlie Brennan of Gateway Farm in Plymouth and Garden Juju Collective.

Farm tours offered during the conference feature visits to many of Leelanau County’s most prominent farms, such as Lakeview Hill Farm, 9 Bean Rows, Bardenhagen Berries, Hallstedt Homestead, Green Bird Organic Cellars, Grand Traverse Band Gitigaan, Lively NeighborFood Market, and the Glen Arbor Farmers Market.

The conference sessions will explore the topic of Incubate + Integrate. Sessions will incubate ideas with technical and hands-on workshops tailored for farmers and integrate by broadening the scope to explore community solutions. Throughout, there will also be a focus on farmer wellness, recognizing the importance of resilience and well-being in farming.Workshop topics include organic production, pest control, farm to school, farmer wellness, permaculture, agroforestry, soil health, food access, community engagement, and many more.