UC Organic Agriculture Institute event tailored for organic growers in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura
California’s Central Coast is a leader in organic farming, known for growing berries and leafy vegetables, often on vast acreages. Recognizing this regional commitment to organic practices, the University of California Organic Agriculture Institute has tailored an upcoming regional conference to serve growers in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Registration is open for the Central Coast Organic Agriculture Conference scheduled for Sept 15-16, 2026. This free event will bring together organic farmer perspectives, research, technical assistance and UC Cooperative Extension resources. The conference goal is to facilitate knowledge sharing and community building, ultimately strengthening the network of organic growers. Spanish interpretation will be available for all programming.
The conference kicks off with farm tours. Attendees will visit a diverse cross-section of local certified organic operations, including a large-scale diversified vegetable grower, a 60-acre organic vineyard and an 80-acre subtropical fruit farm. The farm tours provide an opportunity to see different approaches to organic management and chat with owners and managers.
“The planning committee did a great job of identifying tour stops that showcase a range of organic operations – in terms of the cropping system, the scale, as well as operational and marketing strategies,” said event organizer Lexie Wilson, extension and outreach coordinator with the UC Organic Agriculture Institute (part of the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources).
On the second day of the conference, attendees will convene at the Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo for a series of panel discussions, including one focused on strategies for reaching institutional buyers, like schools or hospitals. Panelists will share tips for accessing those markets, such as selling produce through food hubs.
“ Oftentimes, institutions require both larger volumes and a consistent supply of a particular item – working collectively, farmers can meet those demands,” Wilson said.
Other topics include invasive pest management and disaster preparedness in the face of climate change and extreme weather, soil health, balancing sustainability goals with food safety and innovative approaches to Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation.
“ Our organic farming conference is critical in California in the age of SGMA implementation,” shared planning committee member and organic farmer Jesse Trace. “The science shows that soil health is synonymous with water conservation. Farms that care for their underlying ecosystem services through composting, cover cropping and hedgerows protect our semi-arid regions' most precious resource, water.” The conference will showcase farms in the Central Coast implementing these practices and research on these topics.
Additionally, the event will include one-on-one office hours with organic agriculture resource providers. Experts will be available to answer grower questions and collaboratively work through specific challenges. Ample time for networking will also be provided.
The event is free of charge thanks to generous funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability and State Organic Program, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service West Southwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program.
To see the agenda and to register, visit bit.ly/4aYEpSY. The registration deadline is Sept. 5.
The event planning team includes UC Cooperative Extension advisors from San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, as well as the UC Small Farms Network, the Central Coast Soil Hub of the local Resource Conservation District, Community Alliance with Family Farmers and an organic farmer growing in San Luis Obispo.
“We’re excited to be hosting this year’s conference on the Central Coast,” said planning committee member Joshua Kouri, coordinator for the Central Coast Soil Hub. “Peer-to-peer learning opportunities like this are incredibly powerful tools for ensuring our local agricultural community is both environmentally sustainable and economically viable.”