Pruning Trees, Saving Seeds, Shaping Policy:       Inside the 2026 Food & Farm Forum

The 2026 Food & Farm Forum delivered a blend of technical skillshares, inspirational dialogue, and community building. Whether attendees were beginning farmers seeking practical skills, experienced growers sharing expertise, or advocates working on agricultural policy, the Forum emphasized collective learning and sustained connection across the regional sustainable agriculture community.

Thank you to our sponsors: Alabama Association of RC&D Councils, Southern SARE, USDA SE TOPP, and Alabama Ag Credit. Thank you to our partner exhibitors. Thank you to all the presenters that traveled to share their expertise. Thank to you to our hosts at Camp McDowell. Thank you to ASAN staff, board, and volunteers.

Share Your Impact

If you’ve put into practice something you learned at a Food and Farm Forum or a CRAFT event in your farm operation, we’d love to hear about it. We have a grant to help measure the impact of our programs and can compensate you for your story. Contact ASAN at [email protected] or (256) 743-0742 to schedule a visit. Our deadline for impact stories is the end of August.

Policy Steering Committee

At the Food & Farm Forum, we announced the launch of the ASAN Policy Steering Committee, a volunteer committee comprised of policy advocates, ASAN staff & board, concerned citizens, and Alabama farmers. Together, we remain knowledgeable of policies that support or threaten the livelihood of sustainable farms, work to establish policy priorities for ASAN to address, and facilitate opportunities for public engagement in agricultural policy. 

Are you a farmer interested in becoming involved as a member of this committee? If so, then let us know here.

Regional Forums

Stay tuned for upcoming one day Regional Forums (aka, field days) in central and south Alabama. These gatherings will bring farmers together to share a meal, build connections, and exchange practical skills. If you have organic, regenerative, or sustainable growing practices you would like to teach or learn, we would love to hear from you: [email protected] or (256) 743-0742.

Soil Health and Crop Benefits to Integrating Biochar and Poultry Litter—Results showed that pairing biochar with poultry litter significantly improved soil fertility, nitrogen retention, plant vigor, marketable yield, fruit quality, and economic returns while conventional fertilizer systems lagged behind, supporting this integrated approach as a more sustainable and profitable strategy for regional growers.

29,000 People Are Waiting for Beans—Steve Sando turned a decades-long obsession with heirloom beans into Rancho Gordo, a once-struggling farmers market venture that has become a booming, profitable business with millions of pounds sold annually and a massive waitlisted bean subscription club.

How Cities Can Ensure Good Food for All—Amid soaring grocery prices and deep industry consolidation, this article argues that cities must step in where federal oversight has weakened, using local policy to make food more affordable and accessible.

Why Tribal Governments are Talking about Departments of Agriculture—NAAF and IFAI partnered with the National Congress of American Indians to advance a resolution backing the establishment and expansion of Tribal Departments of Agriculture to strengthen Tribal sovereignty, food sovereignty, and sustainable agricultural economic growth. These departments are framed as foundational institutions that enable Tribal Nations to oversee their own food systems, safeguard cultural and natural resources, exercise regulatory authority, and invest in resilient, community-driven agricultural futures.

Welcome ASAN Organization Members 

North Alabama Agriplex and EAT South are no strangers to the ASAN community. Based in Cullman, the North Alabama Agriplex is committed to cultivating a community passionate about preserving our agricultural heritage, educating and feeding our neighbors, and growing a sustainable future. Rooted in Montgomery, EAT South educates about, gathers people around, and grows good food. They empower people to change the way food travels from the ground to our plates. Both organizations offer a robust schedule of community events and workshops for all ages and experience levels. 

Becoming a member of ASAN means joining a passionate community working to build a more just, sustainable, and thriving food system in Alabama. Whether you are a farmer, food lover, activist, or educator, your membership supports local agriculture, food justice, and environmental stewardship while giving you access to member-only perks, event discounts, and a powerful statewide network.

Member Benefits:

• A say in where ASAN focuses its priorities.
• Access to the member portal where you can collaborate with other members and share resources.
• Save 5% off your order with Johnny's Seeds.
• Save 20% off StrongSoil® from CHONEX. 
• Apply for a mini-grant through ASAN's Undo the Knot fund.
• Post a crowdfunding project on the website.

Not ready to become a member? You can still support ASAN’s mission by making a recurring or one-time donation. Every dollar helps build a stronger, more sustainable food system for us all.

Alabama HB 162 and SB 71: These two pieces of legislation, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen and Rep. Troy Stubbs would inhibit Alabama’s ability to adopt regulations intended to protect public health, drinking water, and the environment; exclude scientifically sound evidence related to cancer and chronic disease; and eliminate ADEM rules requiring them to use the most up-to-date scientific information regarding toxic chemicals.

Alabama Arise Legislative Day: Legislative Day is an annual opportunity for Arise members and friends to meet their lawmakers and make the case for policy changes to improve the lives of everyday Alabamians. Your voice matters! Make plans now to speak up for a better Alabama for all on February 24, 10am-3pm, at the Alabama State House in Montgomery.

ASAN Advocate’s Guide: a practical guide outlining how to find elected officials, access accurate voting and district information, track Alabama legislative activity, and engage effectively in state and local policy advocacy through trusted tools, public data sources, and partner organizations.

Farm Bill Priorities: House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson has tentatively scheduled a farm bill markup, where committee members debate, amend, and vote on a draft, for the week of February 23. It’s a sign of movement, but not a sign that a final bill is close. 

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Sand Mountain Seed Bank is seeking growers for several roles, including those who can multiply a variety and return seed to the bank, those interested in adopting and stewarding a specific variety, and those willing to trial varieties to assess their viability and characteristics. Attend the Grower's Meeting on February 11, 5:45pm-6:45pm through this Zoom link.

Pesticide Drift: Experiences, Impacts, and Takeaways (webinar): farmers Angela and Jared will share how to identify signs of pesticide drift, the steps they took in response to drift, and valuable lessons learned along the way. Tuesday, February 17, 1-2pm. 

Farming with Soil Life (virtual short course): this online course will highlight the importance of macro and micro animals in soil that contribute to maintaining healthy and productive soils, the functions they perform, and guidelines for optimizing land management practices to support diverse soil fauna. February 18, 8am-noon. Free registration required.

134th Annual Farmers Conference will take place February 19-20 at Tuskegee University as a two-day educational forum featuring tours, panel discussions, interactive demonstrations and concurrent workshops.

Alliance of Sustainable Farms Field Day at Brewer Vegetable Farm in Greenwood, MS on February 20, 10:30am-2:30pm. Topics include hydroponic demonstration, networking, preparation for spring planting, no-low till, and USDA/NRCS programs and services. Preregistration is required by emailing AllianceofSustainableFarms@gmail.com. Lunch provided.

Southern Cover Crops Council Conference is a regional gathering focused on practical cover crop strategies for Southern farms. Farmers, researchers, and advisors share real-world experience to improve soil health and reduce risk. February 25-26 in Gainesville, FL.

Small-Farm Aggregation Panel (webinar): farmer participants will be able to assess if aggregation is a feasible sales outlet for their business. Farm aggregators will gain knowledge on strategies to improve small-farm aggregation operations to better serve farmers and sell more. February 26 at 5:30pm.

Urban Mushroom Symposium at the University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture will feature expert-led presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and practical sessions covering mushroom cultivation, research advancements, and real-world applications. March 5-6.

Come to the Table Conference is RAFI’s biennial gathering that brings together farmers, faith leaders, anti-hunger advocates, and community organizations to learn, share, and collaborate on building a more just and equitable food system. The theme is “Food & The Common Good,” which will explore what and who is affecting our food system. March 12-13 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Alabama Water Rally is the annual gathering of Alabama’s network of water advocates and allies hosted by the Alabama Rivers Alliance. It will take place March 20-22 in Montgomery. Registration is open.

North Alabama Agriplex offers agricultural education and community engagement programs for all ages, including adult classes on sustainable living and heritage skills, children’s programs and camps about farming and nature, school field trips, beginning farmer support and mentoring, and seasonal hands-on agricultural experiences.

EAT South runs community-focused programs that teach sustainable gardening, composting, healthy food education, and food system literacy through workshops, garden projects, seed swaps, community composting, and art-from-garden classes.

Submit your event to the ASAN Events Calendar! Do you have an event you would like to advertise in this monthly newsletter? If so, please email the following to [email protected]: name of event, host group and contact info, location (including full address), date/time, price, link to event website / Facebook event page. We cannot transcribe a flyer but can share a link to one you've already published online. 

CLASSIFIEDS & RESOURCES

Project Ground-Nesting Bees: ​a global community science initiative focused on researching, conserving, and managing native ground-nesting bees. By combining community observations and fieldwork with scientific modeling, Project GNBee reveals the nesting biology of understudied species, supports the conservation of priority sites, promotes local stewardship, and informs policies to safeguard pollinators across both natural and managed landscapes.

Job Opportunity: Hope Community in Fairhope is hiring a Farm & Operations Manager.

Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund is a small grant program that provides direct assistance to veterans who are in their beginning years of farming or ranching. Apply by February 17.

The National Organic Farming Survey invites certified and transitioning organic farmers and ranchers to share their input on challenges, priorities, and technical assistance needs shaping organic agriculture today. It takes about 25 minutes to complete, is confidential, and participants receive a Johnny’s Selected Seeds discount plus a chance to win farm‑focused prizes. Complete by February 28.

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship: Designed to aid Native students in achieving their educational goals leading to careers in agriculture, the fellowship program provides a generous benefits package that can include up to four years of fellowship status with funding to earn agricultural degrees or technical certifications. Apply by March 2.

ASLF Apprenticeship: Paid, one-month immersive experiences to cultivate and inspire the next generation of food and agriculture leaders. Partner farms are located throughout the country, including Alabama and Georgia. Apply by March 15.

Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit will occur July 9-17 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Applications are open to Native youth ages 18-24. All travel and lodging will be covered for those accepted. Apply by March 20.

Native Youth Maȟkhíčhaŋyaŋpi (Lakota for 'Agriculture') Business Plan Contest: This agriculture business contest aims to help students who are interested in the agriculture industry to develop or build on their agriculture business plan. Apply by April 30.

Natoora Farm Fund: Transformational and resilience grants to young agroecological farmers globally. Apply by May 31.

FARMpreneurs Strategic Sprint: A week-long executive level education experience to bring the best in entrepreneurship training to farmers. The experience is free to attend with all room and board included. The Southeast regional Strategic Sprint is in partnership with Caney Fork Farms in Carthage, TN on November 15-21, 2026. Apply by March 16. Email questions to [email protected].

Free Sweet Grown Alabama Membership: Through March 31, 2026, First South Farm Credit will generously cover the first-year Sweet Grown Alabama membership fee for any Alabama farmer, product maker, restaurant or retailer interested in joining the state’s agricultural branding program.

NRCS Highlights Benefits of New Regenerative Pilot Program: 5-minute video of how the agency is helping producers cut through red tape to plan and implement whole-farm regenerative practices through the new Regenerative Pilot Program.

Regenerative Agriculture Course: Curious about regenerative agriculture and soil health? Kiss the Ground is offering scholarships for its 90-minute online Regenerative Agriculture Essentials course, prioritizing underserved and underrepresented communities.

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant: This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses qualify for this funding. Applications are open year round.

Tax Exemption Opportunity: Fencing materials, such as t-posts, wood posts, barbed wire, net wire, smooth wire, standard metal gates, and other like materials used for the purpose of fencing in agriculture livestock applications are exempt from state sales and use taxes through September 30, 2029. To benefit, the purchaser must provide the retailer with Form ST:EXC-2. For more information, email [email protected].