SPECIAL EVENTS
SPECIAL EVENTS
Wine & Cider Tasting
Thursday, January 23 | 5-7 pm
Join more than 20 world class organic vintners and cider producers as we imbibe in the fruits of the vine and orchard. Sip your samples in your personal EcoFarm tasting glass and enjoy some tasty provisions at this celebratory event.
$35 Pre-register online
$40 At-conference
This event is generously sponsored by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
Beer & Kombucha Tasting
Friday, January 24 | 4-6 pm
Sip organic, intentionally produced beer and kombucha from more than a dozen regional breweries while mixing with exhibitors and conference attendees.
Fill your commemorative glass and enjoy light appetizers.
$30 Pre-register online
$35 At-conference
Wednesday, January 22
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9:45- 10:45pm
Merrill Hall
After the Wednesday evening keynote, please stay for tea and cookies for the first of many networking opportunities!
Thursday, January 23
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8:00 - 9:00 am
Long View North (Yoga Room)
Make time for yourself to bring back balance to your whole body with a focus on your upper back.
Learn to counteract the effects of daily life (like hunching over your garden beds, tractor wheel and computer screen) that contribute to upper back aches and tightness. Practice these yoga stretches
regularly for your preventative self-care and improved posture.
Class will be led by Rifka Mason, a certified massage therapist and yoga instructor. She will also be available for Barefoot Shiatsu and Thai massage sessions at the Healing Center during the conference.
The class is limited to 10 participants. Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle to the session.
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12:30-2:00 pm
Triton
Calling all agriculture educators and service providers from the non-profit, public, and private sphere in California and beyond. Join us for networking and alignment on the topics important to the farmers you serve. Participate in breakout conversations on improving existing FEN networks, starting new regional networks, and providing Organic-specific technical assistance. Bring your lunch.
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12:30-3:15 pm
Scripps
Join us for the California Organic Products Advisory Committee meeting. Meeting is open to all participants.
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5:00- 6:00 pm
Stuck Up Living Room
Come network, mingle, curriculum share out, best practices, funding questions, job opportunities, resourcing and more! Come be in good company with those who know and want to know more about innovative school garden/outdoor education ideas!!
Hosted by: New Mettle Farms
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5:00-7:00 pm
$35 online, $40 at the door
Merrill Hall
Join more than 20 world class organic vintners and cider producers as we imbibe in the fruits of the vine and orchard. Sip your samples in your personal EcoFarm tasting glass and enjoy some tasty provisions at this celebratory event.
Sponsored by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
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8:00-10:00 pm
Merrill Hall
Immerse yourself in the magical world of seeds and expand the biodiversity of your farm or garden. Bring labeled scion wood cuttings or seeds to share and enjoy swapping for new varieties. Flower growers will have a table for trading too, so bring your flower seeds and dahlia tubers. Only bring non-hybrid, non- GMO plants and seeds.
Hosted by Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) and the California Rare Fruit Growers
Friday, January 24
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7:45 - 8:30 am
Merrill Hall
Join us prior to the keynote session as we remember those in the ecological agriculture movement who have passed away this year.
**If participants would like to share photos of their dearly departed, please bring a copy of your photo to add to the Memorial Table in the back of Merrill Hall. The Memorial Table will be up during the entire conference.
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8:00-9:00 am
Long View North (Yoga Room)
Join us for movements and stretches for the whole body with a focus on freeing up tight muscles in the neck and shoulders. Practice connecting to the breath to help relieve stress and tension.
Class will be led by Rifka, a certified massage therapist and yoga instructor. She will also be available for sessions at the Healing Center during the conference.
The class is limited to 10 participants. Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle to the session.
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4:00 - 6:00 pm
Exhibitor Marketplace
$30 adv/$35 at the door
Sip organic intentionally produced beer and kombucha from regional breweries while mixing with exhibitors and conference attendees. Enjoy snacks while filling your commemorative glass.
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5:00 - 5:30 pm
Crocker (BBQ/Fire Pit Area)
5:30-6:30pm
Seascape
Join the Jewish Farmer Network team for a Shabbat dinner where we will engage in rituals new and old, while exploring the ways our tradition elevates food and builds community. The Sabbath is an ancestral blueprint for sacred cycles of work and rest that are directly tied to the work of a farmer. Let’s learn, connect, and break bread together! No Shabbat experience necessary.
If you don’t have a meal ticket and you would like to participate, stop by our table in the exhibitor hall and we’ll figure it out!
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4:30- 6:30 pm
Hearth Living Room
Calling all supporters of organic agriculture research, extension and education! The UC Organic Agriculture Institute, CCOF, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) have joined forces to host this all organic mixer. Come celebrate organic, discuss challenges and opportunities, make new friends across the industry, and enjoy an array of organic food and beverages.
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5:30-7:00 pm
Scripps Patio
Come celebrate women who continue to sow the seeds of culture in agriculture. Enjoy small bites and libations while connecting and networking with female farmers, advocates and allies. You never know who you’ll meet! (Note: this mixer immediately follows the Women in Ag Roundtable session).
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5:30-6:30 pm
Nautilus
Reúnase con agricultores hispanohablantes, compradores prominentes de frutas y hortalizas, y con proveedores de servicios. Se ofrecerán aperitivos y bebidas.
Join fellow Spanish speakers who are producers, buyers, or who provide other services. Snacks and beverages will be served.
Sponsored by ALBA
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6:45- 8:30 pm
Crocker Dining Hall
Join us in honoring some of our shining stars in our community. EcoFarm will present the 2025 Steward of Sustainable Agriculture (Sustie), the Advocates for Social Justice & Sustainable Agriculture (Justie), the Fresh Roots award, to recognize the work of beginning and young farmers and the Golden Pliers award given to an outstanding EcoFarm volunteer.
Please note: There will be an early seating (5:30- 6:30pm) for the Friday dinner (for those who will not be attending the Award Banquet). Please check the website and program for more information as we get closer to the conference!
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7:00-10:00 pm
Nautilus
Come one come all! Open meetup to socialize with people interested in permaculture, systems change, regenerative agriculture, landscaping, gardening, ecosystem restoration, community resilience, ethnobotany, herbalism, homesteading, cannabis, and more.
We’re serving Long Root Pale Ale and Long Root Wit, beer made from the world’s first and only perennial grain Kernza® developed by Wes Jackson of The Land Institute.
This 4th Annual Permaculture Meetup is hosted by Santa Cruz Permaculture with Indian Canyon, Permaculture Artisans, and Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping.
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9:00-11:30 pm
Merrill Hall
The much loved EcoFarm Dance returns to the conference! It’s time to kick off your shoes and dance!
Saturday, January 25
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8:00-9:00am
Long View North - Yoga Room
Come to improve your range of motion and circulation in the hips and hamstrings. When the hips and hamstrings are tight they increase an unhealthy load on the spine which can lead to misalignment. You will learn to create greater hip mobility, flexibility and health.
Class will be led by Rifka, a certified massage therapist and yoga instructor. She will also be available for sessions at the Healing Center during the conference.
The class is limited to 10 participants. Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle to the session.
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Inclement weather- the circle will meet in Merrill Hall
1:00-2:00pm
Join us as we bring the conference to a close as a community.
The Healing Center
The Healing Center is open to all conference participants, providing massage, acupuncture & and more at affordable prices!
To book a session, stop by Marlin during our open hours. All sessions are offered on a sliding scale starting at $1 per minute. Session lengths and rates are 30 mins for $30-$50, 60 mins for $60-$100, and 90 mins for $90-$150.
Outdoor chair massages are also available on a drop-in basis - $1 per min. Cash, checks, and cards are accepted.
Don’t miss this favorite EcoFarm tradition. Stop by Marlin to schedule early!
We are here to help you stay healthy, relaxed, and centered. It is an honor to serve you and we look forward to enriching your experience at EcoFarm!
Meet the Healing Center’s Practitioners:
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Rivka Mason blends both Barefoot Shiatsu and Thai massage into a unique style that moves any stuck tension out, within a short time. Deeply intuitive, her well-seasoned hands and feet can create a balanced state by working along the meridian channels to clear any stagnant energy. She has been practicing privately in the Berkeley area for 30 years.
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Dr. Cary Friedman LAc, DTCM, is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist from Santa Cruz. They will be available for half-hour and hour-long acupuncture sessions. Cary is also offering Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy which is a very gentle yet powerful form of holding to help the body release and align for optimal health. He will also be available for massage.
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Sharon Delap has been serving Eco-Farm for over 20 years in the Healing Center. Certified in 1990, she blends Shiatsu, Deep Tissue, Swedish, and Sports massage, plus Reflexology, to relax muscles and release tension and pain. She has enjoyed working in a variety of professional settings including spas, gyms, and Chiropractic and Acupuncture offices plus on-the-spot chair massage for businesses and festivals.
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Dr. Mariposa Bernstein LAc DAOM has been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine since 1988. At Eco-Farm she offers acupuncture, cupping, auricular/ear treatments, and herbal, nutritional, and lifestyle coaching. She has a practice in Santa Cruz and is on the faculty at Five Branches University. www.MetamorphosisAcupuncture.com / 831-239-4943.You may call ahead to make an appointment.
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Sundi Manny has worked as a massage and acupuncture therapist for 26 years. She has learned from experience in the field and in her studies during 5 years of graduate school for acupuncture. Sundi blends Swedish, acupressure, tui-na for a unique session to meet the client's individual needs.
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Sarah Joy Zell is a massage and craniosacral therapist with 17 years’ experience. She brings deep listening to her practice and an ability to meet clients where they are in the moment. She loves working with all types of clients and feels privileged to share the gift of bodywork with the world.
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Catherine Rinaldo has been doing massage for over 25 years and incorporates
Swedish, deep tissue and cranial sacral and Thai massage stretches. She believes in making the world a better place one massage at a time.
Healing Center Hours
Wednesday 1 - 6 pm
Thursday 9 am - 7 pm
Friday 9 am - 7 pm
Saturday 9 am - 1 pm
Other times available by appointment.