The 39th annual Small Farms Week — North Carolina A&T State University’s annual tribute to small-scale agriculture — is set for March 23-29 and will address the many technologies and best practices that are changing agricultural production on farms of all sizes.
With the theme “Next Gen Agriculture,” Small Farms Week 2025 will look at new technologies and new farming practices designed for environmental sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change. All events will be in-person, with most taking place at the N.C. A&T University Farm and the Farm Pavilion, 3020 McConnell Road.
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, and ensure they receive the latest research-based information on farming techniques, tools and technologies. Small Farms Week also recognizes small-scale growers for the essential role they play in the state’s economy and gives the public a chance to meet their agricultural neighbors and learn about farm operations and food production.
“The next generation of farmers will face new challenges, such as more unpredictable weather events as our climate warms, but they will also have more tools at their disposal because of advances in technology,” said M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., Extension administrator and associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. “Farmers of the future will need technical literacy as well as knowledge about their land and crops. We aim to help our farmers merge their practical experience with technical know-how so they can thrive despite a lot of unknowns.”
The week will begin with a kickoff event Monday, March 24, in Warren County, the home of Patrick Brown and Brown Family Farms, one of two winners of the 2024 Small Farmer of the Year Award. The Brown family has been farming their land in the hamlet of Hecks Grove since 1865, growing timber, raising livestock, cultivating vegetables, grain and tobacco, and most recently, producing hemp extracts and fiber.
The week’s activities continue Tues., March 25, with an educational forum focused on two tracks: farm financing in the future; and agricultural innovations that will lead farmers into the next century. Educational forum participants will also have the chance to attend a resource fair on Wed., March 26, where they will have the chance to interact with representatives from a variety of organizations including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, microloan and conservation programs, crop insurance programs, and more.
Wednesday will also feature one of the highlights of Small Farms Week: The Small Farmers’ Appreciation Program, where the 2025 Small Farmer of the Year will be named. Each year, innovative and committed small farmers in North Carolina are nominated for the Small Farmer of the Year award, usually by an Extension agent in their county. The winner is announced at a VIP luncheon.
Small Farms Week will wrap up with a special event at Secret Garden Bees, the Cumberland County farm of Jim Hartman, who shared the 2024 Small Farmer of the Year Award with Brown. Hartman, an Iraq War veteran who started beekeeping as a way to combat post-traumatic stress disorder, has more than 30 hives and sells raw honey to retailers, wholesalers and people who simply enjoy the taste of all-natural raw honey.
Most Small Farms Week events are free and open to the public. A registration form and a full schedule of events will be posted on the Small Farms Week website in early 2025. Visit the site for updates and more information.
