Grow Your Tools and Resources
ASAP’s 2025 Business of Farming Conference will take place Feb. 22, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville. This year’s conference will have a special focus on post-storm recovery and resilience.
The annual Business of Farming Conference brings together professional farmers from across the Southeast region to network and share resources to grow their farm businesses. Farmers learn about marketing, business planning, and financial management from regional experts and innovative peers. The conference is designed for beginning and established farmers as well as those seriously considering farming as a profession.
ASAP is committed to equity and inclusion at all of our events. We ask that you be open and considerate as you interact with fellow attendees. Read ASAP’s Equity Statement for more context.
Find Out More About
Conference Scholarships
ASAP offers a limited number of conference scholarships for BIPOC or limited resource farmers located within our Appalachian Grown region. The award covers 100% of registration cost.
Sponsor the Conference
Sponsoring ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference showcases you as a leader of the local food movement and ensures that farmers have the tools they need to grow and thrive. Sponsor benefits include press and marketing exposure, exhibitor and networking opportunities, and free conference registration and locally sourced meals.
To learn about sponsorship options, contact Development Director Nora Scheff at nscheff@asapconnections.org.
Exhibit at the Conference
ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference is a unique opportunity to share your resources with hundreds of professional and aspiring farmers from across Western North Carolina and the Southeast. The cost for exhibiting is $150 for businesses and $100 for nonprofit organizations.
Exhibitor space is also included with all levels of conference sponsorship. To learn about conference sponsorship options, contact Nora Scheff at nscheff@asapconnections.org.
Workshops for Farmers
Choose from more than a dozen workshops for beginning and established farmers. Workshops are rotated with new and repeated ones offered each year, and include business planning, farm financials, marketing, branding, legal considerations, and more, led by regional professionals and innovative farmers.
Workshops for the 2025 conference will be announced in January.
Grower-Buyer Meeting
Meet with chefs, distributors, artisan producers, and grocers to discuss sourcing and possible matches between what you produce and what each buyer needs. (It’s like speed dating for local sourcing!) Many farmers have made connections with participating buyers, and many more have improved their ability to serve wholesale accounts. Learn more about Grower-Buyer Meetings.
One-on-One Sessions
Over the extended lunch block, meet with experts who can provide your farm with individual support. These informal meetings are available on a drop-in, first-come-first-served basis. Disclaimer: In the absence of an attorney-client relationship, attorneys will not be able to provide legal advice.
Farmers Market Summit
The summit brings together farmers market managers from across the Appalachian Grown region for peer-sharing, technical assistance support, and annual planning. Farmers market managers or other representative may attend for free. Contact Mike McCreary to learn more about the summit.