Business of Farming Conference

Grow Your Tools and Resources

Thank you to everyone who attended ASAP’s 2024 Business of Farming Conference on Feb. 24 at the A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville! Dates for the 2025 conference will be announced in the fall.

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. Details and eligibility will be announced when registration for the 2025 conference opens.

Workshops for Farmers

View workshop presentations from the 2024 conference.

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.

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.

Exhibitor Hall

Browse valuable regional agricultural and business resources and services to support your farm. View all exhibitors.

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. 


Thank you to our sponsors!

Wells Fargo
Farm Burger
SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education)
A-B Tech Community College
Ag South Farm Credit
Biltmore
Buncombe County Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau North Carolina
Mountain Food Products
Ward and Smith, PA

Clean Water Lab | Eagle Solar and Light | USDA Farm Service Agency

Funding for the Business of Farming Conference is also made possible in part by:

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

This is work is supported through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture under award number 2022-49400-38200 (through the Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program under project accession number 1029295) and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service through grant number 21FMPPNC1066-00. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

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