National Farm Viability Conference: Full Schedule

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9:00am MDT

11:00am MDT

Ethical Quandary: Holding both farm profitability and food system change, when they don't always pull the same direction

Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm MDT

Fireplace

As service providers we are all passionate about seeing a future where our agricultural producers are thriving personally and professionally. We also play a unique role in the food system: working with individual farmers while uplifting food systems change. Yet, we are confronted with the harsh realities of farmers who struggle to make ends meet for a myriad of reasons including individual mindset and access, to our economic system and other factors like inflation and regulations; to more global factors, such as climate change and global market competition; and lastly, simply due to luck and chance. Moreover, we recognize the additional barriers faced by those without inherited wealth, individuals experiencing systemic racism and oppression, and those from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this roundtable discussion, we will grapple with our focus on both farmers and food systems: our commitment to farm profitability, to sustainable livelihoods for farmworkers, to healthy food access for low and no income communities, and to investment in long term ecological stewardship. We'll share regional challenges, stories of hope, personal anecdotes, and strategies for navigating individual and systemic change. Join us as we reflect on our ethical duty and how we each tend our own moral compass in this vital work.

Speakers

Paige Phinney

Regional Program Director, Kitchen Table Advisors

James Smith

James Smith is a farmer, food systems activist, and technical service provider with Croatan Institute. James grew up in North Carolina eating wild-foraged edibles and exploring the oak-hickory forests of the Piedmont region. At Croatan Institute, James works through the Soil Wealth... Read More →

Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm MDT
Fireplace

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