Join us for the 2019 TOFGA Conference!

Registration Rates are Lower this Year!

February 14-16, 2019 
Corpus Christi, Texas

Join farmers, ranchers, and gardening enthusiasts from all over Texas to share ideas, network, build community, and have fun!

The conference includes two days of interactive learning sessions, plus multiple add-on pre-conference workshops and farm tours. Be sure to join us for the Friday Night Banquet featuring a delicious locally-sourced dinner and keynote speaker, Ellen Polishuk, a longtime down-to-earth vegetable farmer, farming consultant, author, and dynamic speaker. Pre-conference events will be announced and available for registration later this fall.

TOFGA is a statewide non-profit organization focused on education and advocacy for Texas farmers, ranchers, and gardeners who practice organic and sustainable methods. TOFGA is run exclusively on membership dues and donations from the community. Please know that your registration fees are what allow TOFGA to put on this conference every year. Thank you for helping to make this event possible!

Friday Banquet: Farm-to-Table Dinner & Keynote by Ellen Polishuk

Informative and inspiring, Ellen Polishuk is TOFGA's 2019 keynote speaker! A longtime, down-to-earth farmer, business consultant, author, and dynamic speaker, she will engage our participants and share insight on sustainability, profitability, and resilient agriculture! 

Ellen Polishuk leverages her 35 years of vegetable farming experience to help growers around the country reach their farm dreams. She leads workshops and consults with farmers to improve their soils, labor management practices, and marketing to increase farm profits and achieve a joyful balanced life. One of three owners of Potomac Vegetable Farms in Northern Virginia, Ellen grew produce for 7 farmers markets, a 550 member CSA, and two roadsides stands. She is a co-author of the newly released book Start Your Farm and writes the farmer-to-farmer profile column for Growing For Market magazine. She and her husband live in suburban Maryland, where Ellen gardens as much as possible. We look forward to welcoming her to Texas in February!

We are thrilled to offer full conference registrants up to two banquet tickets for just $35 each! The banquet is not included in registration but can be added during the registration process. Tickets are available to the general public as well for just $50, so invite your local friends to join us for this wonderful Friday evening event!

Conference Schedule

The full conference schedule is posted at this link. Be sure to plan for the following events:

• Thursday Pre-Conference Workshops & Farm Tours (Registration for pre-conference events is separate and not included in the full conference registration.) Click Here for More Information
  
• Welcome Reception  - Thursday 5:30-7:00 pm - Join the TOFGA Board and exhibitors for mixing & mingling, appetizers, and a cash bar. 
• Academic Poster Display - Thursday 5:30-7:00 - Visit with research students and professors during the Welcome Reception! Details here about submitting your academic poster for display!
• Seed Swap & Trivia Night - Thursday 8:00 - Join in on the fun! Featuring seeds from High Mowing Seed Company! 
• TOFGA Members Meeting - Organizational updates and officer elections.
  
• Annual Banquet Dinner & Keynote - Friday evening, locally-sourced dinner included, plus cash bar!
• Exhibitors Hall - Open Thursday 5:30-7:00, all-day Friday, and Saturday until close.

Conference Location & Lodging

The conference will be held at the Omni Hotel Corpus Christi, 900 North Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX. The TOFGA group discount rate is $119, available until February 5, 2019 or when all rooms are filled. Book your room now at this link or by phone at (361) 887-1600!

Interested in Volunteering? 

Volunteers complete 6-8 volunteer hours at the conference and receive a discounted Full Conference Registration and discounted banquet ticket. Submit a Volunteer Application today!

Pre-Conference Workshops and Farm Tours

• Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training 
• Food Safety Preventative Controls Alliance Facilities Training 
• Corpus Christi Urban Agriculture Farm Tour 
• Disaster Preparation, Response and Resilience Workshops
• Crop Planning with Spreadsheets Workshop
  Click Here For More Details