
The Spring Conference supports, inspires, and educates people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, and hands-on education.
March 6-8, 2026
Please stay tuned for more information about the 2026 Spring Conference.
How OGS Prepares for Spring Conference
About the process:
Planning for the Spring Conference starts earlier than many may realize. And every year, we receive good ideas, but we are unable to use them late in the process because our schedule has already been finalized.
Timeline:
April - June: Participant feedback reviewed, keynote and special guest speakers recruited
July - Track Leaders Recruited
August - October: Curriculum Development/Class Selection
After October: Backup speakers/replacement speakers recruited

Interested in leading a track?
Track leaders are crucial members of the team who make the Spring Conference possible. By agreeing to be a Track Leader, you assume a significant responsibility that will require dedication, effective communication, and creativity. Track leaders are chosen for their leadership, knowledge, and professionalism in a particular field, as well as their willingness to help make this a representative community event. During your time working with us, we hope that you will expand your network, represent your areas of expertise, and contribute to your community.

Intention
To organize the best Spring Conference by gathering broad community input and fostering strong collaboration with the Track Leader group.
Support the OGS values of stewardship, authenticity, equity, and inclusion.
Track Leader Responsibilities
It is the job of the Track Leader to assign the OGS curriculum within the particular track for which you have been assigned. This involves soliciting speakers to teach sessions on your track topic. You will need to fill (4) 90-minute sessions that pertain to your track topic on each day of the conference. As a two-day event with over 20 concurrent classes to choose from at any given time, we prefer to repeat track topics on both days to allow participants to attend a wide array of classes. However, if your speakers can only commit to one day, you have the option of offering different topic(s) in your track on the second day.
To find out more, email chris@organicgrowersschool.org.
Thank you to our 2025 Sponsors!
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New Society Publishers has been a leader in sustainable publishing for over 40 years. We are an activist, solutions-oriented publisher focused on bringing you tools for a world of change.
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Find guidance for growers of all levels with books from Storey Publishing, written by expert authors sharing valuable insights and hard-won knowledge on topics from starting seeds to growing food year-round, organic pest control, soil development, keeping chickens, and more.
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Earth Tools is the Nation's leading supplier of Walk-Behind Tractors & compatible implements, and a major supplier of professional-quality hand-held gardening tools. We stock over $2 million in inventory (including over $250,000 in spare parts) and we provide free tech support for all products purchased here. We ship Nationwide!
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Reems Creek Nursery is an award-winning Garden Center offering organic growing supplies, fruits & berries, homegrown veggie starts, seeds, and herbs; plus a broad selection of trees & shrubs, native plants, pollinator plants, perennials, annuals, houseplants, and a garden shop for gifts, tools, outdoor living, and more.
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Sow True Seed is a small, dedicated employee-owned cooperative committed to making gardening approachable for everyone. We provide high-quality, open-pollinated seeds in support of sustainable food production and regenerative agriculture. We strive to help our customers cultivate a sense of empowerment and connection in an era of disengagement from nature, food, and community. We're proud to call Asheville, North Carolina home.
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WNC magazine, a quarterly publication, captures the grandeur of the North Carolina mountains and the lifestyle of its residents through stunning photography and captivating storytelling. Every issue is a celebration of the people and culture of WNC. Appealing to residents and visitors, WNC focuses on the entire 24-county region.
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Life sciences are transforming the world. Vaccines prevent disease. Gene therapies and precision health data cure them. Advances in agriculture feed the planet. Here in North Carolina, NCBiotech catalyzes the many transformations that are improving the quality of life worldwide. We connect companies with university researchers and introduce entrepreneurs to potential funders. Transformation happens individually as job seekers find their dream opportunity in the life sciences field.
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Madison County is a gem in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina — just 20 minutes from Asheville. Home to over 55,000 acres of National Forest, it provides a majestic backdrop to the French Broad River. The county boasts a timeless tradition of musical history that accompanies the majesty of nature and its small-town heritage. There are outdoor sports for all -- rafting, cycling, horseback riding or hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
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The Barnes-Berry Family Trust was established to sponsor education opportunities and management of regenerative small family farms and to promote the Southeastern Seed and Plant Share. Our goals include sponsoring year round underfunded educational opportunities for new and developing small farms, primarily in the Carolinas and Southeast United States.
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The Southern SARE program supports a more sustainable and just farm system nationwide, providing agriculture research and education grants, professional development opportunities, event sponsorships, and educational materials developed from decades of SARE-funded research. A grassroots functioning team centered around farmers' needs, we focus on profitability, stewardship and quality of life.
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WNCW-FM 88.7 is a public radio station that broadcasts throughout western North Carolina, upstate South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and worldwide at wncw.org. Our eclectic music mix includes Americana, bluegrass, blues, jazz, reggae, world, and other roots music styles, in addition to weekly spotlights on jam bands, Frank Zappa, and more.
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Living Web Farms, We Build LIFE! Enjoy over 700 educational videos teaching all about organic growing, regenerative agriculture and resilient living. Subscribe and join us for our new live streaming workshops online, ask questions and participate from anywhere in the world. We are proud to be an anchor OGS sponsor!
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Pollinate Real Estate specializes in listing properties to call in their next stewards, and helps homesteaders find home and belonging in these mountains.
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AgLaunch is a national platform for innovative farmers from diverse farming operations that crowdsources due diligence, shares data, coordinates field trials, and provides investment capital to support agtech startup companies from idea-to-scale. AgLaunch-affiliated farmers own a portion of the agtech companies we work with. This model promotes equitable ownership within the value chain and ensures the technologies we help develop directly benefit the farmers who use them.
AgLaunch’s platform bridges the gap between how we farm now and the way we will farm in the future. AgLaunch believes that the future of farming includes nutrient dense crops, carbon neutral farms, and more equitable ownership in the value chain. -
The Virginia Association for Biological Farming is a community of farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, students, teachers, researchers, advocates, and general supporters of local and sustainable food systems. Our mission is to educate about, advocate for, and promote organic and biological farming and gardening in Virginia.
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The Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP) is a nonprofit law firm providing comprehensive legal services, technical assistance, and community education free of charge to historically underserved farmers, landowners, and homeowners across North Carolina. The LLPP is dedicated to the preservation of North Carolina land ownership.
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Farmers Friend equips growers with innovative, time-saving tools to enhance their productivity and sustainability. From high tunnels to tarps, their products support regenerative agriculture by simplifying tasks and improving yields. Farmers Friend is dedicated to helping growers succeed, offering reliable solutions for healthier plants, better harvests, and a more sustainable future.
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Mountain Xpress builds community and strengthens democracy by serving an engaged, thoughtful readership at the local level – where the impact of citizen action is greatest. We partner with the community to create an ongoing civic dialogue and offer affordable media opportunities for local businesses and nonprofits to promote their offerings.
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Johnny’s Selected seeds has been helping farmers, families, and communities to feed one another by providing superior seeds, tools, information, and service for more than 50 years. We are a 100% employee-owned company, offering only non-GMO seeds with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
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BCS Two-Wheel Tractors, designed and built in Italy since 1943, power all the pto-driven implements necessary to run an efficient and profitable small-scale farm or homestead. Gear driven transmissions provide rugged power and performance, and reversible handlebars allow for both front- and rear-mount implements. Visit bcsamerica.com today to find your nearest dealer.
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Nestled in western North Carolina’s mountains, the John C. Campbell Folk School offers year-round, non-competitive classes in crafts, music, art, and more. On a scenic 270-acre campus, students worldwide gather for learning and community. Founded in 1925, its motto “ I Sing Behind The Plow” reflect lifelong learning and joy.
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Works Urban Farms activates Memphis’ blighted vacant lands in the urban core and brings them into agricultural service. WUF provides agricultural training, business development & management skills, and makes connections between the aspiring farmers in the community that we serve and the resources that will help to increase their success. We are proving that urban agricultural enterprise is a viable business model, and that any commodity that can be grown in this region can be grown in accordance with the principles of regenerative practice.
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At Premier, we’ve been providing electric fencing and electric netting, sheep and goat supplies, clippers and shearers, ear tags, poultry products and expert advice for over 40 years.
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Since 1994, Red Moon Herbs has created small-batch herbal products harvested in peak season. As a small, woman-owned business, we recognize, embrace, and value the diversity of our staff and supporters. Herbs for All!
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Fifth Season Gardening specializes in organic gardening, indoor growing, homesteading, houseplants and unique products for the home and garden. We promote joyful living, healthy ecosystems and more connected communities by sharing our passion for better making and growing. Fifth Season Gardening has locations in North Carolina and Virginia, including Asheville.
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Mountain Rose Herbs offers high-quality organically grown herbs, spices, teas, essential oils, and botanical goods. Since 1987, they have been known for their uncompromising commitment to organic agriculture, fair trade standards, and sustainable business practices. The company’s core belief that people, plants, and planet are more important than profit guides everything they do.
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Since 1984, Chelsea Green has been a publishing leader of books about the practices of organic farming, gardening, permaculture, homesteading, integrative health, and sustainable living. For more information, please visit ChelseaGreen.com.
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Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, preserving heirloom and rare seed varieties for the Southeast.
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Small Farm Works believes that appropriate technology plays an important role in helping farms be profitable and enjoyable. Best known for introducing the paper chainpot transplanting system to North America, we also offer microgreen trays, select seeding and weeding tools, and consulting services.
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Nitten, is Japan’s leading manufacturer of beet sugar from domestically produced raw materials with a history of over 100 years. In 1961, the first paper pots were developed for sugar beets. Following this successful and groundbreaking invention, new types of paper pots were developed for other crops. In response to the trend toward mechanization, chainpots and the paper chainpot transplanter were introduced in 1992.
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Sugar Hollow Solar helps homeowners, businesses, farms, and nonprofits go solar. We design, install, and maintain clean energy solutions that reduce our neighbors' carbon footprints and provide good jobs. Founded in 2010, we’re the region’s largest locally-owned residential and small commercial solar company committed to offering honesty, reliability, and expertise.
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The Farm Connection is a family owned edible, medicinal, and native plant nursery and garden center. Our plants are grown using organic methods and we also carry organic amendments, seeds, soils, and more. Visit our website to find affordable bare root trees for native reforestation, orchard and food forest projects!