Dozens Flock to LU Small Farmers Conference for Seminars and Networking

Regional Educator Felicia Anderson sits at the entry table waiting for attendees to arrive for the first day of the 2025 Small Farmers Conference on March 3.

Farmers, researchers, advocates and stakeholders spent three days this month in Jefferson City, Missouri, for Lincoln University of Missouri’s (LU) 2025 Small Farmers Conference.

The conference took place at The LINC and LU’s George Washington Carver Farm from March 3-5.

More than 150 attendees from across Missouri — including small farmers, business owners, advocates, extension specialists, researchers and others — gathered to learn about a variety of agriculture-related topics and build connections with others in the industry.

Attendees even explored Lincoln’s agriculture facilities at George Washington Carver Farm.

Seminars — led by a roster of esteemed speakers — covered a range of topics meant to educate attendees on the best and newest practices to help build and improve small farms and implement policy changes to serve farmers and their communities.

LU President Dr. John Moseley kicked off the conference, recounting the founding of Lincoln University by Black Civil War veterans who used their own money to start the institution in the hopes of teaching other Black Americans how to read.

Over time, he explained, the efforts of those soldiers grew and evolved into the university we know today.

Moseley highlighted the successes and progress Lincoln is achieving today, including the revitalized Small Farmers Conference, construction of the Health and Security Sciences Institute, increases in enrollment rates and record-high student retention rates.

He also took time to address the anti-DEI sentiment trickling down from Washington, which made its way to Jefferson City recently when Lincoln’s Board of Curators voted to remove certain language from its policies to adhere to new federal guidance.

“With the talk about DEI in our country and the goal to make it go away, as a historically black college and university, it’s interwoven into who we are,” Moseley said. “We don’t need the language in a law or bill to say we got to do it, because we do it already.”

Today, Moseley said, some 60% of Lincoln’s student body is comprised of students of color — it also represents 38 countries from around the world.

“We’ve done education for all as well as anyone, and we continue to do that today,” Moseley said.

Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott and Dr. Kara A. Woods speak at the 2025 Small Farmers Conference on March 4, 2025.

Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott served as the conference's keynote speaker. Ayers-Elliott is a successful farmer and Southeast outreach ambassador for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency.

Formerly a Wall Street investment banker, Ayers-Elliott transitioned to farming over a decade ago. She founded Foot Print Farms, an urban farm in Jackson, Mississippi, which has since seen immense success.

Wearing her metaphorical ambassador hat (in addition to her actual cowboy hat), Ayers-Elliott’s keynote address focused on the importance of limiting risk when farming through crop insurance and other means. She warned attendees of the financial crises that can befall farmers when weather or other unexpected events ruin crops and advised preparing a backup plan.

She spoke again on the final day of the conference, this time speaking as a farmer rather than an ambassador. She pointed to the various practices and methods she uses on her farm to generate revenue and give back to the community she serves.

Other speakers hailed from Kansas City Black Urban Growers, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and other universities, non-profit organizations, government agencies and ranches.

And though farming and ranching are historic industries with roots embedded in the very foundations of the U.S., many of the conference’s speakers looked to the future, discussing new and evolving agriculture and business practices.

Hugh Aljoe, director of ranches, outreach and partnerships for Noble Research Institute, led a seminar on regenerative grazing.

He imparted to attendees the importance of farming and ranching in synchrony with nature. Regenerative agriculture, he said, is about repairing, rebuilding, revitalizing and restoring nature through farming. He focused primarily on how farmers can restore degraded grazing lands by managing livestock grazing, increasing plant diversity and minimizing soil disturbances.

Aljoe said using these practices not only protects nature but can be financially effective as well.

Dr. Oliver Freeman, an assistant professor of agronomy at Murray State University in Kentucky, spoke about how farmers can use cover crops to build and improve soil quality, thus promoting sustainable and effective farming practices.

Kirstie Vitatoe, an assistant professor of exercise science at Greenville University in Illinois, hosted a seminar on health and wellness of farmers. She led participants in a discussion about the physical and emotional stress farmers endure and how we might work to lift some of those burdens.

Linda Coffey, an Arkansas farmer and livestock/organic specialist at the National Center for Appropriate Technology, showed attendees online trainings and resources covering vital information about farming and ranching.

She shared and showcased websites providing articles, podcasts, videos and in-person training opportunities on various agricultural topics targeted at beginning and experienced producers.

Collin Ankton, an outreach and training coordinator for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) — and former 1890 National Scholar and Lincoln University graduate — shared information on several NRCS programs and practices small farmers can utilize to acquire funds and implement improvements on their farms.

Aquaculture Manager Jacob Loesch gives a tour of Lincoln University’s aquaculture facility during the 2025 Small Farmers Conference on March 5, 2025.

Other seminar topics included small ruminants, alternative forages — specifically quinoa, hemp and warm-season grasses — meat inspection, aquaculture for commercial production, estate and succession planning, specialty crops and native plants, policy and research regarding socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and small farmer success stories.

The Small Farmers Conference was a huge success, bringing a broad range of stakeholders together to connect and learn.

After spending three days absorbing information and resources in Jefferson City, the conference’s attendees returned to their farms and headquarters across the state to bring their newfound knowledge back to their communities.

For those who could not attend — don’t worry. Videos of each of the 2025 sessions will be uploaded to Lincoln’s College of Agriculture, Environment, and Human Sciences YouTube channel to allow attendees to revisit what they learned and give those who missed the conference a chance to listen to the presentations.

Planning for the 2026 Small Farmers Conference begins in April, and organizers hope to streamline logistics and introduce new programming to build on this year’s success and further support the farming community.