Eight local Nevada County farmers who sell directly to BriarPatch Food Co-op are the lucky recipients of an incredible scholarship to attend this year’s 38th annual EcoFarm Conference, the oldest and largest organic farming conference in the West. It is a prime networking and educational hub for farmers, ranchers, distributors, retailers, activists, researchers, and educators. The conference features over 70 workshops, intensives, keynote speakers, an exhibitor marketplace, seed swap, live entertainment, mixers, and organic culinary fare. Workshops cover practical and cutting edge information on crop production, livestock, soil health, marketing, distribution, and farming and food system issues.
Thanks to the BriarPatch Food Co-op and the National Co-op Grocers for the second year in a row 
offering this scholarship doubling the number of recipients who will make a huge difference for Nevada County’s local food and farming community. And the lucky 8 winners are:
Autumn Barr, Laughing Oak Farm
Kritters Blevins, Mountain Bounty Farm
Grayson Curtis, Bonanza Gardens / Foothill Collaborative Farming Initiative
Sandra Higareda, Higareda Family Farm
Donald Joslin, The Natural Trading Company
Emily Koller, Riverhill Farm
Deena Miller, Sweet Roots Farm
Kale Riley, Mountain Bounty Farm
More good news – Rob Thompson of Legacy Ranching also just received a pass to the Quivera conference, the place to be to learn about sustainable ranching, through a scholarship from Sierra Harvest, Bear Yuba Land Trust and one of his grazing clients.