That desire led to the AgForAll hashtag, created by Emily Krekelberg, a farm safety and health extension educator and one of the conference organizers. She believes this is the first LGBTQ agriculture conference not just in Minnesota but in the nation.
“We are really excited and honored to host this conference,” Krekelberg said. “The idea is just a regular conference, but something a little more appealing to them.”
Krekelberg said every Internet commentator has heard from people who want to know when registration opens (in December) to register. The conference itself will be in March.
Much of the discussion is aimed at novice farmers. That means participants can learn about grazing rotations, building relationships with lenders, and navigating crop insurance and the myriad federal farm programs. But you’ll also have the opportunity to talk to other queer farmers about their experiences as queer farmers. They bond and feel less alone.
And as you know, agriculture is very difficult to get into. Purchasing the land and equipment needed to farm efficiently is expensive. As older generations of farmers retire, we need young people to replace them. So I welcome all newcomers, including non-white people, women, and LGBTQ people. Welcome everyone. Maybe your idea will solve some of the vexing problems of modern agriculture. Maybe you can join us in queer farming.
