2026 Annual Homegrown Hillsborough Conference

We are excited to announce Homegrown Hillsborough's second annual food system conference!
About this Event

The conference kicks off with a full-day field trip on Tuesday, November 17th. We'll travel by bus to Hawthorne to tour Frog Song Organics and experience a catered farm-to-table lunch. Then we will tour UF Field & Fork to learn about how they incorporated food production on campus.

Our full-day food system summit will be held at The Portico on Wednesday, November 18th. Join us for engaging lectures and a keynote address from Commissioner Anna Prizzia, from Alachua County, who has championed sustainability and local food system efforts in Florida. The conference will also feature catered breakfast and lunch.

The final day of our conference will start with a potluck-style brunch and an awards ceremony at Hillsborough College Brandon Campus. Bring a creative dish for the chance to win the Homegrown Hillsborough Chef of the Year Award! After our ceremony, we'll head out to the Food Forest for a series of hands-on practicums, designed to help equip urban food producers and community gardens with new tools and skills to generate revenue.

Field Trip (Tuesday)

🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:30 AM
Check In

Info: We will meet at the UF/IFAS Extension office

🕑: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Travel

Info: The bus will leave promptly at 8:30 am sharp

🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Frog Song Organics Tour
Host: Frog Song Organics
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Farm-to-Table Catered Lunch
🕑: 01:30 AM - 02:00 PM
Travel
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
UF Field & Fork Tour
Host: UF Field & Fork
🕑: 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Travel
Summit (Wednesday)

🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:50 AM
Welcome & Registration
Host: The Portico

Info: We will have complementary coffee and breakfast

🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Introduction and Keynote
Host: Keynote Address from Commissioner Anna Prizzia
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
First Round of Sessions
🕑: 11:30 AM - 01:00 PM
Second Round of Sessions
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Lunch
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Third Round of Sessions
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Fourth Round of Sessions
Practicums (Thurs)

🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Doors Open
Host: Hillsborough College - Brandon Campus
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Brunch Begins
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
Awards Ceremony
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Transition to the Food Forest
🕑: 12:30 PM - 05:00 PM
3 70-minute Practicum Sessions

Info: Located in the Food Forest