2026 Future Harvest Conference: Pivot, Care, Grow

Name: 2026 Future Harvest Conference: Pivot, Care, Grow
Start: 2026-01-22T08:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-01-23T18:00:00-05:00
Location: Silver Spring Civic Center

Schedule

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026 at 08:00 am to Fri, 23 Jan, 2026 at 06:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Silver Spring Civic Center | Silver Spring, MD

Join us at the 27th Annual Future Harvest Conference!
Every winter, farmers, educators, agriculture service providers, and foodpreneurs gather for Future Harvest’s Annual Conference—two engaging days of workshops, lectures, farmer-to-farmer sessions, and regional food. Expect an all-star lineup of speakers, a menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, and countless opportunities for learning and connection.
We’re thrilled to return to the Silver Spring Civic Building, conveniently located near the Metro, dining options, ice skating, and the FRESHFARM Downtown Silver Spring Farmers Market—open Saturday morning right outside the Civic Center.
Early Bird pricing ends December 14th, 2025!
Thursday & Friday, January 22–23, 2026
Preconferences: Wednesday, January 21
Post-Conference: Saturday, January 24
Silver Spring Civic Building, Silver Spring, MD
View the full sample schedule here: https://futureharvest.org/2026-conference/
Hotel Information
Attendees are responsible for booking their own hotel accommodations. Future Harvest has secured discounted room blocks at two convenient locations:
Courtyard by Marriott Silver Spring Downtown
(closest to Conference Center)
8506 Fenton St, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Reserve your room here, or call 301-589-4899
DoubleTree by Hilton Silver Spring DC North
(lower-cost option, 10-minute walk)
8777 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Reserve your room here, or call 1-800-HILTONS
Use the conference discount code to receive the group rate at either hotel.
For questions, contact [email protected].
*Remember, if you plan to call to book your reservation to mention you are a Future Harvest Conference Attendee!
Food & Fun
Your conference ticket includes locally sourced boxed lunches by Green Plate Catering on both Thursday and Friday.
Join us Friday evening for a lively Happy Hour featuring local grassfed dairy appetizers, a cash bar, and a live cooking demo with Chef John Shields—plus a round of Farmer Bingo. Silver Spring also offers an array of walkable dining and entertainment options for continued fun after hours.
Throughout the conference, stop by our community table for the Seed and Clothing Swap, and don’t miss the Farmer Swag Swap—a fun opportunity to exchange your farm’s branded gear with other growers. Bring a few extra hats, shirts, or other logowear items and trade with fellow attendees.
Scholarships
Need financial support? Apply for a conference scholarship.
Deadline: Sunday, December 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST
Awards will be announced before the early bird registration deadline.
Apply for scholarship here.
Getting There
Parking:
Garage 61 (across from the Civic Building) and Garage 60 (behind the Courtyard Marriott) both have 8’2” clearance and cost $1.25 per hour. Find more parking options here.
Public Transit:
Take the Red Line to the Silver Spring Metro Station, just three blocks away. The Red Line connects to Union Station, providing easy MARC train access from Baltimore and Frederick. Several bus lines also stop nearby.
Preconference Workshops
(sold separately as an add-on in registration portal)
Wednesday, January 21
Fermentation 101: Preserving the Harvest with HEX Ferments | 1:30 - 4:00 PM
Learn the science and art of vegetable fermentation with the team from HEX Ferments. This hands-on workshop covers microbial ecology, salt ratios, fermentation safety, and seasonal recipes. Participants will create and take home their own small-batch ferment.
Ethical Seed Saving Intensive | TBD
Led by the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, this intensive explores seed-saving techniques such as threshing, winnowing, and drying, as well as the cultural and cooperative dimensions of seed sovereignty.
Sign up here if you want to take this session without signing up for conference
Chesapeake Herbshed Gathering | 1:30 - 4:30 PM
Join members of the Chesapeake Herbshed, a peer-to-peer network of regional herb growers, buyers, and product makers, for a three-hour, hands-on community session. Participants will engage in comparisons and tastings of regionally grown and dried herbs through organoleptic testing—using the senses of taste, touch, smell, and sight. Guests are invited to bring samples of Chamomile, Calendula, Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Ashwagandha, or Burdock to contribute.
Connect with fellow farmers and hear from local apothecarists about their sourcing considerations when buying herbs directly from growers. The session will also include guidance on herbal product regulations from Henriette Van Ouden of UMES and a tea tasting led by Bettina Perry of Charmington Holistic, comparing locally grown and globally sourced herbs.
View the full sample schedule here: https://futureharvest.org/2026-conference/