Community Agriculture Conference 2025

The Community Agriculture Conference, which is both in-person and virtual, is an annual gathering for those from the gardening and urban agriculture communities. People of all ages and abilities are welcome to attend! For this 16th annual conference, we're changing it up a bit with having Keynotes by the Community to kick off the event. This will be a TED Talks style of presentation instead of just one keynote speaker.

The in-person conference will take place at the Delmar Divine, the location of Seed St. Louis' office and future Demonstration Garden. There will be a limited number of tickets. Local organizations will also be on-site with information tables.

Location: Delmar Divine, 5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112

Parking: Free visitor parking is available in the parking lot on Belt Avenue just off of Delmar and Belt, immediately to the east of the Delmar Divine building. A detailed map will be sent prior to the conference to all attendees. Free street parking is also available.

Check-In: Check-in starts at 9:00 a.m. with the conference beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Cost: $10 per person for the in-person conference. Scholarship registrations are available upon request. Email [email protected] for more information.

Lunch: Attendees can add a box lunch on to their registration for an additional $10. They can also bring their lunch.

Virtual Attendees: Three select sessions will be streamed live for free. Those are noted below. If you are attending virtually, make sure to register! Once we are closer to the event we will send all virtual registrants the Zoom link and passcode to connect to the virtual sessions.

Instead of just one keynote speaker we will have those from the community present short five minute presentations on a solution to a problem they have, a project they are working on and so on. Think TED Talks but gardening!

Of Roots & Resilience: Driving Community Impact Through Collard Breeding at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Food, Agriculture, & Nutrition Innovation Center, prsented by Antonio Brazelton, Senior Coordinator of Research Partnerships, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK-FAN)
The Jackie Joyner Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition, Innovation Center is a public-private partnership aimed at transforming East St. Louis into a hub for urban agriculture and food systems innovation. The center’s mission is to offer programs in STEAM+Ag, food production, nutrition, and physical activity, empowering youth and community members through hands-on training and certification opportunities. By equipping participants with the skills needed to engage in sustainable food systems, the center promotes personal and professional growth, economic empowerment, and community development.

A key element of this mission involves supporting culturally relevant, nutrient dense crops, such as collard greens (B. oleracea var. viridis). Collards are a leafy green widely grown in urban farms across the St. Louis Metro region. Despite their nutritional and ecological benefits, the root traits of heirloom collard varieties remain unexplored. The goal of this project is to 1) document root system architectural diversity among 18 heirloom collard varieties and 2) develop a participatory breeding framework, for urban farmers and chefs to select varieties with optimized root architecture tailored to regional market needs.

A Chick-Chat with Second-Hen'd, presented by Erica Camp, Founder/President, Second-Hen'd
We will discuss numerous benefits of properly caring for chickens -- such as composting, pest control, gardening, eggs, etc. As they continue to grow in popularity thanks to their therapeutic effect being feathered companions, "spent" hens also make great starter-birds or welcome additions to existing backyard flocks -- especially from a sustainability standpoint. Instead of allowing them to be killed at such a young age, we can place them in loving homes and keep them out of landfills. Time + love + patience are the keys to teaching these birds "how to chicken," and caring for them promotes being responsible for something other than one's self.

Garden-Based Education with High School Students Garden Panel
Panelists: Teresa Corley, Saint Louis University High School; Alaina Morin, Gateway STEM High School; Matthew Tuths, University City High School
Moderator: Abbey Schumacher, School Educator, Seed St. Louis
While school gardens often garner the most interest from early childhood and elementary educators, garden-based education offers distinct benefits to older students in terms of curricular engagement, social emotional well-being, employment prospects, and more. This panel session will feature three network high school garden leaders, who will each offer a glimpse into their garden programs. This conversation will be moderated by a Seed St. Louis staff member, with an opportunity for the audience to share their own questions and experiences.

Low Budget Gardening, presented Crystal Stevens, Flourish Farmstead & Folk School
Crystal Stevens will discuss a handful of ways to get started with gardening and building soil utilizing free resources such as free, compost, cardboard, chip mulch, leaf litter, and seed saving.

Exploring Culinary Bulbs, presented by Claire Krofft, Senior Horticulturist, Bulb Gardens, Missouri Botanical Garden; Dean Gunderson, Chief Programs Officer, Seed St. Louis
Many bulbous plants like onions and garlic have become staples in the Western kitchen. However, many different bulb species have been cultivated as survival foods, kitchen classics, and regional delicacies in other cultures around the world. Join us to learn about some of the lesser-known culinary bulbs that you can grow and how they have been prepared through the centuries.

Sensory Gardens for Schools: Why, What, How, Who, presented by Jeanne Carbone, Supervisor, Therapeutic Horticulture, Missouri Botanical Garden
Sensory Gardens provide stimulation and engagement for any population. Plant selection should include sensory rich plants, with an emphasis on texture, scent, color and flavor. Most important is how the Sensory Garden is used; without an understanding of the purpose and ways to engage, the space will simply be a garden like any other. During this session, we will explore plant selection and what are considered the best choices for sensory exploration. We will discuss methods for making optimal use of the space, with participants provided with hands-on activities for use in a school garden. Participants will leave with a plant list, suggested activities and seeds for planting.

Worms at Work: Build Your Own DIY Worm Bin & Vermicomposting 101, presented by Ro Kicker, Founder, Ro's Wigglers
Join us for an exciting hands-on workshop where you’ll create your very own DIY worm bin! Discover the fascinating world of worms and vermicomposting as you learn how these incredible creatures improve soil health and enhance your composting efforts. Whether you’re new to composting or a seasoned gardener, this event is the perfect opportunity to deepen your understanding and get practical tips on turning your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost. Don’t miss out on this chance to cultivate your green thumb and contribute to a healthier environment! Join Ro Kicker from Ro’s Wigglers for an event guaranteed to get your hands a little dirty!

Supplies will be provided. Supplies are limited to the first 15 people who register. Worms for your bin will be available for purchase. (Hands on session)

Sustainable Indoor Agriculture, presented by Olivia Engel, Sustainable Urban Agriculturalist
Food is at the intersection of literally everything—economy, ecology, people, culture, cities, and systems. In this session, learn how indoor agriculture can be a powerful tool for feeding and healing the world, from large scale global solutions to small communities taking charge.

Garden Tool Sharpening + Repair, presented by Brad Hutchison, Woodshop Specialist, Perennial
Join the creative crew at Perennial to learn repair + sharpening techniques for your garden tools. Whether it's dull blades, loose wooden handles, bent metal pieces, or just time for a tune-up, we’ve got you covered. We'll take you through these basic fixes on our own garden tools + give you the opportunity to try your hand at the repairs before putting your new knowledge to work at home.

4-Directional Engagement: Building GROW Spanish Lake Community Garden, presented by Janett Lewis, Founder, GROW Spanish Lake Community Garden/Rustic Roots Sanctuary
When they launched GROW Spanish Lake, community engagement was at the heart of their strategy. Inspired by the Seed STL garden grant process, they embraced a holistic, 4-directional approach to engagement, ensuring that every step was rooted in collaboration and inclusivity. During this session, they'll go over how they worked their way through this process and how it continues to be a framework to guide their work.

At-Home Cocktail Shrubs & Syrups, presented by Kate Pogue, Owner, Switchgrass Spirits
Switchgrass Spirits is a local craft distillery dedicated to creating quality small batch whiskey and brandy using Midwestern labor and ingredients. This spirited session shares an overview of their unique distilling methods and sustainability efforts, followed by a shrub and oleo saccharum workshop using seasonal fruit and herbs to elevate at-home cocktails. Each attendee will take home their own creations completed during the session. (Hands on session)

Host or Publisher Seed St. Louis (formerly Gateway Greening)