Agriculture Industry Calendar

Conferences, workshops, board meetings, and more.

January - 2026

• January 28 - MDAR's Creating a Pricing Strategy - 5:00pm - 7:00pm - Virtual workshop for farm owner/operators and managers who want to learn or get a refresher on how to develop an overall strategy for pricing their farm products. Workshop will help you understand the considerations around financial goals and ongoing assessment related to pricing strategy, establishing baseline numbers and improving clarity on costs of production, and margin and buffer considerations for associated market channel costs. Free and open to Massachusetts farmers, until registration is full. Contact Jess at [e-mail] with questions.
   
• January 29 - Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Workshop: Marketing Tips for Selling at a Farmers Market - 1:00 - 2:30pm, Zoom. Free virtual workshop designed to help farmers and market managers boost sales, strengthen customer engagement, and make the most of their farmers market presence. Register here for workshop. Questions, contact Jake Levin, [e-mail]. 
   
• January 29 - Starting & Growing a Business by the SBA Massachusetts District Office -  Webinar, 1:00pm - 2:30pm. Join Small Business Administration MA Office to learn how the SBA programs and services can be of assistance to help you start, expand, grow, and recover your business. Register with SBA here. 
   

February 

• February 1 - SEMAP's Southeast New England Agriculture Conference and Trade Show - Bristol County Agricultural HS, Dighton. Bring farmers, food producers, fishermen, and service providers together to share knowledge and learn about innovations in agriculture. Conference details here.
   
• February 4 - 5 - MNLA's Dreams & Solutions: Green Industry Winter Forum and Trade Show - Best Western, Marlborough. Two-day program with education and networking. Speakers from New England and beyond. Forum details here.
   
• February 4 - 2026 State of the State: Update on Honey Bee Health in the Commonwealth - 7pm, online. Topic: MDAR & USDA Bee Health Survey Results. MDAR's Apiary Program provides updates on honey bee health and share information about the support services available to beekeepers. Free and open to the public, but pre-registration required. State of the State series details here.
   
• February 7 - 612th NEV&BGA Full Day Meeting - Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley. 9:00am - 3:30pm. Meeting details and registration here.
   
• February 11 - Spotted Lanternfly in Massachusetts: Quarterly Update - 10:00am - 11:15am, webinar.  Features presentation by Julie Urban, from the Dept. of Entomology at Penn State University, with updates SLF research, as well as MDAR’s SLF Survey Team about winter management and survey activities. Register for SLF webinar here.
   
• February 11 - 2026 State of the State: Update on Honey Bee Health in the Commonwealth - 7pm, online. Topics: MDAR Programs and Support Services: Marketing, Grants, APR Program Environmental Justice, USDA Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP). Free and open to the public, but pre-registration required. State of the State series details here.
   
• February 11 - AAPI Capital Summit - Annual signature event is designed to strengthen the financial capacity of AAPI-owned businesses and start-ups across MA. Summit details here.
   
• February 12 - Legal Food Hub's Exploring H2A - 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Webinar will help farmers assess whether H-2A might help address their labor shortage issues. We’ll also go over the extensive regulatory obligations that come with participation in this program. Webinar details here.
   
• February 18 - SARE Webinar Series - Pasture Based Systems for Sustainable Livestock Production - Animal physiology’s role in carcass performance. Register for free webinar here.
   
• February 19 - Legal Food Hub's Farm Property Insurance - Running a farm or ranch business often depends on buildings, equipment, vehicles, and supplies for day-to-day success. Different types of property insurance can help address this risk, but only if the farmer clearly understands how these products work. Webinar details here.
   
• February 25 - MDAR's Cash Flow Budgeting - 3:00pm-5:00pm. Virtual workshop is for farm owner/operators and farm managers who want to learn or get a refresher on creating a cash flow budget using their historical financials. Register for workshop here.
   
• February 26 - Annual Farmers Market Managers Conference - Clark University, Worcester. Day of learning and connecting with fellow market managers and other food system partners. Conference updates here. 
   
• February 28 - Hampshire & Franklin Counties, Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School, 80 Locust St., Northampton. 10:00am-noon. Register for roundtable here. 
   
• February 28 - 39th Annual NOFA/Mass Winter Conference - UMass Amherst. Healthy Soils in Action. This year, explore what makes soil thrive: from the rich microbial life underground to the human communities and cultural practices that sustain it above. Conference details here.

March

• March 4 - 2026 State of the State: Update on Honey Bee Health in the Commonwealth - 7pm, online. Topics: MDAR updates on Tropilaelaps mites, Yellow Legged Hornet, Spotted Lanternfly, and Northern Giant Hornet. Free and open to the public, but pre-registration required. State of the State series details here.
   
• March 10- SARE Webinar Series - Pasture Based Systems for Sustainable Livestock Production - Forage composition for optimal carcass performance. Register for free webinar here.
   
• March 10 - 11 - Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit - Albany, NY. Summit details here.
   
• March 11 - Massachusetts Agriculture Day at the Statehouse - Boston
   
• March 11 - 2026 State of the State: Update on Honey Bee Health in the Commonwealth - 7pm, online. Topics: Northeast SARE Program Grants, MDAR Apiary Program 2015-2025 decade in Review - Research projects, and more. Free and open to the public, but pre-registration required. State of the State series details here.
   
• March 12 - Poultry Producers Information Meeting - Blue Bonnet Dinner, Northampton. Speaker: Dr Jarra F. Jagne, from the Cornell Diagnostic Laboratory. RSVP [phone].
   
• March 18 - 8th Massachusetts Farm & Sea to School Conference - Smith College, Northampton. Conference updates here.
   
• March 24 - 25 - Massachusetts Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism - Danvers. One of the leading tourism summits, spotlighting the MA250 initiative as we continue to celebrate the many activities commemorating the Semiquincentennial. Conference details here.
   
• March 26 - 27 - ArborEXPO™ '26 - Eastern States Exposition, W.Springfield. 3,000+ arborists, students, and exhibitors all in one place. Earn CEUs across 6+ certification types while getting hands-on with the latest gear and innovations in tree care. Expo details here.
   
• March 28 - Massachusetts Urban Farming Symposium -  UMass Boston - Registration opens February. Questions, contact [e-mail]. Sponsor/vendor opportunities, contact [e-mail].
   

April

• April 2 - SARE Webinar Series - Pasture Based Systems for Sustainable Livestock Production - Nutritional impacts on carcass performance and meat quality. Register for free webinar here.
   
• April 11 - Growing Minds Though MA Ag in the Classroom - 8:30am - 3:30pm, Auburn HS.  Inspiring conference just for educators with wide range of dynamic workshops and hands-on learning experiences. Connect with passionate educators from across the state who share your commitment to bringing agriculture into the classroom. Classroom conference updates here.
   
• April 14 - SARE Webinar Series - Pasture Based Systems for Sustainable Livestock Production - A conversation on physiology and nutrition in maximizing animal performance. Register for free webinar here.
   
• April 25 - Massachusetts Agriculture in Action Expo - 10:00am - 3:00pm - Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner. A celebration of the vibrant Massachusetts agricultural community. Expo details here.
   

December

• December 15 - 17, 2026 - New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference - Manchester, New Hampshire. Conference updates here.