2023 Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show: A Success!

The 48th annual Eco-Ag Conference and Trade-Show was held, December 4-7, in Covington, KY. The conference was a success, with over 550 attendees from across the globe.

“This was the best event I’ve ever been to.”

“This was my first time attending and I have no suggestions, except how will Acres top the 2023 conference?”

The week kicked-off with our Eco-Ag University Workshops. For two days, attendees learned from expert instructors and connected with others traveling down similar paths. Attendees were able to hear from and talk one-on-one with instructors Don Huber, John Kempf, Greg Pennyroyal, Rick Clark, Mark Shepard, and Jesse Frost. These smaller group discussions and networking times were so insightful to new and experienced farmers alike.

The conference began with a keynote address by John Kempf, a leading expert on regenerative agriculture. Kempf shared his insights on the latest trends in sustainable agriculture and how we can all make a difference. He emphasized the importance of uniting together for the common goal of moving regenerative agriculture forward.

The next morning, we enjoyed a keynote from Macauley Kincaid, who shared his journey into regenerative agriculture at-scale, including no-till, livestock, and how he utilizes cover crops on every acre of his farm. Attendees then moved into breakout sessions and consulting halls to learn the science and practices of regenerative agriculture to take back to their own farms, gardens, customers, and neighbors. There were sessions on composting, water conservation, the soil microbiome, cover cropping and relay cropping, biodiversity integration, and more. These sessions were packed and generated a lot of interactive discussion. Attendees had the opportunity to learn from experts in the field and share their own experiences. Gary Zimmer’s keynote rounded out the conference perfectly, taking us through the last 50 years of biological farming — attendees got a look at where it started, key influencers, how far we’ve come, and where and how we can continue to grow regenerative agriculture together. The final session was a panel of producers, moderated by Will Harris, discussing how we can bring our family and fellow friends and farmers into the conversation about soil health-related practices to widen the acceptance of these practices and increase the regeneration of our land.

Our bookstore offered a wide selection of books from new and existing authors. Authors including Will Harris, Mark Shepard, Dr. Nasha Winters, Jesse Frost, Gary Zimmer, Andre Leu, and Megan Neubauer, were on hand to sign books and chat with attendees. Check out our online bookstore here!

The trade show was another highlight of the conference. Over 70 exhibitors showcased their latest products and services related to sustainable agriculture. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about cutting edge innovations in agriculture and connect with potential partners, win door prizes, listen to exhibitor presentations, and enjoy networking receptions.

None of this would have been possible without our sponsors and their support of the Eco-Ag Conference and Trade-Show. See below for a full list of sponsors.

Eco-Ag is the highlight of our year, for all those that attended – we sincerely hope you enjoyed yourselves. Seeing the conversations, networking, and community come together just reconfirms our mission to bring the community of regenerative agriculture together. Thank you so much for being a part of it.

The conference was a great success and we are already looking forward to next year’s event. The 49th annual Eco-Ag Conference and Trade-Show will be held December 9-12, 2024 in St. Louis, MO. We hope you will join us!