Excerpts from the Preface: On October 12-15, 1999, nearly 700 participants from the public and private sectors, including community-based organizations, the land-grant university system, and small and medium-sized family farmers convened in St. Louis, Missouri at the Second National Small Farm Conference. The purpose of the conference was to strengthen collaboration and partnerships to work more effectively with the small farm community. Participation was a key to the conference's success. These proceedings capture major issue areas addressed at the conference to include marketing strategies, value-added enterprises, agroforestry, community supported agriculture and food circles, establishment of cooperatives, meeting the research needs of organic farmers, building stronger ties for research and extension to meet small farmers' needs, cooperative marketing for domestic and international markets, getting and managing credits and grants, grant writing, electronic publishing, coping skills, stress, off-farm work, risk management, business and entrepreneurial skills, and farmer-to-farmer and beginning farmer networks.