Excerpts from the Preface: From Sept. 17 to 20, 2002, nearly 600 participants from the public and private sectors, including community-based organizations, the land-grant university system, small-scale farmers and ranchers, convened in Albuquerque, N.M. at the Third National Small Farm Conference. The purpose of the conference was to convene national, state and local small farm program managers, representatives of community-based organizations, foundations, agri-industry, small farm and ranch communities, and other public and private sector organizations to provide a forum to: discuss areas of concern involved in keeping American small farms economically viable, form new partnerships and formulate an action agenda necessary to maximize existing resources, coordinate activities to help America’s small farms, ranches and rural communities survive and thrive in the 21st century. Major issues discussed at the conference included niche crops and specialty enterprises, managing small farms and ranches, marketing and value-added enterprises, focusing on small wood lot owners, environmental and food safety issues, developing skills and collaborative efforts for programs, computer applications, and appropriate technology for small farms.
