Last week, I had the privilege to attend the 2025 PASA Conference in Lancaster, PA. Now that the farm has a year under its belt and I have some time in the winter, I decided it would be very fruitful to attend and learn more about farming, meet other farmers, and enjoy some travel. Here’s how it went!
A Boatload of Learning
One excellent aspect of this particular conference is that it is packed full of educational sessions put on by farmers of all stripes. I attended no less than 6 of these sessions across the two days I spent at the conference.
I tried to mix things up between some sessions that would hopefully provide me with a kick starter on a subject I know nothing about, and ones that discussed things I know well but maybe could glean some actionable insight on. For example, I attended a session on crop planning presented by JM Fortier (one of my farming idols). I wouldn’t say I learned that much, but I was VERY validated to know that I am already doing crop planning pretty well.
On the other hand, I attended an extended session on beekeeping. Now, I have absolutely no experience with bees, but beekeeping has always been a desired step in my homesteading journey. This session was perfect for me, in that I was able to learn a lot, take good notes, and have a really solid jumping off point to learn more. Adding bees to the farm may be on the horizon thanks to that learning session.
I also had the chance to talk to some of the people who make the equipment and tools that I own, and ask them some much needed questions. One thing I had no idea about until talking to someone in the BCS booth was that my walking tractor’s flail mower needs to have its gear oil changed yearly (I’ve yet to do so). Add that to the maintenance list for spring!
So Many Farmers
I was very unsure what the conference would look like in terms of size. Would this be just enough folks to fill a small conference room, or would it be wall to wall people? Turns out it was closer to the latter!
One of the great things about this particular conference is that PASA is committed to sustainable agriculture, so everyone at this show shared a respect for land stewardship and an aversion to chemical agriculture. Where we live now, there are very few growers doing anything other than conventional agriculture, and it can feel lonely to farm so differently from the status quo. But here were thousands of others just in the mid-Atlantic that felt the same way and were determined to bring about change for the better.
I met several folks that I know from our area, but also many, many others who I now have contact info for. I also got to hear from many others about their experiences, many of which match mine. This connection is invaluable for someone who spends most days working alone outside!
An Excellent “Vacation”
Amanda and I were also excited to visit Lancaster, a town that we had both heard was worth a visit. The food that we had in town was top notch, with every meal having really high quality ingredients and an outrageous amount of culinary variety overall. We spent most of our time just exploring downtown Lancaster, which had a lot to offer in terms of entertainment.
One challenging aspect of farming and homesteading is that it is a lot harder to travel for extended periods of time. During the summer, it is completely out of the question. Even in these winter months, there are enough things that have to be kept up with that even leaving for a few days can seem daunting. For example, while we were gone, I had onion seedlings that had just germinated on their own with no water for a couple of days. Happy to report that no onions were lost to this trip, but the stress of leaving them all alone can be a bummer.
That being said, we try our best to sprinkle in travel here and there. We may not be able to spend two weeks in a foreign country on vacation right now, but we can certainly make the most of a couple of days in an excellent town relatively close. This trip ended up being a great mix of work and pleasure!
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