ASAN is a grassroots network of producers and supporters of locally, ecologically, and ethically raised food from throughout Alabama.  Our mission is to deepen relationships between the people of Alabama, the food we eat, and the place we live.

Through training events, field days, scholarship programs, publications, and a community support network, ASAN aims not only to help existing farmers thrive, but to fundamentally change the very landscape in which our food system operates.

Our vision is to create a resilient agricultural system in Alabama -- one that is ecologically regenerative, centered around those who work the land, just, intergenerational, and rooted in community.  Read more at https://asanonline.org/about-us/.

The Food & Farm Forum and Youth Food & Farm Forum (collectively, “the Forum”) together are the largest annual gathering of ASAN’s statewide network of farmers, gardeners, community leaders, and good food advocates.  Approximately 200 diverse participants from across the state convene to swap stories, ideas, and wisdom, in order to together build a more robust local food system in Alabama.

The adult Food & Farm Forum has been held in its current format (a multi-day, statewide gathering) since 2017.  It was held as a series of one-day Regional Forums from 2013-2016, and as a statewide gathering prior to that.  The first Youth Food & Farm Forum was held in 2018.

a) Provide peer-to-peer learning exchange on topics related to local food, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable communities

b) Be a space for shared celebration, emphasizing community, family, and fellowship, reflecting the culture/vibe we’re trying to create in ASAN throughout the year and throughout the state

c) Convene and connect the full breadth of food system stakeholders, including producers, food-based business owners, market managers, nonprofit reps, industry reps, ag support personnel, etc.

d) Provide opportunities to deepen knowledge and practice around racial, economic, and social equity, reflecting our belief that justice and equity are foundational to any sustainable agricultural system (and community) that we may hope to build.

e) Serve as a platform and space to advance ASAN network work, e.g. steering committee meetings, working groups, and visioning exercises

While we appreciate the forms of knowledge that Western rational thought deems worthy and valuable, we also know that other forms of knowledge/knowing exist -- and that these forms of knowledge have often been systematically devalued and demonized.

We recognize that people gain skills and knowledge in many different ways.  We value and uplift folk wisdom, practical skills, intuition, emotional intelligence, embodied knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, creative arts, and other forms of knowing.  We seek to reflect this in ASAN’s organizing and in our selection of Forum sessions in particular.

That said, we ask you to provide some context about what background qualifications you bring to your proposed session topic/content.  If you have formal or professional experience, and/or if you have experience leading a similar session in the past, by all means, share that!

However, if you DON’T have that experience, you are NOT inherently unqualified.  (In fact, it’s possible you may be more qualified than some others who DO have that experience!)

So -- especially if you are someone prone to imposter syndrome -- we invite you to dig deep and think outside the box as you share what qualifies you to lead your proposed session.