Ecological Farming Association

What Ecological Farming Association does

The Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) is a 46-year-old 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization founded in 1981 and based in Soquel/Santa Cruz, California, that operates the largest sustainable agriculture conference west of the Mississippi. Its core deliverable is the annual EcoFarm Conference held at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, drawing 1,500+ attendees and offering 65+ workshops, keynotes, farm tours, and an expo. The organization complements the flagship event with a year-round calendar of regional field days (e.g., the Ventura County Regenerative Agriculture Field Series co-hosted with Rodale Institute), a bilingual webinar program, niche events such as the Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee, and the long-running Hoes Down Harvest Festival hosted at Full Belly Farm. Technology is operational rather than productized: EcoFarm runs on standard web infrastructure (Squarespace, RegFox, NeonCRM) for event registration, donation processing, and e-newsletter distribution to 14,000+ subscribers, with 45,000+ followers across social channels.

EcoFarm's business model is event-driven and grant/donation supplemented. Revenue is generated through conference registration (with early-bird and reduced-rate farmer tiers), a ten-level corporate sponsorship program ranging from $500 to $20,000, individual donations processed via NeonCRM, and food-program contributions coordinated with logistics partner Veritable Vegetable. The customer base is a long tail of small and mid-sized organic, regenerative, and biodynamic farmers and ranchers, complemented by food-system advocates, researchers (UC Santa Cruz, UCANR, Cal Poly Pomona, Rodale Institute), policy actors (e.g., Senator Schiff's 2026 address), and corporate sponsors aligned with the ecological-farming mission. Programs such as the Sustie, Justie, Fresh Roots, and Golden Pliers awards, plus scholarship and work-trade mechanisms, reinforce access and community leadership pipelines.

Name

Ecological Farming Association

Legal name

Ecological Farming Association

Website

https://eco-farm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) is a 46-year-old 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Santa Cruz, California, that operates the largest sustainable agriculture conference west of the Mississippi and complementary field days, webinars, and festivals for organic, regenerative, and biodynamic farmers, ranchers, and food-system advocates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Agriculture Education and Events

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO), Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Congresses (THAHAJAI), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Sustainable agriculture education
• Organic farming conferences
• Ecological farming advocacy
• Regenerative agriculture training
• Agricultural networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Soquel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration: The organization generates revenue through annual conference registration fees. The 2026 conference offered various registration tiers including early bird discounts ($100 savings before December 5, 2025), standard registration, and reduced-rate registration for active farmers and ranchers.
2. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorships at multiple levels (Steward $20,000, Harvest $15,000, Field $10,000, Branches $7,500, Pollinator $5,000, Scion $3,500, Roots $2,500, Seeds $1,000, Soil $500) provide significant revenue. Sponsors receive recognition in conference brochures (10,000 circulation), e-newsletters (14,000+ subscribers), social media, and signage.
3. Donations and Scholarships: The organization accepts donations to support scholarship funds that enable deserving applicants to attend the conference. Donations are processed through their NeonCRM donation forms.
4. Food Program Contributions: Partners and food producers contribute to the conference food program. Veritable Vegetable serves as logistics partner to source hundreds of organic ingredients from farms and food producers across California for farm-to-table dining experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Ecological Farming Association operates a portfolio of in-person and virtual educational events for the sustainable agriculture community. Its flagship offering is the annual EcoFarm Conference held at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California, supplemented by specialized conferences, field days, harvest festivals, and webinars covering organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming practices. The organization also runs recognition awards, scholarships, and an expo/trade show serving farmers, ranchers, researchers, and food system advocates.

Product overview

The Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) is a 46-year-old non-profit educational organization that operates primarily as a conference and events-based entity. The core product is the annual EcoFarm Conference, the largest sustainable agriculture conference west of the Mississippi, supplemented by specialized conferences (Regenerative Avocados, Citrus, and Strawberries Conference), educational webinars, harvest festivals (Hoes Down), and an annual Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee. Additional offerings include award programs (Sustie, Justie, Fresh Roots, Golden Pliers), scholarship and work trade programs, workshop proposal submissions, and the EcoFarm Expo trade show. All programs focus on advancing ecological and just farming through learning, convening, celebrating, and advocating.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EcoFarm Conference Annual flagship conference of the Ecological Farming Association, operating as the largest sustainable agriculture conference west of the Mississippi, featuring 65+ workshops, keynotes, farm tours, seed swaps, tastings, an expo, and Spanish-language programming for organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farmers.
• Building a Biological Powerhouse in Your Soil Webinar Series Virtual educational webinar series exploring soil microbial science, the effectiveness of microbial inoculants for plant and soil health, and practical low-cost methods for creating quality composts and extracts, with farmer case studies.
• Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee Annual ticketed event featuring fruit tasting and purchasing of fresh organic stone fruit (nectarines, peaches, plums, pluots, apriums, and apricots) directly from local small farms, with kid-friendly activities and food and beverage booths.
• Sowing Sovereignty: Growing Seeds and Cultivating Resilience Single-day focused educational event on organic seeds held at the UCSC farm, covering seed economics and profitability, varietal selection, storage, germination, seed saving, and the role of community seed libraries in regional seed security.
• Hoes Down Harvest Festival Annual harvest festival held at Full Belly Farm that honors and promotes agricultural arts and sustainable rural living through live music, food, workshops, children's activities, and camping. Generates funds for organizations supporting sustainable agriculture and rural communities.
• Regenerative Avocados, Citrus, and Strawberries Conference Two-part field conference series bringing together farmers, researchers, and sustainability leaders to explore regenerative agriculture practices for avocados, citrus, and strawberries, held on-farm in Ventura County.
• EcoFarm Expo Annual trade show held in conjunction with the EcoFarm Conference featuring farm and farming-related businesses, an Equipment Showcase, and a Beer and Kombucha Tasting, with paid booth space and exhibitor passes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $100,000 raised for sustainable agriculture organizations through Hoes Down Harvest Festival in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rodale InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Partner in presenting the Ventura County Regenerative Agriculture Field Series. McGrath Family Farm hosts the Rodale Institute's flagship California operation established in 2020. Rodale Institute researchers participate in field days and workshops on regenerative organic practices.
• Veritable VegetablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics partner helping source hundreds of organic ingredients from farms and food producers across California. Accepts deliveries at their San Francisco warehouse, picks up orders from farms across the state, consolidates and delivers to Asilomar Conference Grounds before the conference. Enables true farm-to-table dining experience representing many small, regional growers.
• Rancho Dos HermanascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-operated agricultural and land conservation property in Fillmore, California, hosting Day One of the Ventura County regenerative agriculture field series on May 4, 2026. Co-founded by Tina Morris Thomson and Laurie Morris Smith, dedicated to transitioning from conventional to sustainable citrus and avocado production.
• McGrath Family FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth-generation family farm in Camarillo, California, certified organic since 1995. Hosts Day Two of the Ventura County regenerative agriculture field series on May 11, 2026, in partnership with Rodale Institute.
• Asilomar Conference GroundscoreOthersConference venue for the annual EcoFarm Conference. Executive Chef David Baron works with EcoFarm's Food Program Manager to curate sustainable and organic menus for conference attendees.
• Full Belly FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime sustainable farm that hosts the annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival. For over 30 years, the festival has generated valuable resources for local and statewide organizations working on sustainable agriculture and rural communities.
• UC Santa Cruz Center for AgroecologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research and education. The UCSC Farm & Garden Program has been recognized with Sustie awards and collaborates on workshops and educational content for the conference.
• Agricultural and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing agricultural training and land access for beginning farmers. 2022 Sustie Award winner. ALBA farmers like María Aguilar and Veronica Aguilar have been recognized with Fresh Roots awards.
• Wild Farm AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization committed to biodiversity on working lands. Participates in EcoFarm conference and provides educational content on beneficial birds and conservation practices for farmers.
• Cal Poly PomonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity researchers studying diversified orchard systems who participate in Ventura County regenerative agriculture field days, presenting avocado and citrus study findings.
• UCANR (UC Agriculture and Natural Resources)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and extension partner with advisors like Ben Faber (Soils, Water, and Subtropical Crops Advisor) and Hamutahl Cohen (Entomology Advisor) participating in field days and workshops.
• 14 Media Partners (Monterey Herald, Edible Monterey Bay, Farm to Table Talk, etc.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partners promote the conference through their outlets, provide coverage, and receive complementary day passes and logo placement on the website and materials in exchange.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rodale Institute: Leading nonprofit research and education organization focused on regenerative organic agriculture. Direct peer to EcoFarm as both run educational programming (workshops, field days) for farmers on regenerative practices, and they have an active partnership (Ventura County field series).
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF): California-based nonprofit advocating for sustainable agriculture and family-scale farms through education, policy, and on-farm programs. Closely comparable to EcoFarm in geography, audience, and mission.
• Wild Farm Alliance: Nonprofit promoting biodiversity on working lands through education and outreach. EcoFarm partner that shares a California base and similar farmer-education mission around ecological practices.
• Organic Farming Research Foundation: Nonprofit that funds organic farming research and educates farmers and policymakers. Strong mission and audience overlap with EcoFarm, including surfacing scientific findings into farmer-friendly formats.
• Agricultural and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA): Nonprofit providing agricultural training and land access for beginning farmers in California. Direct overlap with EcoFarm's beginning farmer support and Fresh Roots Award ecosystem, and an active partner.
• California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF): California-based nonprofit that certifies organic operations and provides education and advocacy for organic farmers. Comparable to EcoFarm in mission, California focus, and educational programming for the organic farming community.

Emerging players

• Organic Seed Alliance: Nonprofit advancing organic seed systems through education, research, and advocacy. Overlaps with EcoFarm's Sowing Sovereignty seed program and broader sustainable agriculture educational mission.

Regional players

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Nonprofit food and agriculture education center operating a working farm, training programs, and public events on the East Coast. Comparable to EcoFarm as a nonprofit agriculture education hub with immersive programming and on-farm learning.

Broad incumbents

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): USDA-funded program delivering sustainable agriculture education, grants, and outreach nationwide. Larger and federally funded; overlaps with EcoFarm on farmer education and grants, but at a much broader geographic scale.
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: National policy advocacy coalition for sustainable agriculture, with a much broader policy footprint. Comparable to EcoFarm's advocacy dimension but operating at national rather than California/Western scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ecofarm
• Instagraminstagram.com/eco.farm
• Xx.com/eco_farm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eco-farm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecological Farming Association