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Gather to Grow — Registration Deadline
October 15
Register before the deadline
Registration for the 2026 Gather to Grow Forest Farming Conference remains open through Oct. 15, according to the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition. This calendar item marks that deadline rather than a live class. The announcement does not specify a closing hour, so complete registration early enough to resolve questions and check current availability. The conference itself takes place Oct. 23–25 at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg.
Registration and limited scholarships
Regular adult registration costs $299, with limited student tickets at $199 and youth tickets at $149 when attending with an adult. The organizer says registration remains open through Oct. 15. Its current update also identifies limited scholarships for beginning farmers from Appalachian counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Awards include registration and two nights of lodging; availability is limited and not guaranteed. Check the current application instructions and do not assume travel expenses are included. The conference page remains the place to verify prices, ticket availability and participation arrangements.
Prepare for the visit
The main venue is at 901 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Contact info@appalachianforestfarmers.org for conference questions. Before attending, consider the woodland crop or business question you want to investigate and which follow-up contacts would be useful. Those are optional preparation suggestions, not promised individual consultations. Confirm the current daily schedule and any pre-conference activity arrangements with the organizer. Published partner calendars give conflicting opening times, so the event’s exact start and finish hours need confirmation. Keep lodging arrangements separate from conference registration and review cancellation terms before booking. If you hope to talk with other growers, prepare a short introduction to your interests and the question you are investigating. This can help you make productive use of informal conversations between sessions. A conference can help you identify resources and questions for further work, but attendance does not guarantee that a proposed forest enterprise will be suitable or profitable on your property.
Choose a learning priority
The conference focuses on Appalachian forest farming and includes presentations, producer experiences and an industry expo. Subjects include woodland botanicals, mushrooms, syrups and other products. Before buying a ticket, review the program and identify the topics you most want to investigate. A focused goal can help you make useful connections during the gathering. These are optional planning suggestions rather than a required application statement. Save the official registration confirmation and verify both the conference dates and the hotel dates before traveling.
