Summary - Indiana Horticulture and Small Farm Conference

The Indiana Horticulture and Small Farms Conference (IHSFC) will now take place earlier in the calendar year. For 2027, the event is scheduled for January 26-28. This long-standing conference, historically coordinated through the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department and the Diversified Farming and Food Systems group, will continue to offer high-quality networking and educational opportunities, now strengthened through a unified effort.

The IHSFC will take place at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Center, providing producers with opportunities to learn, connect, enjoy local food, and engage with a wide range of agricultural organizations and commercial vendors through the expanded trade expo.

Program Overview

Day 1 (Tuesday 1/26): Sessions will cover business, fruit, urban ag, vegetables, food safety, and agritourism.
Day 2 (Wednesday 1/27): Topics include fruit, livestock, flowers, resilient ag, vegetables and food safety. The keynote speakers are Dr. Charlie Brennan and Bridget O'Brien.
Day 3 (Thursday 1/28): Sessions will focus on business, vegetables, labor, livestock, agritourism, and niche opportunities. The conference will wrap with a facilitated networking lunch.

The trade expo will run all three days, with additional networking opportunities on Tuesday and Wednesday late afternoon/evening including a poster session to highlight research efforts and on-farm innovation.