2026 CFSA Conference Experience
A presentation, new friends, and fertilizer made from waste wool
≈ 2 min
The CFSA event in Winston-Salem was a great experience. It was engaging to connect with growers, wholesalers, researchers, and students, and I felt encouraged by the growing interest in building online sales channels that can complement existing small farm revenue.
It was a joy to collaborate with Tara Lynne, a beekeeper and writer based in Pittsboro, on our presentation about growing small farms online. If you'd like to learn more about her work and interests, visit her website at taralynnegroth.com.
In the session, we walked through how to build a website that works well for both AI platforms and traditional search engines. We also covered three practical ways to get discovered online: setting up a Google Business Profile, establishing a simple social media presence, and starting an email newsletter.
Below are the materials we shared in the presentation:
One of the more interesting things I came across at the conference was wool pellets. Shoutout to Kristi Eskelund of Fidelis Fields Farm for taking a few minutes to talk with me about how wool pellets are made. I bought some from her booth to try in my market garden.
When I have time, I hope to visit the UNC Library and read research papers on wool pellets, like the article titled "Nitrogen-supplying capability of wool pellets as an alternative fertilizer," written by Hungarian researchers. I'm drawn to products that take what would otherwise be waste and turn it into something useful and sustainable. When I came to America for college, the major I initially applied for Environmental engineering (waste recycling).
Stan K – Founder