A new series of free virtual seminars will be available for farmers interested in starting or strengthening their transition to organic production. The “Transition to Organic Webinar Series” will take place every Wednesday at noon from January 14 to March 18, 2026. Each session will focus on key aspects of the transition process, including certification, market dynamics, soil health, amendments, and pest and weed management.
The webinars are organized by Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), UC Cooperative Extension, and the UC Organic Agriculture Institute, which is part of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Each seminar will include a 75-minute presentation, discussion time, and an optional hour for consulting. Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and Hmong will be offered at each event.
Attendees can choose individual sessions or participate in the entire series. Registration information is available at https://actionnetwork.org/events/transition-to-organic-webinar-series-for-crop-producers/.
Margaret Lloyd, organic agriculture and small farms advisor for UCCE in Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano counties, stated: “This is the first time that UC ANR has collaborated with CAFF on a series focused on transitioning to organic agriculture. Our goal is to offer resources, community, and the necessary support to help them make a successful transition.”
California remains a leader in organic agriculture nationally based on farm numbers, acreage under production, and sales. In 2023, there were more than 3,300 organic producers registered in the state according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Organizers designed the series to address challenges faced by producers across different regions of California. Grace Jackson, Central Valley regional lead for CAFF’s Farmer Services team said: “This program brings together technical assistance providers and farmers to explore the challenges of transition—from certification and markets to biodiversity, management practices, records and inspections.”
In addition to economic topics such as market access or costs associated with certification processes—topics like soil health or pest management will also be discussed during these sessions.
Katharina Ullmann from UC’s Organic Agriculture Institute explained that interest in more detailed information led them to create this extended series: “Individual workshops are good but there is a lot of information to cover in a two- or three-hour workshop,” said Ullmann. “We thought it would be helpful to have a longer regular series where we could spend an entire hour delving into one specific topic about transitioning.”
Speakers will include farmers as well as inspectors/certifiers alongside UCCE specialists; this reflects both direct experience from practitioners plus support from current scientific research.
Many topics were selected based on results from a statewide needs survey conducted by UC’s Organic Agriculture Institute; producers indicated they need more support with certification paperwork/processes—including developing an Organic System Plan which will be covered on January 21.
Margaret Lloyd noted that she—and other UCCE advisors—will continue offering their Annual Organic Agriculture Seminar web series focusing on specific aspects of organic production. Information about those additional events will be posted early next year on her website.
The webinar series is funded by the California Department of Food & Agriculture State Organic Program; CDFA Office of Environmental Farming & Innovation; USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program.
UC ANR delivers research-based knowledge from University of California campuses across all 58 counties with its mission focused on improving life for all Californians.
More information can be found at ucanr.edu.