As a food systems professional, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture has been on my radar as a leader in this space since I began my work with Growing Roots Partners six years ago. When I was first starting out, Pasa became a “North Star” for me, an example of the kind of impact I hoped to have in supporting local agriculture and farmers through my own work. At the center of Pasa’s impact was always its annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference, often lauded in my circles as a premier opportunity for connection, learning, and advancement of the industry.
For years, either the timing or the budget didn’t line up for me to attend. But in 2026, I finally made it happen—and I went all in, experiencing the Pasa Conference for the first time from three different perspectives: as an attendee, an exhibitor, and a volunteer.
My first Pasa Conference experience was positive in every way, but one moment in particular has stayed with me. I can still vividly recall sitting in the back row of a conference room packed with hundreds of people, all eagerly anticipating the keynote plenary. I had only recently learned to pronounce the word “plenary” during our Pasa volunteer training—a decidedly satisfying word to both write and say, in my opinion—because this was my first time ever attending one!
That morning, keynote speaker Will Brownback of Spiral Path Farm shared the story of his family’s farming legacy and the many challenges, losses, and successes that shaped it. Will talked about his father, Mike, attending one of the earliest Pasa conferences in the 1990s, at a time when sustainable farming felt isolating and Pasa itself was still in its infancy.
He remembered his father returning home from that conference with something he hadn’t had before: a sense that he wasn’t doing this work alone.
He had found a community of people who were asking the same questions, challenging the status quo, and trying to build something better. More than 30 years later, at my very first Pasa Conference, I was experiencing that same sense of connection for myself.
I’m not afraid to admit that I teared up multiple times during Will’s address. Partly because his family’s story was incredibly moving, but also because it helped remind me of the reason I was sitting there in the first place.
This work can be hard. It’s easy to get swept up in the everyday realities of running an organization—managing a team, worrying about finances, solving the next problem—and lose sight of my passion and purpose. I know I sometimes need to be redirected back to my “why.” The Pasa Conference brought my purpose back into focus.
I will never, and could never, be a farmer. But I am deeply passionate about local agriculture and supporting the people who steward our land, produce our food, and positively impact our communities and environment. Hearing everything the Brownback family had overcome to get to where they are today, still farming and growing at Spiral Path Farm, reminded me why I chose this work in the first place.
Over the course of the conference, that reminder extended far beyond the keynote. I met farmers, business owners, nonprofit leaders, educators, researchers, and young people just beginning to find their place in agriculture. I talked with people who were already familiar with our work at Growing Roots and took the time to tell us they valued it. I met people I likely never would have crossed paths with otherwise. Some of those conversations became collaborations and new business opportunities; others simply left me feeling more connected to the people doing this work.
One of the things that encouraged me most was seeing how many young people were there who were interested in pursuing farming. At a time when we hear so much about the challenges facing agriculture and questions about who will become the next generation of farmers, I was meeting some of those future farmers in person. They were learning, asking questions, meeting experienced growers, and finding their own place within this community.
There is something very special about finding yourself in a room full of people who care as deeply about this work as you do. For me, the Pasa Conference was exactly what I needed to refocus, recharge, and keep going. Being surrounded by people who share a commitment to sustainable agriculture was incredibly inspiring.
Will Brownback’s mantra “to want is not enough” has stuck with me since February. Through the inevitable trials and tribulations this year has brought, it has reminded me that caring deeply about this work is important, but so is continuing to learn, continuing to show up, and turning that passion into action.
I left Lancaster with a renewed sense of purpose, an even greater appreciation for the Pasa community, and relationships that extended well beyond the conference itself. Some of the connections we made have since grown into collaborations and business relationships that continue to serve Growing Roots Partners today.
That, to me, is the value of being part of this community.
If your business or organization shares a commitment to agriculture and the people who make it possible, I hope you’ll consider joining us at the 2027 Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Conference as a sponsor, exhibitor, or advertiser.
Explore 2027 sponsorship, exhibiting, and advertising opportunities here. Want to refer a business or organization that should know about Pasa? Reach out to us at sponsor@pasafarming.org.
Christy Campli is a consultant supporting sponsorship and partnership development for the Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Conference.
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