Virginia Urban Agriculture Summit 2025 - Call for Abstracts

THEME: Creating Resilient, Healthy, and Sustainable Communities through Urban Agriculture

VENUE: Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown, 555 E Canal St, Richmond, VA 23219
DATE: April 4-6, 2025

Call for Abstracts: Deadline for Submission March 10, 2025

Four presentation types are invited for the 2025 Virginia Urban Agriculture Summit.

Oral: Presenters will report results from research, educational/outreach activities, or knowledge gained from professional experience. Oral presentations provide a platform for engaging the audience and sharing programmatic successes. Presentations will be in concurrent sessions with each presentation lasting a total of 20 minutes (15 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for Q&A). A maximum of two proposals will be accepted from the same lead author. Submissions not selected for an oral session will be considered for presentation as posters.

Posters: These will report summaries of results, and lessons learned from research and education/outreach activities. Posters will be displayed in the Exhibit Hall on Friday and Saturday (April 4-5) and presenters will be available to engage with conference attendees at set times during the two days. Poster boards will be provided (recommended poster dimensions: 36″ H x 48″ W).

We may consider soliciting submissions for a conference proceeding depending on the number and quality of oral and poster abstracts received.

Stories Worth Sharing: Practitioners and other stakeholders will report on successes, failures, and lessons learned working in or within an urban agriculture set-up. Examples may include attempts to secure funding or information, production and marketing successes/challenges, and navigating the regulatory environment.

Exhibits: The summit will serve as a venue for colleges and universities, community-based organizations, and other public and private sector organizations to share information about programs and services for urban agriculture. Exhibitors will be provided with an 8’ x 10’ fully draped exhibit space, one 6 ft. table, two chairs, and a sign. Please refer to the section on Exhibitors and Sponsors for more information.

Oral and poster presentations must be based on work that is already completed. As such, abstracts must report purpose, objectives, methods, results, and conclusions to be presented.

A review committee will consider all abstracts submitted by March 10, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified on or before March 20, 2025 and provided with guidelines and deadlines for preparing final conference presentations.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Jessica Harris at jbrown@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-5964 / TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg.