National Conferences

During this same time period, it seemed time to host a professional conference to share thoughts and ideas with the small band of people who were following our work. Eighteen people showed up in the community room of Littleton city hall for a day. No catered food, no hotel arrangements, no conference banners. Just early adopters interested in a nascent idea.

The following years we met in interesting “local color” locales (plaza at Santa Fe; a winery in California; industrial buildings in Fairfield, Iowa; a hunting lodge in Georgia, a ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; a fort in South Dakota; a ferry terminal in Washington). In those early years the conferences were fairly informal affairs with somewhat of a rural flavor to them. Rural communities were some of the first attracted to the idea of growing your own given their poor ability to recruit businesses. We never drew more than 30 some folks those first 7 years but the ability to talk and share made the quality high. 

In 2011 the conference changed character. Interest levels were growing and the attendance shot up to 80 and then 120 and 180. We moved into hotels, the planning took longer, the agendas became more complex and the audience more urban. Conference were held in Orlando, Florida and then Grand Rapids, Michigan and Kansas City, Missouri.