Riverside, Ca – The deadline is fast approaching to purchase tickets online for the 6^th annual GrowRIVERSIDE conference, which seeks to build a robust local food and agriculture economy to address food access and health equity issues while promoting economic opportunities.

Online ticket sales end at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. The GrowRIVERSIDE conference is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 2 at Crestmore Manor, 4600 Crestmore Road, just across the Santa Ana Riverside in Jurupa Valley, with additional events in the following days.

The conference features 12 sessions that can be pursued through four learning tracks. The tracks include: Rooted in Riverside; Urban Agribusiness Development; The Workings of a Sustainable Farm; and Community Health, Food Justice, and Equity.

Keynote speakers include Joel Salatin, author/farmer/owner of Polyface Farm; and Javier Zamora, farmer/owner, JSM Organics.

Other events, which require a separate ticket, include the Annual Farm-to-Fork Citrus Circle Dinner at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 2 at Jensen Alvarado Historic Ranch, 4307 Briggs Street in Riverside. This event, catered by Riverside Unified School District, is a fundraiser, with proceeds supporting the GrowRIVERSIDE Initiative. Online ticket sales for the dinner end Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m.

A full-day tour of three farms — Coastal Roots Farm, Go Green Agriculture, and Mellano & Company — is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3. Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. at the parking lot of the Halloween Store at Lake Elsinore Outlet Mall, 17600 Collier Ave. in Lake Elsinore. The tour bus leaves at 8:30 a.m. and returns by 5:00 p.m. Lunch is provided. Online ticket sales ends Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Two-day trainings are scheduled for Oct. 4-5 in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Food Safety. After completing the training, attendees will receive a certificate of completion.

More information and tickets sales options can be found at: http://growriv.com/conference/