2025 Agriculture Symposium

This year’s Agriculture Symposium was nothing short of empowering. With the theme “Rooted in Resilience: Growing Food, Farms, and Community,” we took a bold step forward in strengthening Guam’s food security by building connections that matter.

Last year’s symposium was about laying the groundwork, helping farmers figure out how to get started. This year, we expanded on that foundation with hands-on workshops and deeper conversations. Participants learned everything from raising fish and plants in aquaponics systems to forming cooperatives that give farmers and producers more power in our local food system to value added products business ideas.

One of the highlights was our Swap Meet and Community Night. Seedlings, seeds, grafted trees, and produce exchanged hands - not just as goods, but as collaboration and shared purpose. It was more than a marketplace; it was a celebration of community.

Another standout moment came during our Farmers Panel and Next Gen Neni’s Panel. Here, we heard directly from farmers about their journeys: the challenges they’ve faced and the victories that keep them moving forward.

The Next Gen Neni’s Panel gave us a glimpse into the future, as younger voices shared their vision for Guam’s food system and the innovative paths they see ahead. Their stories reminded us that resilience is generational, passed down and reimagined with every new steward of the land.

We closed the symposium with a tour of the GSC Food Resiliency Hub. Participants experienced firsthand the incredible work happening here: Thriving aquaculture and aquaponics systems, a newly renovated education space, our plant nursery, blooms of the Angel’s Garden sunflower farm, and the breathtaking view where conversations flowed as freely as the breeze.

Every moment reminded us that resilience is not just about food, it’s about people, land, and community moving forward together.