Next week, I’ll be trekking to Washington, D.C. to attend the 2011 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, an annual gathering organized by the Blue-Green Alliance Foundation.

Each year, the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference brings together thousands of leaders from around the country who are committed to building a greener economy—one that generates sustainable prosperity over the long term and offers good jobs for all. Last year’s conference gathered over 3,000 representatives in the labor, environmental, business and community development fields, as well as elected officials at local, state and federal levels.

This year’s conference promises to be great. Featured speakers include EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison, National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling, and Vice President Biden’s Chief Economic and Economic Advisor Jared Bernstein.

As a representative of Farm Aid, I’ll be making the case for one of the greenest jobs possible: farming! As Farm Aid President Willie Nelson has often said, family farmers are the bottom rung of our economic ladders: when farmers thrive, Main Streets thrive. Pulling major findings from our recent report, Rebuilding America’s Economy with Family Farm-Centered Food Systems, I’m aiming to blast that message far and wide—making the case that investing in strong food systems that support our country’s family farmers is a smart strategy for creating wealth, jobs and health from coast to coast. In this troubling time in our economy, when we are all scratching our heads wondering how to build prosperity in our communities, family farmers are an often-overlooked source of hope.

Conference registration ends Friday! We encourage everyone in the D.C. area (and beyond!) to attend. And look for me in the audience, while you’re at it!