Scholarship Deadline for the 2027 MSU Organic Farmer Training Program
November 15, 2026 9:30AM - 11:59PM
Registration Deadline: November 15, 2025 - 11:59PM
Contact: Contact Katie Brandt at oftp@msu.edu or call/text her at 616-885-7776
Apply for the 2027 Organic Farmer Training Program!
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- OFTP application
- Your resume or CV
- 2 letters of recommendation (employers, colleagues, farmers you’ve worked or volunteered for, farm customers, etc)
- Visit the Farm or Meet online (contact us to schedule a time)
- IF APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP - Complete the Scholarship application by November 15 for one of three OFTP scholarships:
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- West Michigan Farmers Scholarship for participants at the Grand Rapids learning site
- Detroit Farmers Scholarship for farmers from Detroit/Hamtramck/Highland Park
- Flint Farmer Scholarship for participants in the Flint learning site
- Or check out this list of other scholarship options
Email scans/photos of documents & questions to oftp@msu.edu
About the 2027 MSU Organic Farmer Training Program:
The MSU Organic Farmer Training Program will have 4 hands-on learning sites for 2026! The OFTP will have a hybrid format with:
- 4 Monday field trips + 1 weekend for field trip to visit 20+ sustainable farms together with both groups
- 14 days for interactive online learning together with both groups
- 5 days for hands-on learning as a full group on farms in Detroit, East Lansing and Flint
- Choose your learning site for the remaining 8 days:
- Keep Growing Detroit
- MSU Student Organic Farm in East Lansing
- New City Farm in Grand Rapids
- Edible Flint
New farmers learn real hands-on farm skills while planning for a farm that fits their values, goals, skills, land and markets. Check out the draft schedule to see how the OFTP can help you make your farm dreams a reality. This experience is defined by its learning community of aspiring and beginning farmers, farmworkers, homesteaders, educational gardeners and OFTP instructors who all support each other in learning skills for farming, business planning and creating positive community change. It worked for 2019 graduate Heather Fuson, who says “Before OFTP I had a vision, but when I left I had a plan.”
We are now accepting applications for the Detroit, East Lansing and Grand Rapids learning sites! The Detroit site typically fills soon after the scholarship deadline on November 15. Applications for other sites are accepted on a rolling basis until early February or when the cohort is full.
The 2026 OFTP takes place on Mondays from 9:30am-4:30pm from February 23 to November 9 (NO CLASS Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day) There is one weekend trip to Chicago (Sunday through Tuesday, July 19 to 21. You can see the proposed schedule HERE .
How much does the program cost?
Program fees for 2026 are $3,900 plus the cost of books and materials (~$200).
What are the scholarship options?
- Detroit Farmer Scholarship for people farming, gardening or living in Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park (will re-open for 2027 OFTP applications in July)
- West Michigan Farmer Scholarship for farmers attending the Grand Rapids OFTP learning site (will re-open for 2027 OFTP applications in July)
- Flint Farmer Scholarship for people attending the Flint OFTP learning site
- MichiganWorks! PATH or WIOA programs are a great scholarship option for people who are unemployed and underemployed (low-income for your household size) or are caring for children or people with disabilities. Share this OFTP listing with your local MichiganWorks! office if you qualify for PATH or WIOA and your area has funding.
- Greenstone Cultivate Growth Grant – Grant is to support Young, Beginning, Small farmers help expand their knowledge and strengthen their business. Offers up to $1,000 to current GreenStone customers and up to $500 will be awarded to non-GreenStone customers that participate in agriculture programs/events, first time use of GreenStones resources, or a non-GreenStone agriculture service.
- Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund - Up to $5,000 for farm equipment, supplies or education - https://farmvetco.org/fvfellowship/
- Michigan SARE Travel Scholarships $500 for travel to in-state and out-of-state conferences and classes https://www.canr.msu.edu/misare/michigan-sare-travel-scholarship This can fund mileage at 70 cents per mile or other transportation costs. This is focused on training farm educators (farmers can apply, but only if they are also teaching other farmers as part of a grant project, non-profit, etc.). Please stress how you will share the skills you learn in OFTP with other farmers as part of your application.
- Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) - up to $200 in USDA assistance for educational programs for certified organic farmers or farmers transitioning to organic – This USDA assistance should be available for anyone who qualifies
- CCOF Future Organic Farmer Grant - $5,000 for Vocational and Higher Ed Students – apply between mid-March and mid-April. Very competitive.
- American Farmland Trust Brighter Future Fund may fund the OFTP - they have various grant programs, so see if any apply for your location and farm type, then email them to ask about deadlines if it is currently closed.
- Your workplace may offer training funds to support you taking OFTP
- You may be able to reach out to a local Community Foundation or other sponsor to fund your participation in OFTP
How do I pay for the OFTP?
- Card payments: https://commerce.cashnet.com/msu_3843?&itemcode=3843-oftp
- Cash
- Check
- Americorps Education Awards
- Most 529 plans
- Some MET plans
- Michigan Works! PATH program (unemployment training)
- Please ask about other payment options
Registration for this event has closed.
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