Jobs and Opportunities

Grants, conference scholarships and mentorships for pasture-based livestock and poultry farming on the Food Animal Concerns Trust website (Closes Dec. 8)

Michigan Good Food Fund seed award application

GROW Lansing Grants $5000 for community gardens and sustainable land use in Lansing

FruitGuys Community Fund

Expanding Agroforestry Project paying farmers for tree planting

Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

MIFFS Funding & Grants list

Grants and Funding Opportunities from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD)

Michigan SARE and MI/WI Tribal SARE

Farmer Rancher Grants – Up to $15,000 for 1 farm or $30,000 for two+ farms for farmers to design and lead sustainable farm projects (Due December 5, 2024)

Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program – apply by Jan. 31, 2025 for 2024 expenses

https://nativefoodalliance.org/2024-field-day-microgrants/

MDARD https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/business-development/grantfund

Growing Justice Grants

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES DATABASE (FIND) TOOL to compare farm conservation programs and funding options

Events!

Jan 21 to April 15 Food Literacy for all speaker series, Free (online or Ann Arbor)

1.28.25 Paul Greenberg
2.04.25 Rowen White
2.11.25 Katherine Miller
2.18.25 Food Waste Panel
2.25.25 Hannah Wittman
3.11.25 Kiese Laymon
3.18.25 Austin Frerick
3.25.25 Jayson Maurice Porter
4.01.25 Kiddada Green, Angie Sanchez, Jaye Clement
4.08.25 Damian Rivera and Rosemary Linares
4.15.25 Fast Food for Thought: Ten UM Faculty
4.22.25 Class Synthesis

Jan 23/24 Online + Jan31/Feb 1 in Madison WI Organic Vegetable Production Conference

Jan 24/25 OGRAIN Winter Conference | Madison, Wisconsin

Jan 24 & 31 Planning for Profit: Marketing and Production Budget Workshop Kalamazoo

Jan 27 to Feb 24 Discovering Resilience: A Legal Workshop for Farmers & Ranchers

Jan 27: Farm Law as Your Creative Power
Feb 3: Organize Your Farm Business for Legal Success
Feb 10: Growing a Legally Resilient Workforce
Feb 17: Access Farmland with Legal Confidence
Feb 24: Diversify Farm Enterprises Without Adding Legal Risk

Jan 27 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online

Jan 28 Managing Risk Through Diverse Specialty Crop Marketing Strategies (online)

Jan 29 to May 10 Farmers Rising Farm Beginnings Course online Wed 6-8pm + Sat 10am to 1pm

Feb 3 Taproots Lunch & Learn: Under the Insurance Umbrella (Detroit)

Feb 3- 4 GreenStone FCS CultivateGrowth Conference (Lansing) ann.allen@greenstonefcs.com 231-740-5413

Feb 4-5, 2025 - Underground Innovations, Frankenmuth, MI

Feb 5 SW Michigan Hort Days (Benton Harbor)

Feb 5-6 Great Lakes Urban Agriculture IPM Working Group Winter Meeting (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

Feb 6 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q + A Noon – 1PM (Online)

Feb 6 Cultivating Resilience Winter Conference (Hudsonville)

Feb 10 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online

Feb 12 Southeast Michigan Vegetable Grower Winter Meeting 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Clinton)

Feb 13 Passing the Torch: Farm Transition Planning in Northern Michigan (Traverse City)

Feb 13 – 15 OEFFA Conference (Newark OH)

Feb 19 Senior Project FRESH info session for farmers (online) 11am to Noon

Feb 20 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online

Feb 20-22 – Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference (LaCrosse, WI)

Feb 24 – Mar 7 MI Ag Ideas to Grow With (online) Register

Feb 24 Getting Going - Lessons Learned in First Three Years of Community Gardening 9 – 10AM Zoom
Feb 24 Preserving MI Harvest-Michigan Cottage Food Law 2:00PM – 4:00PM Zoom
Feb 24 Controlling Internal Parasites in Sheep and Goats 6:00PM – 7:00PM Zoom
Feb 24 Farmer Experience Grazing Cattle and Sheep in Solar Projects 7:00PM – 8:00PM Zoom
Feb 25 Froots - Pumpkins, Squash, Melons, Cucumbers 9:00AM – 10:00AM Zoom
Feb 25 Preserving MI Harvest - Canning: Back to Basics 1:00PM – 2:00PM Zoom
Feb 25 Getting started with Beekeeping in Michigan 6:00PM – 7:00PM Zoom
Feb 25 MSU Agrability Program 7:00PM – 8:00PM Zoom
Feb 26 Shoots - Asparagus and Rhubarb 9:00AM – 10:00AM Zoom
Feb 26 How Can Loans Help Your Farm Business Grow? 10:00AM – 11:00AM Zoom
Feb 26 Preserving MI Harvest-Selling MI Honey and Maple Syrup - Safely! 10:00AM – 11:00AM Zoom
Feb 26 Successfully Secure NRCS EQIP Contracts for Farmers 12:00PM – 1:00PM Zoom
Feb 26 Farmer Experience Growing Vegetables Under and Between Solar Arrays 7 – 8PM Zoom
Feb 27 Roots - Potatoes 9:00AM – 10:00AM Zoom
Feb 27 Swine Parasite Management 101 6:00PM – 7:00PM Zoom
Feb 28 Starting with Direct Sales 10:00AM – 11:00AM Zoom
Feb 28 Preserving MI Harvest - Dehydrating Produce and Herbs 10:00AM – 11:00AM Zoom
Feb 28 Planning for Climate Change on your Farm 12:00PM – 1:00PM Zoom
Mar 3 Healthy Births, Healthy Calves: Managing Parturition, Dystocia, and Newborn Calf Care 6:00PM – 7:00PM Zoom
Mar 3 Handling Crisis with your Livestock 7:00PM – 8:00PM Zoom
Mar 4 Poultry Hobbyist: Essential Production Practices for Beginners 6:00PM – 7:00PM Zoom
Mar 6 Challenges and Opportunities in No-Till 10:30AM – 11:00AM Zoom

Feb. 27 Michigan Urban Agriculture Summit 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Lansing,

Feb 28 to March 1 Growers Masterclass with Ken Laing at Tiller’s International (Kalamazoo)

Mar 2, 2025 - 2025 Argus Farm Stop Conference, Ann Arbor, MI

Mar 6 - Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A - March 2025 Noon – 1PM Zoom

Mar 10 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online

Mar 11-12 Michigan Craft Beverage Summit, Lansing

Mar 12 Farming for the Future (Lawrence)

Mar 15 Michigan Family Farms Conference Kalamazoo

Mar 20 to September Edible Flint events (Flint)

April 3 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A - April 2025 Noon – 1PM Zoom

May 1 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A May 2025 Noon – 1PM Zoom

Ongoing - Forest School teacher trainings

Ongoing - Small grains shared learning calls – 1^st Fridays, 11-noon Eastern

Ongoing - Organic Farmer Circles for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Asian, Queer and all farmers

Ongoing - 3^rd Wednesdays Organic Farmers Association Crop Insurance workgroup

Ongoing – Cottage Food Law, ServSafe, Farm to School and Food Safety Classes

Ongoing – Cornell Small Farms online courses

Ongoing – TEAMs program is a training for farm apprentices or employees by the Fairshare CSA Coalition

Ongoing - Becoming the Employer of Choice training for farm employers by the Fairshare CSA Coalition

Ongoing – Free Self-Paced Online Class for Small-scale Chicken Farmers

Ongoing – Savanna Institute classes

Ongoing - Videos from 2024 Michigan Family Farms Conference sessions

Ongoing - Free Rodale Courses

Transition To Certified Organic Agriculture
Getting Your Organic Certification
Transition To Organic Livestock Production
Hobby Beekeeping
Rodale Institute Annual Virtual Field Day

Events list from Ag Solidarity Network

Events list from MIFFS (Michigan Food and Farming Systems)

Volunteer Opportunities

Join the NC-SARE Administrative Council (North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (2 farmers or ranchers + 2 non-profit representatives + 1 1994 tribal land-grant rep.)

Growing Hope's Home Vegetable Garden Program (Ypsilanti) seeks Garden mentors who speak English, Spanish and/or Arabic are needed, garden experience required, but you do not need to be an expert

Wolcott Mill Farm Center

We3Queens Botanical Garden – contact Anne Lynn at w3qoutreach@gmail.com

NCR-SARE Seeking Review Committee Members

Cover Crop Survey

Healthy Soils, Healthy Waters-Michigan growers in Lenawee, Hillsdale, and Monroe counties to participate in a new research project to further understand the connection between conservation practices, changes in soil health, and water quality improvements.

Organic Resources

Resource Map Check out this brand new resource!!!!
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES DATABASE (FIND) TOOL to compare farm conservation programs and funding options
Join the Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) as a Mentor, a Menteeor attend a field day or webinar to learn more:
- Videos from past TOPP events
- 6 Farmer and Community Input Session Webinar to plan 2025 TOPP events for farmers transitioning to organic
- 11 Transitioning to Organic session at the Great Lakes Fruit & Vegetable EXPO
- Monthly Open Office Hours 12-1pm
- 11/7 , 12/5 , 1/9 , 2/5 , 3/6 , 4/3 , 5/1 Q + A session on all things organic farming.

The MI Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) technicians are available to provide technical assistance regarding organic production, input sourcing, cost-share opportunities, record-keeping, marketing, and more!

Visit our website for info and resources for organic and transitioning farmers:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/organictransition/

ZOOM Link:

https://msu.zoom.us/j/94407160761

passcode:

TOPP

Michigan CSA Network

Free CSA Week Promotional Package for Feb 16 – 22
Farmer Advisory Committee FAQ: https://bit.ly/3QaMuca$900 for 30 hours
Regional Farm Network FAQ: https://bit.ly/RegionalFarmNetworkFAQ
- The Network has funding to support the following activities in each region:
  - Field Days - $500
  - Skill-based Workshops - $1000
  - Grower Gatherings - $500
  - Marketing events/support - CSA Fair/Open House Event - $2000

Farm Sign-up Form for both Farmer Advisory Committee and Regional Network Leads : https://forms.gle/3d5WfDfaKAA8UnEC9

CSA Renewals Drive resource package

Farmer Mental Health

State Farmer Mental Health Resource List
Michigan Teletherapy for farmers: https://www.canr.msu.edu/managing_farm_stress/teletherapy-program
Find a therapist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists
Find an Inclusive therapist - national search: https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/
MVEG Farmer Resiliency & Mental Health Resources: https://www.mvegnetwork.org/resources
Farm Aid Crisis Hotline: 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243).Monday through Friday from 9am – 9pm ET; 6am – 6pm PT. The
Spanish Hotline is answered Monday through Friday, 9am – 5pm ET.
National Suicide Hotline: dial 988

Surveys & other info

Paid farmer & farmworker focus groups – fill out this survey for more info
Free Tool for Agroforestry Planning – only in January!
Donate food through the Michigan Agricultural Surplus Program
Michigan Climate Smart Agriculture Survey – fill out 1 part or all 5 😊
Part 1: Defining Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
Part 2: Scope, Criteria, and Measurable Impacts
Part 3: Farmers Perspectives & Incentives; Verification Process & Standards
Part 4: Integration with Existing Programs and Initiative; Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
Part 5: Scaling Up and Long-Term Sustainability; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

MVEG Resources

Detroit Water Conservation Practices Survey for urban farmers

Detroit People’s Food Co-op – sign up as a local supplier Detroit-based, Black-owned & other farms encouraged to apply

Apply to sell at Eastern Market

MIFFS Wholesale Producers List – add your farm to the list!

Midwest Vegetable Growers Network Looking for Farmers and Collaborators

Interview + Survey about climate smart growing ($90 visa gift card)

Advocate

Advocate for Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems, Food Assistance and ways for new farmers to access land in the next Farm Bill:

Accessibility Questions:

For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.

MSU Extension Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program