Michigan’s Emerging Farmers statewide partnership supporting 20 farmers to attend 2026 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference in October
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EmailFarmers and producers interested in this opportunity are encouraged to submit their applications by Thursday, August 20 for consideration.
Hosted by the Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology, the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference (NMSFC) returns in 2026 to downtown Bellaire, Michigan, on October 4-6. Through on-farm workshops, presentations and roundtable discussions, the conference will explore the theme of culture keepers: a celebration of the people, practices and traditions that sustain our land, foodways and communities.
With support from Michigan’s Emerging Farmers statewide program, 20 Michigan farmers and producers actively growing food can apply to have their fees associated with attending the conference covered. Funding support for selected applicants will include the following:
- Conference registration fees, including the Sunday farm tour
- Lodging for the nights of October 4-5 near the conference location
- Two hosted lunches with Michigan’s Emerging Farmers network on October 5 and 6
- A $100 stipend to support participants that can be used to cover travel costs
Applications are due by August 20, 2026, with award notifications to applicants provided by August 21. Please note that applying does not guarantee an award of funding or register any participants for the conference.
Accepted participants will be required to attend the full conference (Sunday-Tuesday), a networking lunch with other participants and Michigan’s Emerging Farmers team members, and complete a post-conference survey. A pre-conference virtual orientation session will be optional for participants.
Questions can be directed to Bekah Galang, partnership specialist for Michigan’s Emerging Farmers, at galangre@msu.edu.
Learn more about Michigan’s Emerging Farmers project
Michigan’s Emerging Farmers is a statewide network of educators and technical assistance experts dedicated to helping Michigan growers, producers, and farming communities navigate and access available resources at the local, state and federal level.
The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA), in a cooperative agreement with the members of the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, MSU Extension, and Michigan Food and Farming Systems.
Learn more by visiting canr.msu.edu/michigans-emerging-farmers.
This work is supported by the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Initiative program, project award no. 2023-70417-39233, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
