Jobs and Opportunities

Jobs and Opportunities

TOPP Jobs & Opportunities:

December 2025

A listing of current jobs, events and opportunities for new, beginning, small, urban and sustainable farmers.

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Events, Webinars, & Courses
Job Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
Find Farmland
Grants & Funding
Farmer Resources
Surveys, Advocacy & Other Info

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December Headlines

10 Cents a Meal Action Alert
Send a letter and make a call! Insist on dedicated funding for 10 Cents a Meal

Application Deadline Extended for OFRF's Farmer-Led Trials Program
The application deadline for the OFRF Farmer-Led Trials Program has been extended to Sunday, December 14!

New Grants for Small Farms & Nonprofits Coming Soon
The FruitGuys Community Fund’s 2026 grant applications are opening soon. Grants will be awarded specifically to agricultural nonprofits led by farmers from underrepresented communities.

OFRF’s National Organic Farmer Survey
Help the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) understand the needs, challenges, and priorities of organic and transitioning farmers

Agroforestry Coalition National Directory of Nurseries
Tree crop nurseries can apply by December 31

Farm to Early Care and Education Network Engagement Stipend
Farmers engaged in the Michigan Farm to Early Child Education network can receive a up to $2,500 stipend. Contact them here!

Events, Webinars, & Courses

Events marked with * were newly added to the list this month. Times are in EST unless otherwise stated.

December

Dec 9 – Financial Health to Soil Wealth Webinar Series
Dec 9 – Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable EXPO (Grand Rapids)
- Organic Transition Sessions at GLEXPO
Dec 10* – Simplifying the Paperwork: Recordkeeping Strategies for Organic Farmers
Dec 10* – FY2026 Value Added Producer Grant Webinar - 2pm
Dec 10* – Michigan Cottage Food Law - 10am - 12pm
Dec 10 – 12 – Market Farmers Mastermind (Frederick, MD)
Dec 12* – How USDA’s Commodity Food Purchasing Favors Industrial Agriculture - 12pm
Dec 15* – MSU Product Center New Client Intro Seminar - 10am - 11:30am
Dec 16* – Advancing Regional Organic Markets: A Farmer’s Toolkit - 2 - 3pm CST

January

Jan 6* – MIFarmLink and MSU-E Farmer Led group - View Agenda
Jan 7 – Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course (Online) - $170
Jan 7-8 – Ohio State Organic Grains Conference
*Jan 8 – MSU Product Center New Client Intro Seminar - 10am - 11:30am
Jan 10 – MOFFA Organic Intensives 2026 - TOPP Parter Event (East Lansing)
Jan 12 to April 26* – Agroforestry Systems for Conservation and Profit - $450 - Non-credit class
Jan 15 – Biosecurity Training Session (Frankenmuth)
Jan 21* – MSU Product Center New Client Intro Seminar - 7pm - 8:30pm
Jan 22 – Biosecurity Training Session (Grand Rapids)
Jan 22 – Organic Vegetable Production Conference
- Jan 22 - 23 – Online
- Jan 30 - 31 – In-person in Madison, WI
Jan 22 – MIFarmLink Lunch and Learn (Online Webinar)
Jan 22 to March 19 – FREE Organic Inspector Training
Jan 27 – Farm Transition Course 2026 (Online Course)
Jan 29 – Biosecurity Training Session (Detroit)

February & Later

Feb 4 - 5 – Underground Innovations (Frankenmuth)
Feb 5* – Cultivating Resilience Winter Conference (Hudsonville)
Feb 9, 11, 16, 18* – Organic Apple Orchard Academy (Online) - 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM CST
Feb 9* – MSU Product Center New Client Intro Seminar - 10am - 11:30am
Feb 10 – Take Root Conference (Lansing)
Feb 12 - 16 – Farm Stop Conference (Ann Arbor)
Feb 23 – First day of the MSU Organic Farmer Training Program - Weekly on Mondays until Nov 16, 2026
Feb 25* – MSU Product Center New Client Intro Seminar - 7pm - 8:30pm
Mar 12* – MSU Product Center New Client Intro Seminar - 10am - 11:30am
Mar 24* – MSU Product Center New Client Intro Seminar - 7pm - 8:30pm
June 22 - 23* – State of the Western Lake Erie Basin Conference (Adrian College)

Ongoing Courses & Meetings

Online Course on Insects in the Garden (free)
Organic Farmers Association workgroups
- OFA Public Procurement workgroup - every 1^st Wednesday from 2-3pm
- OFA Grain Workgroup - every 2^nd Wednesday from 2 - 3pm
- OFA Crop Insurance workgroup - every 3^rd Wednesday from 2-3pm
- OFTP Mixed Vegetables workgroup - every 4^th Wednesday from 2-3pm
Starting a School or Community Garden
MSU Cottage Food Law Course - free
Backyard Fruit 101 - $35
Grant Writing for Farm and Food Entrepreneurs - free
Pollinator Champions
Is Beekeeping Right for Me?
Local Food Marketing Academy
- Coupon Code for farmers to take the course for $200
Cottage Food Law, ServSafe, Farm to School and Food Safety Classes
Detroit Food Policy Council Meetings
Boost your farm or food business: Online grant writing course
Michigan Conservation Stewards Program
Communicating with Legislators - New Online Course
Farm Pulse Financial Management & Analysis
- Discount code for signing up is MVEG2025 - Reduces the cost from $299 to $24 ($275 off); limited to 20 farms!
Forest School teacher trainings
Small grains shared learning calls – 1^st Fridays, 11-noon Eastern
Organic Farmer Circles for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Asian, Queer and all farmers
Midwest Permaculture Design Courses ½ off for regenerative farmers, community growers, and others
Organic Farmers Association Crop Insurance workgroup
Cornell Small Farms online courses
TEAMs program is a training for farm apprentices or employees by the Fairshare CSA Coalition
Becoming the Employer of Choice training for farm employers by the Fairshare CSA Coalition
Free Self-Paced Online Class for Small-scale Chicken Farmers
Savanna Institute classes
Value Added Producer grant on demand class - $75
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)

Job Opportunities

Jobs at Farms

Manage the Giving Tree Farm as a farmer or farmworker
Map of Michigan Sustainable Farm Jobs or use this form to add your farm job
Crosshatch Regional Farm Job Board for NW Michigan
Naturally Better Soil Products Internship in Compost Market Development - see pay, benefits & other details on the farm jobs map
Keep Growing Detroit – internships available
Growing Hope Urban Farm (Ypsilanti) Home Garden Internship + 3 internships and a Farmers Market assistant
Helianthus Farms - see pay, benefits & other details on the farm jobs map or contact Karl Kaufman at 8102415240 or karlkaufman48@gmail.com
Asbury Farm (Flint) see job posting on map
Great Lakes Incubator Farm (Traverse City) see posting on map
Organic Vegetable Farm Manager Apprenticeship Program (Wisconsin, many locations)
The Wegener Farm, Farmworker (Fenton)
Ingham County Land Bank Garden Program Contractor email Cody Mohr at CMohr@ingham.org
Slow Farm (Ann Arbor, MI) 2 Assistant Farm Managers and Farm Hand positions
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship(Several locations in Michigan)
Titus Farms (Mason, MI)
Employment Opportunities list from MIFFS (Michigan Food and Farming Systems)

Jobs at Michigan State University

(NEW) MSU Extension Forage Systems Educator - Posting #1096107 - Osceola County
MSU Migrant Student Services - High School Equivalency Program (HEP) Evening Instructors
National Migrant Scholars Internship aide (East Lansing)
MSU Campus Livestock Center laborer and Herder (East Lansing)

Jobs at Michigan Non-profits/Other

ACCESS of West Michigan Independent Contractors for Poverty Education Workshops, also internships and board member openings (Grand Rapids)
Eastern Market (Detroit) jobs page Urban Ag Produce Share Assembly Team

National Jobs

Summer Garden Camp Manager Position with School Garden Network - Sonoma County, CA - $30/hr
- Email Michelle Krieg at michelle.krieg@schoolgardens.org
Sky High Farm Fellowship Opportunity - upstate New York
Farmer-Led Trials Program
Senior Soil Health Specialist for the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)
OFRF Data and Technology Intern
OFRF Communications and Outreach Fellow
Michael Field Agricultural Institute Videographer for Regenerative Ag Video series
Organic Farming Research Foundation Research & Education Program Fellow Fully Remote or Santa Cruz, CA and General Internships
Seed Savers Exchange Customer Service Manager
National Organic Coalition: Part-time Coalition Manager
CRMS Garden Intern at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, contact hmcdermott@crms.org
Marbleseed Job Board
COMFOOD-Jobs listserv
Good Food Jobs
Ag Solidarity Network Job Listings
Sustainable Ag Coalition (NSAC) Jobs listing
American Farmland Trust – 5 jobs, hybrid or fully remote

Volunteer Opportunities

Organic Farmer Work Groups
MI Farm Link
Volunteer at D-Town farm in Detroit on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to Noon
Volunteer at Tollgate Farm: Tuesdays and Wednesday, contact Monique Mose at hemkermo@msu.edu
Allen Neighborhood Center Hunter Park GardenHouse (Lansing) volunteer on Mondays: 9:30am – noon or Thursdays: 5 – 7:30pm
Wolcott Mill Farm Center
We3Queens Botanical Garden – contact Anne Lynn at w3qoutreach@gmail.com
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.

Farmland

Available farmland for sale, lease, or partnership listed on MI FarmLink

Southeast Michigan

Northern Lower Michigan

West Michigan

4 acres in Portage, MI for partnership or lease
Farm with orchard, forest and tillable land in Bangor seeks BIPOC farmers to farm on donated land using The Farmers' Land Trust collective land ownership model. Contact Julius Buzzard for more information at julius@growinghope.net
20 acres in Calhoun County for sale (Cinzori Farms)
78 acres for lease or partnership in Kalamazoo County
90 acres in Ottawa County
7 acres in Ottawa County
76 acres in Cedar Springs for lease or partnership
71 acres for lease in Kalamazoo County
100 acre pastured livestock farm for partnership & succession near Middleville (Crane Dance Farm!)
40 acres for lease in Reed City
https://earthenheart.com/ affordable sustainable rental housing and ag land

Mid-Michigan

Several 2 acre plots in Saginaw for partnership
28 acres in Lake, MI for sale
105 acres in Bay County for sale
Manage the Giving Tree Farm as a farmer or farmworker
- Giving Tree Farm (Lansing) contact Bob Bower for more info givingtreeserv5644@att.net, 517 490-1396
40 acres in Chippewa Lake (Weber Farms)
33 acres in Barryton for Lease
20 acres in Sanilac County for lease, sale or partnership
160 acres (10 tillable) for lease in Sears

Upper Peninsula

Out of State

40 acres organic farm land and house available for rent in Clayton, Wisconsin

Grants & Funding

(NEW) Greenstone Farm Cultivate Growth Grant
(NEW) FACT's Fund-a-Farmer grants - Apply by Jan 3
Apply for one of NCR-SARE’s grant review committees
FY 26 Farm to School Grant Program
Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub: Spark and Innovation Collaboration Awards
NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant - Call for proposal
Black Farmer Rapid Response Fund
Black Farmers Learn
Farmer Self-Care Award

Additional Grant & Funding Resources

Grant Supports Services - reach out to John McCarthy at mccar715@msu.edu
- Assistance with grant opportunities, applications, and budget development for small to midsize farmers and producers
Michigan SARE and MI/WI Tribal SARE and NC-SARE
MSU Center for Regional Food Systems - Digital directory of 100+ funding opportunities
Boost your farm or food business: Online grant writing course
Climate Smart Farming Funding Resource Library
Detroit Legacy Business Project for businesses open 30 years or more
GROW Lansing Grants $5000 for community gardens and sustainable land use in Lansing
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)
Financial Incentives Database (FIND) Tool to compare farm conservation programs and funding options

Federal Funding Freeze & Firings:

Soil Health Opportunities & Tools Fund (SHOT Fund) - EQIP Bridge Loan program to fund you in your NRCS EQIP projects if/when funding is frozen
Regenerative Farmer Assurance Fund (RFAF) for farmers affected by the federal funding freeze
USDA closes Regional Food Business Center Program, halting funding and support for Great Lakes Midwest Farmers
Civil Eats Food Policy Tracker
USDA Contract Freezes: Filing an NAD Appeal or Demand Letter (Farm Commons)
USDA Contract Freezes and Terminations: Legal Action Steps for Farmers with Signed EQIP and CSP Contracts (Farm Commons)
Legal support for funding freeze from Lawyers for Good Government
Immigration Executive Orders analysis and factsheet
Employer guide for immigration-related actions in the workplace
National Young Farmers Coalition is looking for stories of farmers affected by the funding freeze

Farmer Resources

Organic Resources

Find Your Farm's Certification Match!- Self Assessment Tool to see if organic certification or another certification option is the best fit for you.
Resource Map for Michigan Organic Growers
Join the Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) as a Mentor, a Mentee or attend a field day or webinar to learn more:
Videos from past TOPP events
Q + A session on all things organic farming.
Apply for Real Organic Project Certification today!

Other Resources

Michigan CSA Network

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

Survey on stress, injury, and overall mental and physical well-being in agriculture – farmers are paid to participate
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, Advocacy, & Other Info

Surveys

OFRF’s National Organic Farmer Survey
Ag Plastics Recycling Survey for Washtenaw County and nearby farmers willing to drive to Washtenaw County
- Https://fs12.formsite.com/ojmrgh/qr6wzbzcm5/index
Survey: Have you experienced barriers to accessing farmland?
Urban Farm Website Survey
Survey for Lansing Urban Farmers
Survey on Economic Impacts of Regional Grainsheds
Beginning Farmer Resource & Decision Tool survey
Paid farmer & farmworker focus groups – fill out this survey for more info
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

Detroit Water Conservation Practices Survey for urban farmers
Midwest Vegetable Growers Network Looking for Farmers and Collaborators
Interview + Survey about climate smart growing ($90 visa gift card)

Advocacy

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

Organic Farmers Association survey for certified organic farmers (complete by Jan. 25, 2026)
Advocate to protect SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – food assistance for low-income families and individuals
National Young Farmer Coalition advocacy campaigns
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition – Take Action
Contact the President here.
Find the contact information of your US House representative here.
Find the contact information of your US Senator here.

Other Info

Develop a Heat and Air Quality Safety Plan for Your Farm Workers
"Staying Safe While Working in Conditions of Smoke and Fire"
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!
Donate food through the Michigan Agricultural Surplus Program
Washtenaw Tool Bank Collective
Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation Clearinghouse
Peer to Peer coaching program through Fairshare

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