THIS JOB HAS BEEN FILLED, PLEASE DON’T SEND FURTHER APPLICATIONS.

Organic Farm Caretaker and Grower Job, Michigan.  Starting December 2011

Connemara Farm in northeast lower Michigan is currently seeking an individual or couple to care take and/or manage a variety of sustainable agricultural endeavors on their farm, including: organic vegetables and poultry, orchard crops, and permaculture gardens. Should the applicant decide to farm, they should be able to oversee all aspects of organic farming production such as: soils management, equipment management, pest and disease management, post-harvest handling, and marketing. The ideal candidate has a deep knowledge of organic techniques and at least three years of experience in organic farming. We will support the grower with planning, inputs, marketing advice, equipment up-keep, and financial planning.

Compensation includes a monthly stipend (negotiable), on-farm housing with paid utilities and the opportunity for profit from organic agricultural production.  Owners will pay for all expenses related to care taking of the property and pets. Connemara is an 80 acre family farm with one acre currently in vegetable production and 20 acres of additional crop/pasture land, with the remaining acreage in woods.  It is located in Presque Isle County of northeast Lower Michigan. The farm includes a new L-shaped 64×32 and 32×32 gambrel style barn, out buildings, hoop house, some irrigation, farming equipment, and rich soil.

Housing is a large four bedroom farmhouse, two bathrooms and one office, with geothermal air and heat.  The owners will be back on occasion, no more than a total of one month/year. The owners are also operating a local food soup/sandwich shop in nearby Roger’s City with possible work opportunities at this restaurant for the applicant(s). As Connemara Farm transitions to a fully certified organic farm, the focus is to raise vegetables, fruits, crops, livestock, and eggs in such a way as to enhance the long term productivity of the soil; the economic productivity of the land; the health of the surrounding ecosystem; the healthful benefits of our crops; the professional development of our employees; and the taste of the food produced. We seek a manager who shares this vision.

Job Summary: This position is primarily responsible for care taking of the pets and property.  If the applicant(s) decide to farm, they will also be responsible for the management, planning and control of the farming operations from land prep through quality harvest and marketing. Read more »

USDA Press Release No. 0427.11; Contact: USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan Announces BFRDP Grants for 2011: Assistance to Help Raise New Crop of Farmers and Ranchers

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2011–Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded 36 grants totaling $18 million to organizations that will provide training and assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers to help them run successful and sustainable farms. As the average age of America’s farmers and ranchers increases, and with traditional rural populations in decline, Merrigan said that now is a critical time to train the next generation of American producers.

“Beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges, and these grants will provide needed training to help these producers become profitable and sustainable,” said Merrigan. “American agriculture supports 1 in 12 jobs in America, a critical contribution to the strength and prosperity of the country. The sheer productivity of our farmers has given Americans access to a cheap, wholesome food supply and provides us with more discretionary income than much of the rest of the world. But our farmers are aging, and more of our young people are looking outside of farming for their careers. It’s time to reverse these trends, keep farmers on the farm and help beginning farmers and ranchers thrive in their careers.”

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). Under BFRDP, which was established through the 2008 Farm Bill, NIFA makes grants to organizations that implement education, training, technical assistance and outreach programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers, specifically those who have been farming or ranching for 10 years or fewer.

At least 25 percent of the program’s funding supports the needs of limited resource and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as well as farm workers who want to get a start in farming and ranching.

Projects were awarded in Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Project highlights include: A project in New York to provide workshops, conferences, apprenticeships, online resources and mentoring services for more than 1,200 beginning farmers by 2014; A project in Montana to offer financial, credit and marketing training to beginning American Indian farmers; A project in Mississippi to develop and disseminate training materials and decision-making tools to high school and college students who plan to enter farming and ranching.

A full list of awardees can be found online at: www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2011news/beginning_farmer_awards.html.

BFRDP provided $18 million in funding this year, the third year of the program. Another $18 million will be made available in fiscal year 2012. For more information on the BFRDP program, visit: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/bfrdp/bfrdp.html.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. More information is at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

URGENT   —   URGENT   —   URGENT

Ask your Legislators (Your Two Senators and your Member of Congress) to Co-sponsor the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 Today!

 This legislation will be introduced next week — So we need you to make a call today!!!

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 is a jobs creator and sound investment that can assist new farmers and ranchers who are getting started.  The bill has emerged over the past year from extensive dialogue around the country by beginning farmers, organizations that represent them, and legislative champions of the new farmer cause.

It will be introduced in both the House and the Senate the week of October 3.  To get beginning farmers into the 2012 Farm Bill in a real and meaningful way, we need to show big support from as many legislators as possible.

Agriculture is a growing and vibrant sector of our nation’s economy, yet farming and ranching as a career choice may be one of the most difficult occupations to enter.  Limited access to land and markets, hyper land price inflation, high input costs, and a lack of sufficient support networks are just a few barriers new agriculture entrepreneurs face. Despite these hurdles people want to farm or ranch and see great opportunities in agriculture. Community organizations and institutions are seeing a wave of interest in farming.  And while there is no silver bullet for guaranteed success, we can provide tools and incentives that give new agriculture entrepreneurs a leg up.

Ask your U.S. Senators and Representative to be an original co-sponsor of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011. 

Example message: I’m calling to urge Senator/Congress(wo)man _________________ to co-sponsor the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011.   This legislation is being introduced in the House and Senate next week.  It will help new farmers get started in agriculture.  It’s a jobs creator and a cost effective smart investment.  Can I count on Senator/Congress(wo)man_____________ to be a co-sponsor?

You can also call the Capitol Switchboard and ask to be directly connected to your Senators’ and Member of Congress’s office: 202-224-3121.  Or go to Congress.org and type in your zip code, then click on your Senators and Member of Congress’s name, and then on the contact tab for their phone number.

When you call a Senate or House office, ask for the staff member who works on agricultural issues.  Make sure to tell them who you are, where you’re from and what organizations you’re with or the type of farm you operate.  If the agriculture staffer isn’t available, leave a message and have them call you back. It is possible agriculture staffers will ask for a copy of the bill or for additional information.  Feel free to share the link below.  If your elected official will co-sponsor, they will need to communicate that with either the office of Senator Tom Harkin or Senator John Thune in the case of Senate offices or Representative Tim Walz in the case of House offices.

For a copy of a summary of the bill, go to http://sustainableagriculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/BFROA-Short-Summary-Sept-2011.pdf.

If you have any questions please feel to call or e-mail me, Taylor Reid at 517-449-2525 or beginningfarmers@gmail.com, to contact the Land Stewardship Project at 612-722-6377 or email Adam Warthesen at adamw@landstewardshipproject.org.

Upcoming Sustainable Farming Classes in Upstate New York at Hawthorne Valley Farm

All classes take place at the Farm Learning Center at Hawthorne Valley farm, which is located in Harlemville, NY, in Columbia County.  2 hours north of New York City and 30 minutes south of Albany. Address is 327 County Route 21C, Ghent, NY 12075.

To register for any of the courses, please contact Caroline Smialek, Learning Center Administrator, 518-672-7500, x232, or caroline@hawthornevalleyfarm.org.

Understanding Soil

Sunday, October 2, 2011 – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Cost: $50-100 sliding scale, includes lunch

Healthy soils are the foundation for developing sustainable farms. Dr. Conrad Vispo of Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program will lead a panel of farmers and soil specialists as we explore and deepen our awareness of the different soil types that form our farmscapes and influence our farm planning. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required to secure a spot for this workshop.

What is Biodynamics?: An Introductory Workshop

October 23, 2011 * 9 am to 4 pm
Cost: Sliding scale $50-100, includes lunch

If you are a home gardener, farmer or an interested learner, this is the workshop for you! This day will include an overview of biodynamic agriculture, as well as several hands-on opportunities to see Biodynamics in practice. Hands-on activities will include the crafting of compost piles and the application of biodynamic preparations. We will also discuss how to design a two-acre vegetable garden and how to integrate the presence of small livestock into an operation. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required to secure a spot for this workshop.

In addition, we have space in our Hudson Valley Farm Beginnings Program.

Whole Farm Planning Course
Read more »

Upcoming Poultry Events: Poultry Processing Day and Egg Quality School – Don’t miss the last poultry workshops of the season – registration closes this week!  

Poultry Processing Day Register by Saturday! Presented by New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Monday, October 3; 7am – 2pm (or whenever we finish). At Ogonowski Memorial Fields – 126 Jones Ave., Dracut, Massachusetts.

Cost: Free. You provide the labor, we’ll provide the lunch, the training, and an experience to write home about!   Click here to register, or find more information on our poultry workshops at: nesfp.nutrition.tufts.edu/resources/poultryschool.html.

Egg Quality Schools:  Register by Friday! Presented by Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and the Cooperative Extension Systems of the New England land grant universities. Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7  - Grafton, Massachusetts. Cost: $45

The purpose of the schools is to equip producers with skills and knowledge to help their hens produce the highest-quality eggs for their customers. Extension poultry specialist Kenneth Anderson from North Carolina State University will be the lead instructor for the two schools. For details, driving directions, and registration, visit umaine.edu/poultry/2011-new-england-egg-quality-schools

Several Farm Jobs inSherwood, Oregon

Community By Design, LLC, has purchased a 58 acre property in Sherwood, Oregon, and is hiring for three positions related to their small farm incubator project. If you’re interested, please contact via e-mail at jobs@communitybydesignllc.org with your resume or a description of your qualifications and experience. You can also go to: http://communitybydesignllc.org/jobs/default.html for complete job descriptions and applications.

Full-time, salaried:
Farm Manager Position:
Responsible for day-to-day operations on the farm as well as implementing the processes and systems for resource sharing.  Please see the following documents for details on this position.
Application deadline is October 30, 2011

Part-time or short-term contract jobs:

1) Blueberry Contract Manager — Part-time a one-off and/or ongoing position for the management of the blueberry planting on the farm.

2) Orchard Clean up Job – a one-off contract for Fall 2011 maintenance of apple orchard and other trees on the property.

Assistant Professor Environmental Science Job at Loyola University Chicago

Seeking someone with research expertise in sustainable agriculture. Deadline October 1, 2011.

Position Title:  Assistant Professor, Environmental Science Loyola University Chicago, College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Environmental Science invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, starting fall 2012, pending final approval of funding.  We seek an individual with research expertise in an area germane to sustainable agriculture.  The Department is expanding, and currently serves >100 undergraduate majors in either Environmental Science (B.Sc.) or Studies (B.A.).  The Department works closely with Loyola’s Center for Urban Environmental Research & Policy (CUERP) and is vested in efforts to establish practices of sustainable functioning and development at Loyola, and to facilitate efforts of local communities to develop environmental-sustainability plans.  A newly established organic farm at the Loyola University Retreat & Ecology Center (LUREC), and on-campus greenhouses are available for research and teaching.  For information about the department, visit http://www.luc.edu/envsci/. Read more »

Free Webinar: Is Whole Farm Revenue Insurance Right for your Farm? Small Farm Insurance Option

Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 11 AM Mountain Daylight Time

The National Center for Appropriate Technology will host a webinar September 28th at 11:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time (=1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight time) on a whole farm revenue product called Adjusted Gross Revenue Lite (AGR-Lite). AGR-Lite can assist diversified and specialty crop and livestock farmers with whole farm revenue insurance.

The webinar will demonstrate the new on-line version of a tool that helps farmers assess the potential benefits of AGR-Lite, a whole farm revenue insurance product supported by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) of the United States Department of Agriculture. The webinar will provide real world examples of the potential of the insurance product to lower risks for the whole farm. NCAT Program Specialist Jeff Schahczenski will host the webinar and Chris Mahelona, Risk Management Specialist from the RMA, will also be available to answer questions.

AGR-Lite may be particularly useful for diversified farms that either grow a range of specialty crops or that have combined crop and livestock production systems. Instead of insuring individual crops or livestock, AGR-Lite insures the revenue of the whole farm based on historical performance of the farm. The insurance is currently available in 38 states and is limited to farmers whose gross income is not over $2 million dollars. The states where it is available are: Alabama, Alaska (selected counties), Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (selected counties), North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania (except Philadelphia County), Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

“This online tool allows the farmer to quickly check their eligibility for AGR-Lite, estimate the premium cost of a policy for their farm, explore different future loss scenarios so as to have a better sense of likely payouts related to possible yield or price changes and finally, generates useful reports that can assist in purchase of the product,” said Schahczenski, project director of this RMA funded practical research project.

Click on the link below to register. For more information, please contact Jeff Schahczenski at jeffs@ncat.org or 406-494-4572.

Is Whole Farm Revenue Insurance Right for your Farm? On-Line Wizard Webinar registration:
www.ncat.org/agrlite

Hoophouse and Farm Energy Audit Loans in Michigan:
Public Act 242 of 2009 established the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Revolving Loan Fund (Energy Revolving Loan Fund) Program to provide low-interest loans to public or private entities for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. More information available at http://www.michiganadvantage.org/PSS

Passive Solar System Loans 
Low interest loans are available for family farms, non-profit 501(c) organizations, and education institutions (with local education authority)  to fund passive solar systems (hoophouses) and Energy Efficient/Renewable Energy projects. A passive solar system is a structure which can extend the growing season to ten to twelve months without additional supplemental heat or light.
- Passive Solar Systems Information 
- Passive Solar Systems Application 

Farm Energy Audit Implementation 
Low interest loans are available for family farms to implement their Farm Energy Audit recommendations.
-  Farm Energy Audit Implementation Information 
-  Farm Energy Audit Loan Application 
-  SHPO, Attachment 3 
-  NEPA, Attachment 4 

Fresh SPIN Farms is holding the second set of workshops in their Managing Food Plots series Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings October 4th, 5th, and 8th.

Visit the farm just west of Davis and learn about the methods we are using for intensive production at our Urban Farm Training Center.  Paper sheet mulch and compost provide weed management while at the same time producing an ideal planting bed for direct seeded vegetables and leafy greens.  Keep your nutrients and water where your roots are.

These hands on worshops present the important concepts of our methods, give participants a chance to see this weed management and production in action, and practice preparation of new planting areas over existing weeds.  Participants see first hand what conditions we work with to appreciate the flexibility of this system and understand how proper installation reduces workloads while promoting yeilds and preserving water and nutrient applications.  Our all natural system is demonstrated on bare and weed covered ground for first plantings as well as on crop rotations.

Three worshop dates: Oct. 4th and 5th from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. and Saturday October 8th from 10:00 A.M. to noon.  (we will add a fourth workshop Saturday from 1:00 – 3:00 P.M. if requested).

See how Fresh SPIN Farms produces over 1 pound of harvestable vegetables per square foot in less than 6 months using this earth friendly technique of learning how nature build soils and nurtures plant populations. Weather you are a part time gardener, working with pots and containers, growing commercially, or working for social change in food security, you owe it to yourself, your organization, and those you are feeding to attend this workshop!

Sign up now at Eventbright for one of the open dates: http://freshspinfarms02.eventbrite.com. For more information or to ask for additional workshop dates and times look us up on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/freshspinfarms, or contact Ed Garrett via email at: mensafarmer@technologist.com

The Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive cultivates a more sustainable, community-oriented culture through college campuses by inspiring and equipping students to create and run thriving, cooperative, sustainable food businesses. They have been featured as a Slow Money Entrepreneur, one of the world’s best 50 ideas for sustainability on Forbes.com and garnered national attention from The Huffington Post to fast food industry media. CoFed worked with 14 schools to begin organizing food co-ops this summer, and now we’re continuing the vital work of supporting these teams by hiring for Regional Organizer and Lead Trainer jobs to support regional networks of student teams. Additionally, our new hires will begin offering support services and membership shares to operating student food cooperatives.

Apply to be a Regional Organizer

Regional Organizers are recent graduates who are tasked with spreading our model across the nation and inspiring students to join us. They’ll recruit student teams for annual retreats, equip them with the skills they need to start a co-op, then support them over the next year as they make progress towards opening their doors.The ROs will be expected to have excellent communication skills, as they will be often working with multiple groups long-distance. They’ll facilitate our regional caucuses, which is how students elect members to serve on our Board. The ROs will also document best practices to upload to the CoFed Academy, our new online learning portal, and will mentor succeeding ROs during the summer of 2013. Read more »

NEWS RELEASE Contact: Joanna Green, 607-277-0180, joannajgreen@gmail.com

Groundswell to Host “Agricultural Justice” Workshop for Farmers
The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming will host “Agricultural Justice and Your Farm,” a workshop for farmers and farm employees on improving labor policies and employer-employee relationships on the farm.

Led by Elizabeth Henderson, organic farmer and co-founder of the Agricultural Justice Project, this workshop will help you learn how you can improve working relationships on your farm with employee policies that go beyond legal requirements to agreements that are negotiated and fair.

The Agricultural Justice Project seeks to create a market for “Domestic Fair Trade”. During the workshop, farmers will be introduced to the pilot phase of the new “Food Justice Pledge” and “Food Justice Certified” programs, designed to provide market recognition of farms with just working conditions and prices that cover full production costs. All kinds of farmers are encouraged to participate- organic, “conventional” and otherwise. Read more »

Oregon Department of Agriculture is hiring for three Jobs in the Department of Agriculture’s Ag Development & Marketing Division located at the Food Innovation Center in Portland, Oregon.

(#1) AG11-0023 Operations & Policy Analyst 3 (Federal, International Trade Policy Specialist), Portland $4,286.00 – $6,277.00 Monthly

(#2) AG11-0021 Operations and Policy Analyst 3 (International Trade Manager), Portland $4,286.00 – $6,277.00 Monthly

(#3) AG11-0022 Operations and Policy Analyst 3 (New Media Product Promotion and Placement Specialist), Portland $4,286.00 – $6,277.00 Monthly

Applications due September 30th, 2011. For full postings visit – http://agency.governmentjobs.com/oregon/default.cfm?&promotionaljobs=0&transfer=0

For more information about the Oregon Department of Agriculture visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/
For more information about the Food Innovation Center visit http://fic.oregonstate.edu/

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Program Coordinator, Sacramento Valley Beginning Farmer Training & Incubator Program

Application Deadline: October 12th, 2011, or until filled

Start Date: Nov. 7th, 2011 (approximate)

The Center for Land‐Based Learning (CLBL) inspires and motivates people of all ages, especially youth, to promote a healthy interplay between agriculture, nature and society through their actions and as leaders in their communities. We serve close to 1,000 high schools students per year through two model high school experiential programs, and an additional 2,500 youth and adults at our Farm on Putah Creek educational site near Winters, CA.

Background: In October 2010, the Center for Land‐Based Learning was awarded a $500,000 grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crops Block Grant Program to create and implement the Sacramento Valley Beginning Farmer Training & Incubator Program. During the spring and summer of 2011, CLBL conducted a needs assessment survey of farmers and prospective program participants in the region. We have also completed a curriculum review of over 130 other beginning farmer training opportunities nationally to help inform the design of the new program. The Program Director was hired in May 2011 and, in partnership with collaborating organizations and farmers, is building the training program structure and content and developing plans for the farm business incubator. The Beginning Farmer Program’s Advisory committee has had two full meetings and its members represent organizations, farms and businesses that offer support and resources to the program. Classes for the training program are scheduled to begin in mid-late January 2012 and qualified program graduates will have the opportunity to lease incubator plots starting in the summer.

Job Description: CLBL is hiring a full-time Program Coordinator, based at our main office at 5265 Putah Creek Road, Winters CA, at the Farm on Putah Creek. This position will be responsible for assisting the Program Director and partners in implementing the new training program and farm incubator site(s). The Coordinator position will be an engaging combination of program coordination, student training, and farm management, with primary responsibility for overseeing the plots of ground leased by the program to its beginning farmer graduates. If you have a background in both production agriculture and education, this is an opportunity to help others get a jump start to their farming careers. Read more »

Rural Life and Agriculture News from the Center For Rural Affairs

A post from Rural America
American Public Media | September 16, 2011 | Chuck Hassebrook
Some 25 million Americans are unemployed or involuntarily underemployed, juggling budgets just to get by. But help may be on the way. The day before the President presented his jobs bill to the nation, bipartisan legislation was proposed to create rural jobs with a tax credit for microentrepreneurs. Read more here. Access the bill here.

An ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure
Litchfield (MN) Independent Review | August 30, 2011
Health-care reform should have an especially positive impact in the small towns and on farms across America, according to new research by the Center for Rural Affairs. That’s because the Affordable Care Act succeeds in putting a greater focus on prevention, says report author John Baily.  Read more here and see the report here.

Energy: Connecting the Dots: Transmission and Rural Communities
The Messenger (Fort Dodge, IA) | August 8, 2011
Row crops are normally all that populate Don Sandell’s field in rural Iowa. But for the last year a meteorological tower has measured the wind speeds on Sandell’s farm in order to develop the site into a wind farm. One hurdle in developing wind capacity is the lack of adequate transmission lines, according to Johnathan Hladik. Read more here, and access the report by Johnathan here.

Broadband Comes to the Heartland….Slowly
Marketplace from American Public Media | August 22, 2011
Only 60 percent of rural Americans have access to broadband. Recently the Department of Agriculture announced millions of dollars for small communities throughout the country to change that. Listen to Center staff member Steph Larsen in an interview with Jennifer Collins from Marketplace.

Report examines population data
The Farmer | August 26, 2011
A new Center for Rural Affairs report examines data from the 2010 Census showing that rural areas in the Great Plains and Midwest continue to lose population, while smaller cities and metropolitan areas continue to expand. While this trend is not new, it is striking in its scope and demonstrates the challenges facing many rural communities Read more here, and see the report here.

Bias Against Sustainable Agriculture?
Public News Service | September 15, 2011 
Sustainable agriculture practices often face an uphill battle. A new report surveyed bankers, insurers and producers on the question of discrimination against those who try sustainable operations and shows a knowledge gap contributes to the challenges of sustainable agriculture financing. Read more here, and see the report here.