self-supporting young farmer corps are popping up all over. here is one focusing on mentoring
Local Organic Farmers Offer New-Farmer Mentoring
Carnation, WA — A meeting for people interested in starting their own organic farm under the mentorship of experienced farmers will be held on March 12 from 11:00-1:00 at Jubilee Farm in Carnation.
The last ten years have seen unprecedented growth in the organic food industry: sales at Farmer’s Markets, Community Supported Agriculture co-ops, and organic sections in supermarkets have increased faster than the supply of local, organic food products.
With jobs being scarce and demand for local organic food being high, many are looking to organic food production as a source of economic and environmental opportunity.
Farmers in the Snoqualmie Valley have initiated a Mentoring Program for people who want to pursue organic farming as a livelihood. Their organization, Sno-Valley Tilth (SVT), is holding a meeting at Jubilee Farm in Carnation on March 12th (11:00-1:00) for people who have the interest and are ready— with a little help—to get the ball rolling.
Also welcome at the meeting are land owners who would like to lease farmable land to new farmers.
The SVT Mentoring Program seeks to help people who are ready to start farming find available, farmable land. It also matches beginning farmers with experienced, successful, mentor farmers.
The goal is to provide more produce and food products from more farms, grown in a sustainable way. Interested people should contact Erick Haakenson, [email protected], 425-829-1865.
About Sno-Valley Tilth: Our members are primarily organic and sustainable farmers of the Snoqualmie and Snohomish watersheds, and community members and businesses who support local, sustainable agriculture. Our work includes providing opportunity for networking, resource sharing, and support between members through an active list-serve, membership potlucks and focus meetings; advocacy for policies at all levels that support small-scale sustainable farming; work towards strong local food systems for direct farm sales which includes the operation of the Carnation Farmers Market; education and mentoring programs to support new and transitioning farmers; collaboration with organizations with similar goals; and public awareness through education and outreach about the importance of supporting local food systems and using local foods.
Contact:
Erick Haakenson, SVT Board Member, Owner/Co-manager Jubilee Farm
[email protected]
425-829-1865
10 West Snoqualmie River Road SE
Carnation, WA 98014