Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program

Get 1-to-1 guidance from an experienced organic farmer who can show you:

Best practices for your type of farming operation;

How to get your farm ready for certification;

Tips to move your farm forward.

Cost to be mentored: $350

Includes admission to the MOSES Organic Farming Conference at start and end of program ($600 value) Payment is not due until you are accepted in the program in December.

The 2021 mentoring program runs from January 2021 to February 2022.

Apply now to be paired with a mentor!

Sign up to be a mentee



Applications will be reviewed and matches made in December.

Deadline is October 31.

Learn more about the program.

Experienced Organic Farmers:

Share your expertise!

Sign up to be a mentor

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MOSES farming mentors offer advice on mentoring other farmers

May | June 2020

The farmers mentoring others in our program are great examples of one of the most striking aspects of the organic farming community—the willingness to share hard-earned expertise to help others along the way. We hosted a virtual get-together with the MOSES mentors back in February so they could learn from each other about how to best shepherd along their beginning farmers this season. Their advice could help you in your own mentoring relationships. Read more.

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Mentor program helps northern Minnesota Band work toward food sovereignty

September | October 2019

Just as fertile soil is the foundation of a successful organic farm, the MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program is the foundation of farmer success. Read more.

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Thriving farmer looks to mentorship to increase production, efficiency

“If I mentor with someone, I can cut years off the learning process. A single tip that increases production by one percent or increases efficiencies by 5 minutes on a task, over the course of my farming career, the $350 fee is negligible. Truth of it is, I’ve probably already made it back.” Read more.

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Dirt-under-the-fingernails wisdom shared through MOSES mentor program

With many years of experience in organic dairy and grain farming plus a bachelor’s degree in education, Dave Campbell finds it natural to be teaching the next generation of organic farmers through the MOSES Farmer-to Farmer Mentoring Program. Read more.

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Mentor program gives farmer confidence to raise pastured pigs



The MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program has proven to be more than just impactful at the farm level for Dayna Burtness, who owns Nettle Valley Farm in Spring Grove, Minn., with her husband, Nick. Read more.

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Couple takes second mentorship for new farm enterprise: livestock

When husband-and-wife team Anton Ptak and Rachel Henderson decided to add livestock to their fruit operation they turned to a resource that had already served them well: the MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program. Read more.

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Mushroom grower expands business with guidance from expert-mentor

Through the MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program, mushroom expert Joe Krawczyk has provided Jeremy McAdams with valuable insights, saving him both time and money as he expands his small farm business. Read more.

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Program Details

Meeting the need for more organic farmers

Demand for organic products is greater than current production. More organic farmers are needed. However, farmers can find it overwhelming to understand the regulations and best organic practices to follow on their farm. Today’s successful organic farmers reached this point by helping each other improve their operations. But, finding an experienced organic farmer isn’t easy when organic accounts for less than 4% of agricultural production in the United States. The MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program makes these farmer connections, and facilitates sharing of information, with the goal of building strong organic communities throughout our region.

How the Mentoring Program works

Mentorships are available in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota and South Dakota. The program encourages the success of new organic farmers by providing guidance as they modify their operations to meet organic standards. Mentors share practical information about organic farming methods and USDA regulations, offering insights that come from years of experience.

This program is different from internship programs; the mentored farmer is not required to help on the mentor’s farm, unless both feel this would be beneficial. Instead, the mentor visits the mentored farmer at least once in the year, and is available to answer questions by phone and email. Mentored farmers also may visit the mentor’s farm. The two work together to tailor the mentorship for their situations.

Formal education component

The mentored farmer and the mentor both receive one free registration at both the start and the end of the mentorship to the MOSES Organic Farming Conference, the country’s premier education and networking event about organic agriculture. They also receive updates during the program year regarding other organic educational opportunities, such as field days and workshops. In addition, program participants can contact the MOSES Organic Specialists at any time of the year to ask specific farming or certification questions.

Program requirements for Mentors

We try to match mentors with a new farmer located as close as possible to the mentor’s farm. We also pair farmers by specialty. Mentors will receive a stipend for participation in the program. Additional requirements are listed on the application form.

Program requirements for Mentored Farmers

Applicants must have been farming for at least one year. We have found that farmers at this stage have more experience with basic farming issues, and know where they need guidance. Mentored farmers pay $350 to participate in the program, which includes admission to two MOSES conferences (a $600 value). Not all applications are accepted.

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Questions about the Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program?

Contact Chuck Anderas

715-778-5775

chuck@mosesorganic.org