Jobs and Opportunities

Jobs and Opportunities

March 2025 Jobs & Opportunities

To signup for TOPP Jobs & Opportunities emails:

Email listserv@list.msu.edu with SUBSCRIBE MISUSTAINABLEFARMJOBS in the body of the message (NOT just the Subject line)

Click to link to sections:

Headlines!
Farmland
Jobs @ Farms
Jobs @ Michigan State University
Jobs @ Michigan Non-profits/Other
National Jobs
Grants/Funding
Events!
Volunteer Opportunities
Organic Resources
Farmer Mental Health
Surveys & other info
MVEG Resources
Advocate

Or scroll below!

Headlines!

- Map of Michigan Sustainable Farm Jobs
- Post Sustainable Farm Jobs to the map using this form
- Soil Health Opportunities & Tools Fund (SHOT Fund) EQIP Bridge Loan program to fund you in your NRCS EQIP projects if/when funding is frozen. No fees, no penalties, and no interest. To apply, use this short pre-application form and the team will schedule a brief 30 minute call to learn more about your needs. March 12 Webinar has more info.
- Apply by 5pm today (March 7!) for Soul Fire Farm Farming In Relationship to Earth (FIRE) Immersion at Soul Fire Farm in New York on June 8-13 or July 13 – 18 or September 7 - 12
- OFTP Graduates Survey – we want to track your success!
- Mar 4 – April 8 Detroit Backyard Fruit 101 Spring Series (1-3pm or 6-8pm – your choice!)
- Fisheye Farm (Detroit) Farm Hand description or see pay, benefits & other details on the farm jobs map
- Green Things Farm (Ann Arbor) Field Crew Members + one Assistant Farmers Market Specialist
- New City Farm (Grand Rapids) Farm Apprenticeship description, apply here
- Allen Neighborhood Center (Lansing) GardenHouse Manager apply by Jan 31
- Write a Climate Plan for your farm – contact Katie Brandt at brandtk7@msu.edu

Farmland

MI FarmLink

West Michigan

Southeast Michigan

Mid-Michigan

Northern Lower Michigan

Upper Peninsula

National Jobs

Kentucky Sustainable Agriculture and Community Food Systems faculty lecturer
Seed Savers Exchange Farm Coordinator (Decorah, IA)
Hungry World Farm (Tiskilwa, Illinois) Education Outreach Coordinator
Land Stewardship Project Jobs Soil Health Organizer
Chicago Community Food Navigator
Marbleseed Job Board
COMFOOD-Jobs listserv
Good Food Jobs
Ag Solidarity Network Job Listings – 5 jobs posted in the last month
Nat. Sustainable Ag Coalition (NSAC) Jobs listing – 9 Jobs posted
American Farmland Trust – 7 jobs listed
Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA) job board: Multiple open positions
American Farmland Trust Jobs https://farmland.org/careers/

Grants/Funding

Federal Funding Freeze & Firings:

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)
Contact USDA Secretary Rollins about the funding freeze
Democracy 2025’s Response Center lists Executive Orders with short analyses: https://www.democracy2025.org/response-center

Legal support from Lawyers for Good Government: do you have a federal grant and are in need of legal technical support? L4GG has set up this intake form and you can complete it to request follow-up: https://www.lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/fund-protection-legal-guidance-request
Immigration EO analysis: these resources offer some analytical grounding in what these EOs may mean:
- https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/after-day-one-high-level-analysis-trumps-first-executive-actions
- https://www.nilc.org/resources/factsheet-trumps-rescission-of-protected-areas-policies-undermines-safety-for-all/
Guide for employers with practical advice for addressing immigration-related actions in the workplace: this is intended to help organizations protect their employees and stakeholders in the event of immigration actions so you can help protect your folks: https://www.nilc.org/resources/a-guide-for-employers-what-to-do-if-immigration-comes-to-your-workplace/
Land & Liberation 2025 Federal Funding Freeze Resources
What You Need to Know & Do to Defend Your Federal Funding
WTF?!? Office Hours Q&A
WTF?!? Federal Funding Freeze Questions/Answer Submission Form

Grants

Become a Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) worksite for 2025
Ongoing - 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
NRCS Cost Share for Transitioning to Organic (Standards 138/140) apply by Feb 14 at your NRCS office
Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program due Feb 20
Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative due Feb 13
Michigan Good Food Fund Seed Awards ($5,000 - $20,000) spring applications closed, apply in fall
Michigan Good Food Fund seed award application
GROW Lansing Grants $5000 for community gardens and sustainable land use in Lansing
Expanding Agroforestry Project paying farmers for tree planting
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)
Michigan SARE and MI/WI Tribal SARE and NC-SARE
MDARD https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/business-development/grantfund
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES DATABASE (FIND) TOOL to compare farm conservation programs and funding options

Events!

Mar 4 – April 8 Detroit Backyard Fruit 101 Spring Series (1-3pm or 6-8pm – your choice!)
Mar 5/12/19/26 TEAMS Training and Education for Aspiring Managers (on veggie farms!) 6:30 – 8:30pm EST webinars
Mar 7 WTF?!? Office hours with Land & Liberation LLC @ 4PM EST. Registration is required . They also have so many resources.
Mar 10 Uprooting Racism in the Food System with Soul Fire Farm
Mar 11 CSA Ideas Lab: The Power of Cooperatives (webinar)
Mar 11 Farmer + Food Assistance Sign-Up Support Event (Mt. Pleasant)
Mar 11-12 Michigan Craft Beverage Summit, Lansing
Mar 11 to April 15 Food Literacy for all speaker series, Free (online or Ann Arbor)
- 3.11.25 Kiese Laymon
- 3.18.25 Austin Frerick
- 3.25.25 Jayson Maurice Porter
- 4.01.25 Kiddada Green, Angie Sanchez, Jaye Clement
- 4.08.25 Damian Rivera and Rosemary Linares
- 4.15.25 Fast Food for Thought: Ten UM Faculty
- 4.22.25 Class Synthesis
Mar 12 Farming for the Future (Lawrence)
Mar 12 at 11am Eastern (advertised as 10am CT) Terminated and Frozen USDA Funding: Filing an Appeal to Protect Your Rights with Farm Commons
Mar 12 Webinar for SHOT Fund EQIP Bridge Loan for NRCS EQIP projects
Mar 12 Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition online meetings for Tribal food producers 12:30pm EST
Mar 3 – 16 Apply to the MSU Institute for Ag Technology for free!
Mar 4 – April 8 Detroit Backyard Fruit 101 Spring Series (1-3pm or 6-8pm – your choice!)
Mar 18 Michigan Cottage Food Law webinar 6-8pm
March 18 Farmer + Food Assistance Sign-Up Support Event (Alpena)
March 19 Farmer + Food Assistance Sign-Up Support Event (Benzie County)
Mar 19/April 16/May 21/ June 18 Virtual Cover Crop Chat @ 9am
Mar 20 from 10-11am Black Rot Management in Strawberries (webinar)
Mar 20 Uprooting Racism in the Food System with Soul Fire Farm
Mar 20 to September Edible Flint events (Flint)
Mar 24/April 28/Sep 15/Nov 17 Farm Stress Management Cohort (webinars)
Mar 26 Supporting Your Farm Employees with Mental and Physical Disabilities (webinar)
Mar 26 Exploring Innovative and Collaborative CSA Models with MI CSA Network
April 3 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A - April 2025 Noon – 1PM (webinar)
April 8 from 10-11am Brassica Baddies II: Clubroot (webinar)
April 08 Farmer + Food Assistance Sign-Up Support Event (Kalamazoo)
April 15 Farmer + Food Assistance Sign-Up Support Event (Detroit)
April 16/May 21/ June 18 Virtual Cover Crop Chat @ 9am
April 24 Farmer + Food Assistance Sign-Up Support Event (Marquette)
May 1 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A May 2025 Noon – 1PM Zoo
May 7 Making It In Michigan Conference 8:30AM - 11:00AM (Register by April 30) Lansing
May 21/ June 18 Virtual Cover Crop Chat @ 9am
June 8-13 or July 13 – 18 or September 7 - 12 Farming In Relationship to Earth (FIRE) Immersion at Soul Fire Farm in New York (apply by 5pm March 7!)
June 11 Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition online meetings for Tribal food producers 12:30pm EST
June 18 Virtual Cover Crop Chat @ 9am
August 18 – 19 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference (Glen Arbor)
Sep 10 Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition online meetings for Tribal food producers 12:30pm EST
Ongoing – Cottage Food Law, ServSafe, Farm to School and Food Safety Classes
Ongoing - Detroit Food Policy Council Meetings
Ongoing - Boost your farm or food business: Online grant writing course
Ongoing - Farm Pulse Financial Management & Analysis discount code for signing up MVEG2025 - Reduces the cost from $299 to $24 ($275 off); limited to 20 farms!
Ongoing - Forest School teacher trainings
Ongoing - Small grains shared learning calls – 1^st Fridays, 11-noon Eastern
Ongoing - Organic Farmer Circles for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Asian, Queer and all farmers
Ongoing – Midwest Permaculture Design Courses ½ off for regenerative farmers, community growers, and others
Ongoing - 3^rd Wednesdays Organic Farmers Association Crop Insurance workgroup
Ongoing – Cornell Small Farms online courses
Ongoing – TEAMs program is a training for farm apprentices or employees by the Fairshare CSA Coalition
Ongoing - Becoming the Employer of Choice training for farm employers by the Fairshare CSA Coalition
Ongoing – Free Self-Paced Online Class for Small-scale Chicken Farmers
Ongoing – Savanna Institute classes
Ongoing - $75 Value Added Producer grant on demand class
Ongoing - 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)

Volunteer Opportunities

Growing Hope's Home Vegetable Garden Program (Ypsilanti) seeks Garden mentors who speak English, Spanish and/or Arabic are needed, garden experience required, but you do not need to be an expert
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
Cover Crop Survey
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.

Organic Resources

Resource Map
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES DATABASE (FIND) TOOL to compare farm conservation programs and funding options
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
4/3 Q + A session on all things organic farming.
5/1 Q + A session on all things organic farming.

MI Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) technicians are available to provide technical assistance regarding organic production, input sourcing, cost-share opportunities, record-keeping, marketing, and more!

Visit our website for info and resources for organic and transitioning farmers:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/organictransition/

Michigan CSA Network

2025 Michigan CSA farmer survey
Farmer Advisory Committee FAQ: https://bit.ly/3QaMuca$900 for 30 hours
Regional Farm Network FAQ: https://bit.ly/RegionalFarmNetworkFAQ

The Network has funding to support the following activities in each region:

Field Days - $500
Skill-based Workshops - $1000
Grower Gatherings - $500
Marketing events/support - CSA Fair/Open House Event - $2000

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 & other info

- 2025 Michigan CSA farmer survey
- Survey for organic (or transitioning to organic) farmers who have utilized USDA programs like NRCS EQIP, CSP or FSA from the USDA and are willing to share their story – pay farmers up to $800 to participate
- Survey on stress, injury, and overall mental and physical well-being in agriculture – farmers are paid to participate
- 2025 National Food Hub Survey
- Beginning Farmer Resource & Decision Tool survey
- Paid farmer & farmworker focus groups – fill out this survey for more info
- Free Tool for Agroforestry Planning – only in January!
- Donate food through the Michigan Agricultural Surplus Program
- 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
Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation Clearinghouse
Peer to Peer coaching program through Fairshare
Detroit Water Conservation Practices Survey for urban farmers
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!
Midwest Vegetable Growers Network Looking for Farmers and Collaborators
Interview + Survey about climate smart growing ($90 visa gift card)
Agrivoltaics Videos

MVEG Resources

Advocate

See the grants/funding section for advocacy about the federal funding freeze

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

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