Jobs and Opportunities

January 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:

Or scroll below!  

Headlines!

Farmland  

MI FarmLink

West Michigan

Southeast Michigan

Mid-Michigan

Northern Lower Michigan

Upper Peninsula

Jobs @ Farms  

Map of Mchigan Sustainable Farm Jobs or use this form to add your farm job
Fisheye Farm (Detroit) Farm Hand description or see pay, benefits & other details on the farm jobs map
We The People Opportunity Farm (WTPOF) FARM MANAGER apply by Feb 17 at 5pm
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
Great Lakes Incubator Farm (Traverse City) see pay, benefits & other details on the farm jobs map
Zumwalt Acres (Sheldon, IL)
Organic Vegetable Farm Manager Apprenticeship Program (Wisconsin, many locations)
The Wegener Farm, Farmworker  (Fenton)
Cannabis Cultivator at C3 Industries (Williamston)
Ingham County Land Bank Garden Program Contractor email Cody Mohr at CMohr@ingham.org
Slow Farm (Ann Arbor, MI) Farm Manager and Farm Hand positions
Farm & Restoration Technician (Champaign, IL)
Fairshare CSA Coalition Organic Vegetable Farm Manager Apprenticeship
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (Several locations in Michigan) 
Titus Farms (Mason, MI)
Employment Opportunities list from MIFFS (Michigan Food and Farming Systems)
Farmer - The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor
American Farmland Trust Jobs https://farmland.org/careers/

Jobs @ Michigan State University  

Saginaw Chippewa FRTEP Program Educator (Mount Pleasant) Apply by Jan 23
Flint Water Educator (Flint) apply by Jan 27
Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) two seasonal field technicians, apply by Jan 27
Tollgate Farm Public Program Coordinator (Novi) Apply by Jan 28
Tollgate Farm Extension Worker (Novi) Apply by Jan 30
4H Worker (Detroit) apply by Jan 31
4H Coordinator (Lapeer) apply by Feb 4
Community Nutrition Instructor (Jackson/Washtenaw) apply by Feb 4
Community Nutrition Instructor (Detroit) apply by Feb 4
Community Nutrition Instructor (Lansing) apply by Feb 4
Apple & Tree Fruit IPM (Grand Rapids) Apply by Feb. 17

Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) Director (Hickory Corners) apply by Dec. 2026

4-H Children’s Garden Curator & Professor

Jobs @ Michigan Non-profits/Other  

Crosshatch - 2 Jobs (Traverse City) Community Outreach Specialist and Operations and Finance Specialist
MDARD Regenerative Agriculture Resource Analysts for Saginaw Bay and Western Lake Erie regions (4 jobs)
Washtenaw Conservation District
Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network employment opportunities (Detroit) Full-Time D-Town Farmer  
Eastern Market (Detroit) jobs page
Allen Neighborhood Center – Associate GardenHouse Manager
Uproot Market & Eatery (Battle Creek) General Manager
Food Corps (Petoskey) NOTE: the application deadline passed, but there are several unfilled positions
Seeking Architectural Design Services- 
EcoSchool Support Staff
Outreach & Giving Coordinator- Grand Traverse Conservation District

National Jobs 

Kentucky Sustainable Agriculture and Community Food Systems faculty lecturer
Seed Savers Exchange Field Coordinator (Decorah, IA)
CSA Production Systems Manager (Lexington, KY)
FairShare CSA Coalition Executive Director (Madison, WI)
Underserved Farmer Outreach Coordinator at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (remote)
Hungry World Farm (Tiskilwa, Illinois) seeks a Lead Market Gardener
Land Stewardship Project Jobs
Chicago Community Food Navigator 
USDA-ARS Assessments of Soil Health and Water Quality in the Lower Mississippi River Basin (Mississippi) apply by Nov. 8
UCSC Center for Agroecology - Agricultural Operations and Programs Manager (Santa Cruz, CA) 1st review date is 10-7
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 – 17 jobs listed including Indiana Farmland Protection Specialist – Remote
Seed Savers Exchange – Farm Director (Decorah, Iowa)
Savanna Institute
Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA) job board: Multiple open positions

Grants/Funding 

The Fruit Guys Community Fund (due Jan 31) apply here grants up to $5000 for farmers with at least 2 years farming
Become a Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) worksite for 2025
Detroit Legacy Business Project for businesses open 30 years or more
MIFMA Food Safety at the Farmers Market apply HERE by Jan 30 @ 9am
NRCS Cost Share for Transitioning to Organic (Standards 138/140) apply by Feb 14 at your NRCS office
Telling a Compelling Story to Funders resource sheet & video
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
Grants, conference scholarships and mentorships for pasture-based livestock and poultry farming on the Food Animal Concerns Trust website (Closes Dec. 8)
Michigan Good Food Fund seed award application
GROW Lansing Grants $5000 for community gardens and sustainable land use in Lansing
FruitGuys Community Fund
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
  • Farmer Rancher Grants – Up to $15,000 for 1 farm or $30,000 for two+ farms for farmers to design and lead sustainable farm projects (Due December 5, 2024)
Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program – apply by Jan. 31, 2025 for 2024 expenses
MDARD https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/business-development/grantfund
Growing Justice Grants
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES DATABASE (FIND) TOOL to compare farm conservation programs and funding options

Events!

Jan 21 to April 15 Food Literacy for all speaker series, Free (online or Ann Arbor)

  • 1.28.25  Paul Greenberg
  • 2.04.25  Rowen White
  • 2.11.25  Katherine Miller
  • 2.18.25  Food Waste Panel
  • 2.25.25 Hannah Wittman
  • 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
Jan 23/24 Online + Jan31/Feb 1 in Madison WI Organic Vegetable Production Conference
Jan 24/25 OGRAIN Winter Conference | Madison, Wisconsin
Jan 24 & 31 Planning for Profit: Marketing and Production Budget Workshop Kalamazoo
Jan 27 to Feb 24 Discovering Resilience: A Legal Workshop for Farmers & Ranchers
  • Jan 27: Farm Law as Your Creative Power
  • Feb 3: Organize Your Farm Business for Legal Success
  • Feb 10: Growing a Legally Resilient Workforce 
  • Feb 17: Access Farmland with Legal Confidence
  • Feb 24: Diversify Farm Enterprises Without Adding Legal Risk
Jan 27 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online
Jan 28 Managing Risk Through Diverse Specialty Crop Marketing Strategies (online)
Jan 29 to May 10 Farmers Rising Farm Beginnings Course online Wed 6-8pm + Sat 10am to 1pm
Feb 3 Taproots Lunch & Learn: Under the Insurance Umbrella (Detroit)
Feb 3- 4 GreenStone FCS CultivateGrowth Conference (Lansing) ann.allen@greenstonefcs.com  231-740-5413
Feb 4-5, 2025 - Underground Innovations, Frankenmuth, MI
Feb 5  SW Michigan Hort Days (Benton Harbor)
Feb 5-6 Great Lakes Urban Agriculture IPM Working Group Winter Meeting (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Feb 6 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q + A  Noon – 1PM (Online)
Feb 6 Cultivating Resilience Winter Conference (Hudsonville)
Feb 10 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online
Feb 12 Southeast Michigan Vegetable Grower Winter Meeting 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Clinton)
Feb 13 Passing the Torch: Farm Transition Planning in Northern Michigan (Traverse City)
Feb 13 – 15 OEFFA Conference (Newark OH)
Feb 19 Senior Project FRESH info session for farmers (online) 11am to Noon
Feb 20 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online
Feb 20-22 – Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference (LaCrosse, WI)
Feb 24 – Mar 7 MI Ag Ideas to Grow With (online) Register
Feb. 27 Michigan Urban Agriculture Summit 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Lansing, 
Feb 28 to March 1 Growers Masterclass with Ken Laing at Tiller’s International (Kalamazoo)
Mar 2, 2025 - 2025 Argus Farm Stop Conference, Ann Arbor, MI
Mar 6 - Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A - March 2025  Noon – 1PM Zoom
Mar 10 Produce Safety Alliance Trainings online
Mar 11-12 Michigan Craft Beverage Summit, Lansing
Mar 12 Farming for the Future (Lawrence)
Mar 15 Michigan Family Farms Conference  Kalamazoo
Mar 20 to September Edible Flint events (Flint)
April 3 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A - April 2025  Noon – 1PM Zoom
May 1 Monthly Drop-in Organic Farming Q & A May 2025  Noon – 1PM Zoom

 

Ongoing - Forest School teacher trainings
Ongoing - Small grains shared learning calls – 1st Fridays, 11-noon Eastern
Ongoing - Organic Farmer Circles for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Asian, Queer and all farmers
Ongoing - 3rd Wednesdays Organic Farmers Association Crop Insurance workgroup
Ongoing – Cottage Food Law, ServSafe, Farm to School and Food Safety Classes
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 - Videos from 2024 Michigan Family Farms Conference sessions
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  

Join the NC-SARE Administrative Council (North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (2 farmers or ranchers + 2 non-profit representatives + 1 1994 tribal land-grant rep.)
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 
Wolcott Mill Farm Center
We3Queens Botanical Garden – contact Anne Lynn at w3qoutreach@gmail.com
NCR-SARE Seeking Review Committee Members
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

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

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

Surveys & other info

  • 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

MVEG Resources

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)

Advocate

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

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