News

Farmer mentorship in Michigan offers guidance, support, and community

Michigan State University Extension educators say they want every beginning farmer to have access to a mentor.

Community Food Systems Educator Mariel Borgman is leading the MSU First-Generation Farmer Mentorship Program.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all market for a farmer, and I think that’s where mentorship can really play a part,” she says. “Sometimes farms that have experience have tried out a lot of different markets and can help someone think through what might work best for them.”

The program has selected 10 farms to provide guidance and host tours to help new farmers navigate challenges throughout this year, with support from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

MSU’s Katie Brandt has been leading sustainable and organic mentor programs for the past five years and says there continues to be overwhelming interest.

“They want to learn these things from farmers so that they can get context and like have it in a real-world example,” she says. “We just see many, many ways that this can go and we’re trying to steward it and make sure that it happens.”

Borgman says the connections are designed to create more resilient farms, but it’s also boosting mental health.

“So many mentors have relayed gratitude for the opportunity to be a mentor and said things like it’s given them a renewed sense of energy and purpose, being able to help someone new,” she shares.

They are working with multiple partners on proposals to increase farmer mentorship opportunities and resources in the coming years.