 |  | |  | | Marbleseed Launches New Podcast - In Her Boots Presents: Breaking Ground We are thrilled to announce that we recently launched a brand-new podcast, In Her Boots Presents: Breaking Ground! It’s a Farm Bill year, which means there’s an opportunity to change agricultural policy in the United States and the way it helps—or hurts—farmers. Right now, policies reward and finance agriculture that produce singular crops or livestock at an industrial scale, often to the detriment of communities, animal welfare, and the planet. So, what happens when farmers want to do things differently? The podcast features farmers Dria Price and Halima Salazar and their journey to fund their diversified farming operation, Justevia Teas. Dria and Halima were interviewed for this podcast in December 2022 by Tiffany LaShae, host of Marbleseed’s podcast, In Her Boots (Bootless). Listen to Marbleseed’s new two-part audio series to dig into the intricacies of starting a farm from the ground up at marbleseed.org/podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. |
| | | SUPPORT THE FARMER-LED ORGANIC MOVEMENT Donations from folks like you make our work possible. No matter the amount, your financial support goes a long way — empowering programs that connect retiring and beginning farmers; facilitate land transfers with assistance from our Land Access Navigators; and advance policy engagement on issues of farmer credit and land access specific to historically underserved farmers, including veterans, women, LGBTQ farmers, and Black, Indigenous, and farmers of color. |
| | | |
|
| | Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship - Two Opportunities! Apply for the 17th year of Marbleseed's Mentorship Program! In this year-long program, newer farmers are paired 1-to-1 with a more experienced grower in order to move their farm forward, focusing on a specific production, business, or quality of life aspect of their farm. Applications are due December 1 for the program running January 2024 - February 2025. Cost to participate is $350 for mentees, which includes admission to two Marbleseed conferences.
** Applicants must have been farming for at least 1 year. Learn more about the Marbleseed Mentorship Program here → Apply for a one-to-one mentorship program under the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). We have been collaborating with our partner organizations and each of the Regional Leads for the other TOPP Regions (Northwest, California and the Southwest, Plains, Southeast, and Northeast) to develop mentor and mentee expectations. Applications are due December 1. Learn more about the TOPP Mentorship program here → |
|
|
| | | Nominate a 2024 Farmer of the Year or Changemaker Nominations are open for the 2024 Farmer of the Year and 2024 Changemaker. The Farmer of the Year award is meant to honor farmers who have contributed to the organic farming movement through significant experience and to network those leaders with less practiced farmers. Farmers of the Year serve as important guides to our organization as the organic movement continues to evolve. The Changemaker recognition is a relatively new effort to celebrate emerging leaders in the organic farming and food movement who creatively overcome systemic challenges in order to nurture a thriving agricultural future for all. Both awardees will be honored at Marbleseed's 35th Organic Farming Conference in February 2024. Learn more → |
|
|
| | | |
|
| Welcome Justine Bursoni! Justine Bursoni joined the Marbleseed team in August as our new Farmer Education Manager. Justine completed her B.A. in art history and gender + women’s studies from The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2004 and went on to receive an M.A. in art education with a teaching certification and ESL endorsement from the same institution in 2010. She lives in Champaign with her partner and two children. For the past 19 years, they have annually created and programmed a music and arts festival called PYGMALION. She is also a professional photographer, a master gardener, and an explorer. |
|
|
| |  | ORGANIC NEWS The Climate Source team is working on a public-facing research project on processing infrastructure constraints for specialty crop value chains in the Upper Midwest region. They are excited to listen to your perspective and experience around barriers to market and infrastructure needs with an end goal to assist farmers in accessing market opportunities. Please fill out this 5-minute survey by September 29th! Take the Survey→ |
|
|
|  | ORGANIC NEWS Lease Opportunity at Four Season Farm. Founded by farmers and writers Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch, Four Season Farm is an internationally recognized model of small-scale year-round sustainable agriculture. Eliot and Barbara are seeking two experienced farmers to operate their own farm business at Four Season Farm for a lease period of up to 10 years with annual reviews and the option to extend as agreeable to all parties. Email eliot@fourseasonfarm.com to learn more and apply. |
|
|
 | ORGANIC NEWS The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will begin providing additional, automatic financial assistance for qualifying guaranteed Farm Loan Programs (FLP) borrowers who are facing financial risk. The announcement is part of the $3.1 billion to help certain distressed farm loan borrowers that was provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. Learn more here→ |
|
|
| | |  | ASK AN ORGANIC SPECIALIST Marbleseed Organic Specialists can answer your questions about organic certification and production! |
| |
|
| | | UPCOMING EVENTS Perennial Farm Ecosystem Conference
September 8
Sutton Bay, MI Farm Transition Meet & Greets
September 10 & 12
Montgomery MN, Ripon, WI, Elk River MN, Wadena, MN Practical Farmers of Iowa September Field Days
September 10 | Transitioning to No Till, Tarping and More
Decorah, IA September 19 | Grazing Cover-Crops for Soil Health
Ashton, IA MVEG Farmer to Farmer Discussion - Ergonomics in Farming
September 11
Online Wisconsin Women in Conservation Events
September 13 | Got Invasives?
Menomonie, WI September 15 | Southern Regional Fall Summit
Brooklyn, WI October 5 | Look Book Launch Northwest
Clear Lake, WI Get Started with Solar Grazing
September 14
Fall Creek, WI Bike the Barns
September 17
Verona, WI Focus on the Farmer Event Series
September 28
Online Regenerate Agricultural Conference
November 1-3
Santa Fe, NM National Farmers Union Women's Conference
November 6-8
Nashville, TN |
| | | | | | |
|
|  | | Marbleseed, formerly known as MOSES, is committed to nourishing the success of organic and sustainable farmers in the Midwest through farmer-led events and educational resources. |
| | | |
|
| | Marbleseed
PO Box 339 | Spring Valley, Wisconsin 54767
(888) 906-6737 | info@marbleseed.org |
| |
|
| |
|
|
