Mentorship Program
Are you a beginning farmer who would like to learn from an experienced island farmer?
Are you an experienced farmer ready to share your wisdom with the next generation?
Experience is a priceless gift. Our San Juan Islands farmers hold crucial knowledge of the unique growing seasons, markets, successful breeds and varieties, important relationships, and so much more. Ours is a unique region that presents challenges to even the most talented farmers. Having a guide can be a vital component of success for beginning farmers.
The San Juan Islands Farmer Mentor Program matches beginning farmers with experienced farmer-mentors suited to their backgrounds and farming aspirations. The program offers a small stipend to mentors, honoring the gift of their time supporting the development of our next generation of farmers.
With the average age of farmers in the San Juan Islands now climbing over 60 years, cultivating a new generation of farmers is crucial to maintaining the resilience and vitality of our local food system.
For the purpose of this program, a beginning farmer is someone who has been farming for fewer than 10 years. A beginning farmer may be of any background, age, sex, orientation, ability or ethnicity. Our program serves all without discrimination.
For more information and to get matched as a beginning or mentor farmer or if you have any questions about the program, email our Farmers to Farmland Program Coordinator at:
Funded by USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program