Become a Mentor for a Beginning Farmer

Are you passionate about supporting the next generation of farmers through mentoring? We are seeking well-practiced farmers and ranchers with experience in conservation practices to serve as mentors for a cohort of beginning farmers starting March 2023. Mentorship offers an invaluable opportunity to support someone on their farming journey, providing education, guidance, moral support and encouragement from a place of shared land values and with the wisdom of experience. As we all know, having the right people on your side can be key to starting and sustaining a successful, healthy farm.

Interested in being a mentor? Please complete this short form!

NSAS has partnered with the Center for Rural Affairs on a Beginning Farmer Conservation Fellowship Program to pair nine beginning farmers, or “fellows,” with a mentor, matching on shared farming practices, enterprises, and location. We’re recruiting farmer-mentors who have:

• Experience implementing conservation practices such as cover cropping, rotational grazing, agroforestry, installing native grasses, etc.
• Some knowledge about local, state, or federal conservation programs such as CRP, CREP, EQIP, CSP, etc. 
• A desire to teach and guide a new farmer in implementing a practice or beginning their operation. 

• A willingness to meet with their fellow at least 3 times this year for on-farm visits.

The program provides a stipend of $1,000 to mentors for their time and any travel costs or expenses for on-farm visits. The mentorship term is from March 2023 - February 2024.

Click Here to Become a Mentor!