Farm Beginnings

Land Stewardship Project (Upper Midwest)

Year long program including 36 hours of seminar time as well as farm tours, mentorship, & access to revolving livestock loan program. $1500. Expanded to IL, NE & MO.

http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/farmbeg.html

Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunities

Center for Rural Affairs (Nebraska)

Includes Land Link service, financial planning services, advocating for innovative tax law, providing information about innovative production & marketing strategies, and estate planning services.

http://www.cfra.org/resources/beginning_farmer

Growing New Farmers

New England Small Farm Institute (Massachusetts & Northeast)

Online directory of over 200 public, private & non-profit organizations working to support new farmers in New England, through technical assistance, access to land, access to capital & financing, and access to markets.

http://growingnewfarmers.org/

PEPA – Program Educativa Para Pequeños Agricultores

Agriculture and Land-based Training Association (ALBA) (Salinas, CA)

Non-profit program providing 6 month mulit-lingual classroom training in organic agriculture production and farm management. Students graduate from program onto ½ acre parcels of land to begin farming independently. ALBA provides infrastructure for lease, including walk-in cooler, tractors, irrigation, etc. for collective use.

http://www.albafarmers.org/

New American Agriculture Project (NAAP)

MercyCorps NW (Portland, OR)

Non-profit providing a suite of services to immigrant farmers in Portland area, including: technical training, access to IDA accounts and loans, business planning, seeds, tools, and access to leased land.

https://www.mercycorpsnw.org/mercy/corps/info/new_agriculture_project/

Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

Collaborative effort between University of Illinois Extension and
the Land Connection. A one year program that relies on the Land Stewardship
Projects curriculum and materials.

http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/

Beginning Farmer Center

Iowa State University

Formed by legislative mandate in 1994 to specifically provide services to beginning farmers and to help make land links between aspiring and retiring farmers. The center:

• Coordinates education programs and services for beginning
  farmer efforts statewide.
• Assesses needs of beginning farmers and retiring farmers.
• Develops, coordinates, and delivers targeted education to
  beginning and retiring farm families.
• Provides programs and services that develop skills and
  knowledge in financial management and planning, legal issues, tax laws,
  technical production and management, leadership, sustainable agriculture,
  human health, the environment, and leadership.

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/bfc/

Cultivating Success

Washington State University Small Farms Program, University of Idaho Extension & Rural Roots

Offers educational programs to increase the number and foster the
success of sustainable small acreage farmers and ranchers in Idaho and
Washington.

http://www.cultivatingsuccess.org/

NY Beginning Farmer Resource Center

A project of Cornell University Cooperative
Extension and New York Farm Viability Institute, which is an independent,
farmer-led nonprofit organization that directs and funds farm-level research to
increase profits, reduce costs and other barriers, create jobs and encourage
practical innovation on the farm. The institute is funded by the New York State
Department of Agriculture and Markets.
The center provides support for beginning and diversifying farmers by offering
a farmer forum, FAQs, farm planning support/templates, and access to a network
of farmers.

http://beginningfarmers.cce.cornell.edu/

Many thanks Zoë for providing this list of resources!

Seed saving is important. In recent years we have seen the effects of climate change on agriculture more and more. From food shortages and droughts to changes in terrain and growing conditions, it becomes increasingly important to maintain a wide range of biologically diverse crops so that they can survive in many different growing conditions. Many of the seeds in the Native Seeds/SEARCH collection are extremely drought tolerant, others have a built-in resistance to certain pests or diseases. Growing a number of different crops all with different skills and strengths is the best way to protect against drought and famine.

In addition to Native Seed/SEARCH there are a number of other organizations across the globe that work towards promoting biodiversity in crops, the list below highlights just a few:

Svalbard Global Seed Bank - Located in Northern Norway, the Svalbard Global Seed Bank serves as a safety deposit box for all the worlds seed. In recent years wars and political instability have ravaged the seed collections of many countries, this seed bank currently contains some 150 million seeds in frozen conditions and can accomodate samples of every seed in existence. 

Seed Savers Exchange - Seed Savers Exchange maintains a collection of heirloom seeds on their 23 acre farm in Iowa, they also serve as a resource for gardeners wishing to grow their own 

ICARDA - International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas has a large seed bank in Aleppo, Syria and works to rebuild agricultural diversity in areas such as Afghanistan.

By Emma Piper-Burket