Resources For Producers

Resources For Farmers or anyone interested in producing food

The Land Connection offers a number of workshops, field days, and classes for anyone interested in entrepreneurial farming, and the University of Illinois Extension has a terrific list of resources, opportunities, and news on the Small Farms website run by Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant.

One of the very best ways to learn about farming is to work alongside an experienced farmer. In addition to the mentorship opportunities that come with Central Illinois Farm Beginnings, you can find internships all across the U.S. at the National Sustainable Ag Information Service, and all over the world with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

For more general information about education and training in sustainable agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) keeps a list of non-profits and universities that provide training in sustainable agriculture here Educational and Training Opportunities in Sustainable Agriculture.

Here are some websites that provide useful information…

                   if you know of others, drop us a line and we'll add them to the list!

  • The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) 
  • Angelic Organics Learning Center and CRAFT
  • Beginning Farmers
  • Resources for new farmers.
  • Growing Power
  • Will Allen’s intensive farm model, based in Milwaukee.
  • The Greenhorns
  • Resources and community for young farmers.
  • The Stockman Grass Farmer information on livestock grazing.
  • Seeds of Change organically grown vegetable, flower, herb and cover crop seeds.
  • Native Seeds/SEARCH diverse varieties of agricultural seeds from the American Southwest and northwest Mexico.
  • American Community Gardening Association supporting community gardening across the U.S. and Canada.
  • Compost Guide a how-to guide for home composting.
  • The American Botanist Booksellers out-of-print and rare books on agriculture, horticulture and olericulture.
  • Grassworks information on managed grazing.
  • SPIN-Farming an easy and inexpensive vegetable farming system.
  • National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
  • UC Santa Cruz Farm and Alan Chadwick Garden offers a six month apprenticeship in ecological horticulture.
  • World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms or WWOOF provides a list of host farms all over the world where volunteers can help out on organic farms in exchange for room and board.
  • American Community Gardening Association building community by increasing community gardens.