This site offers:

• Resources and events to promote organic food production
• Information to help farmers transition to organic
• Tips on the process of organic certification
• Farming practices that are practical for Michigan organic farmers

This WEB site is being brought to you by the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University.  We want to offer you sound information and opportunities to promote your farm, you as the farmer and your harvest. We do not have all of the answers but are tapping as many resources as we can find so you can expand your ability and share your knowledge. We hope that you will take advantage of these resources and let us know how we can grow to better serve you.

Upcoming Events For Michigan's Organic Farmers

• The Select Michigan Program is seeking farmers and specialty food producers interested in selling their Michigan products at special farmers' markets in Lansing and Detroit this summer.
• Dates and locations of this year's markets are: 
• July 24, 2008, "Buy Fresh, Buy Local - Select Michigan" Farmers' Market, State Capitol lawn, Lansing, MI.
  
  • For more information, click here.
  • For the application form, click here.
  • For the vendor bio form, click here.
    
• August 22, 2008, "Select Michigan Marketplace", Henry Ford Hospital, Grand Blvd Campus, Detroit, MI.
  
• September 18, 2008, "Select Michigan Day" Farmers' Market, State Capitol lawn, Lansing, MI.

August 20-21, 2008 - The Annual Soil Building Workshop  will be held at Morgan Composting in Sears, MI.

This year's event, titled Innovations to Build Soils to Feed Sustainable Communities, will take place from 9:00 - 4:00 each day. Through soil building, marketing, and equipment presentations, we will explore ways that farmers can sustainably expand their production. The first day will focus on vegetable production, and the second will focus on field crop production. For more information, see the flyer, the press release, or our detailed program.

Online registration for this event is available!  Click here! If you'd prefer, you may register by mail using the form found in the event flyer.

Some of the equipment to be demonstrated (more to come soon):

 Resources & Educational Opportunities

Michigan Organic Farm Listserv  Exchange information, ideas and questions with other organic farmers and those interested in organic agriculture.  To subscribe to the list, email listserv@list.msu.edu with (SUBSCRIBE MICH-ORGANIC YOUR NAME) in the body of the email.

Michigan Organic Farm Mentor Share your knowledge with new or less-experienced organic farmers, participate in the Michigan Organic Farmer Mentor Program.  You will be contacted by the farmer seeking advice and can assist them at any level you are comfortable.

Agricultural Research Directory (ATTRA) Find a vast variety of resources indexed here, such as biological information on agriculturally relevant species, documentation on a very extensive list of crops, international databases of agricultural information, and much more!

Find Sources & Offer Organic Grain If you are a grain farmer and sell (even occasionally) seed for crops and cover crops, you may want to list your farm on this website. Fill out this form and email to be added.

Surplus? Add your name to the Organic Livestock Feed Suppliers Database.  This resource list helps organic livestock producers locate sources of organic formulated feed rations or feed ingredients. The database already includes a variety of feeds such as Alfalfa, Balage, Barley, Beet Pulp, Canola/Rapeseed, Corn, Flax/Linseed, Legumes/Peas, Oats,  Rye, Sesame Seeds/Meal,  Soybeans, Spelt, Sunflower Seeds/meal, Tritcale, and Wheat.

Now that the growing season has started, CAT Alerts offer pest and crop management advice for current conditions from March to September. The 2008 publications have started, sign up today!  The information is written by MSU faculty and Extension educators.

New Agriculture Network has an on-line newsletter with seasonal advice for field crop and vegetable growers interested in organic agriculture.

Hairy Vetch-A great nitrogen fixing cover crop-but incorporate it into the soil before it sets seeds, unless you want it the following year.

Happy Organic Farming!