The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is a network assembled by the USDA’s National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and resources.
We are six regions working together nationwide towards a common goal:
to grow the network of organic producers.
With TOPP, producers transitioning to organic will find support through the transition and certification process. Mentorship, workshops, webinars, field days, technical assistance, and other educational events will offer opportunities to learn about organic production, the certification process, market opportunities, and more.
Find your region below to learn more about mentorship, events, and resources.
The TOPP mentorship program builds connections between experienced organic producers and producers transitioning to organic, supports the transition process, and creates a stronger network of organic producers across the United States.
Transitioning producers gain support, guidance, and development through mentorship.
As a transitioning producer you will receive free mentorship from an experienced organic producer. Mentors and transitioning producers will work together to set goals for the mentorship year and will form a strong network of organic producers across the region.
Mentors play a crucial role in helping new organic producers succeed while growing the organic movement.
As a mentor, you will have the opportunity to guide and support producers who are transitioning to organic, providing them with valuable insights, practical advice, and industry best practices. Mentorship training, time, and travel are paid. All crop and livestock producers are welcome to apply!
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The Iowa Organic Conference is the largest university-sponsored organic conference in the country, with over 30 exhibitors. Workshops range from new markets for organic crops to soil health Initiatives and alternative crops.
Ready to take your farming to the next level? Discover the world of organic agriculture through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program! The mission is to empower producers with the education, technical assistance, and support needed to switch to organic farming. These webinars are also beneficial to producers interested in learning about organic practices, whether or not the producer would like to proceed with certification. Presented by Issac and Holly Wiegmann of Next 7 Organic Farm.
Get your questions answered at weekly Organic Office Hours!
Curious about what it takes to transition your operation to organic? Or are you a newly certified producer with questions on how to stay in compliance? Just ask Jamie! Join weekly Zooms with organic expert Jamie Collins of Serendipity Farms. Learn about Organic certification, Organic System Plans (OSPs), how to get certified, and more. All questions and experience levels welcome! Se habla espanol.
Join office hours any and every Tuesday, 11am-noon
Check the CCOF calendar for upcoming Organic Office Hours: https://www.ccof.org/page/calendar
We will hear from technical service providers from Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, OAK, and other entities to share opportunities to learn about Risk Management Strategies – including crop insurance, crop diversification, etc. We will also tour Kenya Abraham’s raw milk micro-dairy operation, SLAK Market Farm and learn from her expertise.
This event is the final segment in the series on Farm Conservation, Nutrient and Soil Health Management Planning. Building off three prior webinars, this field walk will allow attendees to see conservation practices being put to use on a diversified farm operation.
The field walk will begin promptly at 3:15 and will last approximately one hour. Networking happy hour to follow.
Ready to take your farming to the next level? Discover the world of organic agriculture through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program! The mission is to empower producers with the education, technical assistance, and support needed to switch to organic farming. These webinars are also beneficial to producers interested in learning about organic practices, whether or not the producer would like to proceed with certification. Presented by Issac and Holly Wiegmann of Next 7 Organic Farm.
Georgia Organics is hosting an Organic Growers Farmer Field Day (OGFFD) on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Global Growers in Conyers, GA. The field day will include a farm tour and an educational session, where Global Growers program staff and farmers will talk about cooperative Organic certification and production, market and land access, and co-farming models. Registration is free but required to attend. Deadline to register is Tuesday, Nov. 28.
Register here: https://bit.ly/fsogffddec23
Vermont Maple Conference! Based on participant feedback, we continue to design our conference sessions for anyone who wants to learn about maple production – whether you are an existing sugar maker, looking to become one, a forester who works with maple producers or a forest landowner looking to lease to a producer. The online and in-person sessions will be recorded, so that after the conference you can watch them on your own time. Sessions will be focused on: Maple Business Management, Regulations and Maple, Sugarbush Health, Marketing and Media, and Maple Production and Innovation. There will also be a table where you can learn about the Transition to Organic Partnership Program.
Great Lakes horticulture is overwhelmingly family owned, multigenerational and owner operated. Over 1 million acres of vegetables are planted annually in the Great Lakes region. 147 Michigan vegetable farms over 250 acres. 279 Michigan orchards over 100 acres.
It’s easy to meet the decision makers on the show floor. 3,000-4,000 attendees with over 1,000 from states outside of Michigan. The trade show is a premier event in and of itself. With over 800 booth opportunities and over 400 vendors
70+ education sessions and workshops will be offered over the three day period. The programming includes sessions on specialty crops, greenhouses, farm marketing, and more. Look for our September brochure to get all the details. The specialty crop researchers at Michigan State and other universities speak in many of the sessions. Pesticide credits for applicators are available for attending many of the sessions.
The Expo offers many special events and receptions. The stage and agritourism networking area have expanded. The trade show has its own networking area.
Each year, the Iowa Organic Association organic community gathers to celebrate the growing organic movement in Iowa with presentations that highlight new and emerging issues within the organic industry, enjoy a locally curated organic meal, and visit among friends, presenters and IOA Sponsor exhibitors.
Clemson University Organic Certification Program in partnership with The Southeast Transition to Organic Partnership Program (SE TOPP) invites you to attend the Train the Trainer event for Organic Certification. This free event will provide a general overview of organic certification and tools to service providers to better serve transitioning and existing organic farmers. The main topics covered are Organic System Plans (OSP), organic regulations, organic crop practices and addressing misconceptions of organic certification. The training will also include a mock inspection to provide a firsthand look at an organic inspection and recordkeeping requirements. This training is geared towards service providers of organic farmers. Please bring your laptop and dress for the farm visit. Limited travel assistance has been made possible through a SCSARE sponsorship for 5 workshop participants. Please contact Gavin Berry for additional information or to apply (you must be a SC resident and work in agriculture). Training for Farmers will be announced in 2024.
Contact 864-646-2129 or organic@clemson.edu for any questions.
Get your questions answered at weekly Organic Office Hours!
Curious about what it takes to transition your operation to organic? Or are you a newly certified producer with questions on how to stay in compliance? Just ask Jamie! Join weekly Zooms with organic expert Jamie Collins of Serendipity Farms. Learn about Organic certification, Organic System Plans (OSPs), how to get certified, and more. All questions and experience levels welcome! Se habla espanol.
Join office hours any and every Tuesday, 11am-noon
Check the CCOF calendar for upcoming Organic Office Hours: https://www.ccof.org/page/calendar
The 2023 conference ‘Planting Organic Connections’ MOA aims to revamp and assess what it means to be an organic producer, welcoming all producers, organic or not, new or old, large or small operations to come share in this celebration of Montana Agriculture.
Join OCIA Nebraska’s annual chapter meeting for a series of 20-minute presentations with opportunities for Q&A on organic statistics, marketing, fertilizers, NRCS and UNL resources, and an organic farmer panel discussion.
This is a two-part event. The first event, a town hall, is a meet-and-greet for local farmers and to talk about their successes and challenges as growers in the area. We will also talk about those interested in transitioning to organic and what that entails. The second event is a holiday farmers market where farmers will be able to sell, giveaway or display their produce to community members.
For more information, contact Black Farmers Index at foodculture@blackfarmersindex.com.
Ready to take your farming to the next level? Discover the world of organic agriculture through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program! The mission is to empower producers with the education, technical assistance, and support needed to switch to organic farming. These webinars are also beneficial to producers interested in learning about organic practices, whether or not the producer would like to proceed with certification. Presented by Issac and Holly Wiegmann of Next 7 Organic Farm.
Get your questions answered at weekly Organic Office Hours!
Curious about what it takes to transition your operation to organic? Or are you a newly certified producer with questions on how to stay in compliance? Just ask Jamie! Join weekly Zooms with organic expert Jamie Collins of Serendipity Farms. Learn about Organic certification, Organic System Plans (OSPs), how to get certified, and more. All questions and experience levels welcome! Se habla espanol.
Join office hours any and every Tuesday, 11am-noon
Check the CCOF calendar for upcoming Organic Office Hours: https://www.ccof.org/page/calendar
Join your peers and colleagues in 2023 for a FREE workshop to support organic and regenerative growers. Register for this innovative leadership program that will help farmers and ranchers be better managers, leaders, marketers, and changemakers. Limited to 15 per program.
Ready to take your farming to the next level? Discover the world of organic agriculture through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program! The mission is to empower producers with the education, technical assistance, and support needed to switch to organic farming. These webinars are also beneficial to producers interested in learning about organic practices, whether or not the producer would like to proceed with certification. Presented by Issac and Holly Wiegmann of Next 7 Organic Farm.
Get your questions answered at weekly Organic Office Hours!
Curious about what it takes to transition your operation to organic? Or are you a newly certified producer with questions on how to stay in compliance? Just ask Jamie! Join weekly Zooms with organic expert Jamie Collins of Serendipity Farms. Learn about Organic certification, Organic System Plans (OSPs), how to get certified, and more. All questions and experience levels welcome! Se habla espanol.
Join office hours any and every Tuesday, 11am-noon
Check the CCOF calendar for upcoming Organic Office Hours: https://www.ccof.org/page/calendar
The annual Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference is the premier educational program for produce and cut flower growers in KY. This two-day meeting with pre-conference events is devoted to fruit, vegetable, and cut flower production, handling, harvesting, marketing, storage and related topics. Approximately 500 growers, researchers, and technical service providers attend the Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference each year.
Organic Intensives are an opportunity to acquire practical, detailed information over the course of a day with fellow Michigan farmers and gardeners.
Choose one of three learning tracks:
1. Innovative Ecological Farming and Growing with Helen Atthowe, author of The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture. Helen will share her profound insights from 35 years of farming and land stewardship. Local presenters Brittney Rooney of Beaverland Farm in Detroit and Nate Lada of Green Things Collective Farm in Ann Arbor will build on Helen’s concepts and practical techniques with their own real-life examples. You’ll walk out of the session with a new understanding of growing spaces as living systems and a list of DIY techniques to implement in your own unique environment.
2. Building a Just and Equitable Seed Community This intensive will offer some basic hands on skills to the beginner and enhance the tool kit for more advanced seed savers and growers. Shiloh Maples, an Anishinaabe community organizer, seed keeper and story teller, will present on Seed Matriation and Seed Ethics. Amy Newday, with support from others, will focus on beginning and advanced seed saving techniques. Erica Kempter and Mike Levine of Nature and Nurture Seeds, will share about their breeding projects and the need for high quality organic seed. They will navigate us through the process of growing seed for them or other small seed companies. Michael Lordon, Midwest organizer and educator, for the Organic Seed Alliance, will speak to the OSA’s ongoing efforts to breed open pollinated varieties suited for low input organic growing systems. The day will also include a session on best practice seed cleaning techniques and a panel roundtable discussion on enhancing the seed community.
3. Locally Sourced and Manufactured Fibers: An Important Part of Sustainable Living We all look for locally produced food to make dinner, but what about locally produced animal or plant fiber to make clothes? In this session we will look at some of the possibilities in the world of local fiber production. On Happy Goat Lucky Ewe Fiber Farm and Michigan Merinos (in Mason), Bridget Kavanaugh has gained considerable experience raising Angora goats and Merino sheep (currently 50) for fiber on a large scale. Her talk will range from field rotations and breeding to working with a local sweater company (Fair Enough) and managing retail sales. Natural Cycles Farm of Allegan is where Lori Evesque practices true integration, managing a homestead with components for vegetable, “protein,” and fiber production. With a diversity of sheep flocks and a dye garden, her passions can truly combine in her love of fiber. Knowledgeable on harvesting and processing wool (as well as retailing the finished items), she can take you from sheep to clothing. Come learn about this often-neglected aspect of “local” living, fiber!
The Minnesota Organic Conference offers learning and networking opportunities for people new to organic production as well as folks who are old hands at it. The educational program is complemented by an 80+ vendor trade show.
You won’t want to miss the inaugural Virginia Association for Biological Farming | Small Farm Outreach Program Summit! This power-packed event offers more than ever before. You’ll reap the best benefits of two farming conferences in one dynamic summit: the 24th Annual Virginia Biological Farming Conference and the Small Farm Outreach Program Annual Conference.
The inaugural VABF-SFOP Summit brings together farmers, gardeners, eaters, educators, industry professionals, and advocates of sustainable, regenerative, biological, and organic agriculture. The three day summit includes: Pre-Summit intensive workshops, 40+ concurrent sessions, locally sourced farm meals and book sales with author signings and over 40 tradeshow exhibitors. Summit highlights include a youth program, farm tour, a silent auction and networking opportunities including regional meetings and fireside chats, morning yoga for farmers, the Taste of Virginia Expo & Social and SFOP annual awards.
It’s been a long time since NOFA-NY has hosted an in-person Winter Conference and we’re looking forward to doing what matters most: connecting with each other!
For more than four decades, the NOFA-NY Winter Conference has convened farmers, food system professionals, educators, advocates, researchers, homesteaders, and gardeners who are passionate about building a better food system. Mutual support and the generous exchange of knowledge is a hallmark of the NOFA-NY community as we remain true to our vision of a just and resilient farming system grounded in a diverse community now and for future generations.
OAK’s 13th Annual Organic Farming Conference will convene 450+ attendees to participate in half-day pre-conference workshops, educational sessions, panels, hands-on demonstrations and farm tours covering topics from organic transition to agroforestry and organic no-till to high tunnel management. Join farmers and local food system professionals, connect with inspiring speakers, hear updates on current organic research, and meet peer farmers and regional input suppliers.
The NOFA NJ Winter Conference is not just for farmers and gardeners… our community and audience also includes students, educators, ag industry professionals, chefs, land stewards, conservationists, foodies, brewers, and more. This year, we aim to galvanize our community in a time when cooperation is needed most, focusing on local connections and collaboration that carries on into the growing season. Join us in celebration of NJ food & agriculture and Help UsGrow the Garden State Together!
The Annual OGRAIN Conference is an opportunity for organic grain growers to learn from other organic grain growers, hear about the latest research, and connect with other organic, transitioning-to-organic, or inquisitive-about-organic grain growers and end-users.
The future of food ripples beyond the production of sustenance – our food system is an intricate web of biological, physical, social, emotional, technological, and spiritual relationships. Developing a sustainable and equitable food system requires us to investigate these complex relationships and how they connect and tether our environment, economy, and communities. NOFA-NH’s 22nd annual Winter Conference will explore the ecosystem of food and invite participants to build skills that cultivate abundant businesses, communities, homes, and systems.
The Marbleseed (formerly MOSES) Organic Farming Conference is widely known as the largest organic farming conference in the United States. Every year regenerative and organic farmers from a wide range of farm sizes, experiences, and backgrounds gather to learn the latest in organic farming methods, build community, and shape the future of the organic farming movement.
Whether you’re certified organic, using organic practices on your regenerative farm, or considering the switch to organic, you’ll find the people, partners, and skill-building opportunities to help your farm business thrive. This year’s theme is Roots and Rhizomes: Growing Together. Early Bird Registration will open December 5.
Each March, CT NOFA holds our signature event, the Winter Conference, featuring the Bill Duesing Organic Living on the Earth Award, our annual meeting, and a keynote address. Also included are a variety of workshops on farming, seed saving, organic land care, community food security, social justice issues, and more. The conference also includes farmer circles – peer learning communities for farmers interested in discussing a particular topic in an informal, supportive environment.
One-day field day and presentation surveying new certified organic research fields in Mt. Vernon, Missouri at SW Research Extension Information Center. Presentations include organic pest protection and drought mitigation with drought tolerant plants and cover crops.
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