Join an OFA Farmer Circle

A supportive virtual community open to all farmers

Upcoming Farmer Circles

Collective Farmer Circle | Dec. 19, 2024 (1-2pm, ET)

Description: This workshop is dedicated to the holistic well-being of farmers, focusing on physical, mental, and emotional health. Participants will engage in wellness practices tailored to farming life, including yoga, nutrition tips, and strategies for managing stress and preventing burnout.

Materials Needed: Journal for reflective writing, comfortable space for mindfulness exercises.

Register via Zoom

Soil & Soul | Harvest Reflection: Wrapping Up the Year with Soil & Soul | Dec. 12, 2024 (3-4pm, ET)

Description: This final workshop of the series provides an opportunity for reflection and planning as the year comes to a close. Participants will review their farming journeys, share lessons learned, and set intentions for the coming year. The session will focus on both soil care for winter and personal wellness planning for the off-season.

Materials Needed: Journal for reflective writing, comfortable space for mindfulness exercises.

Register via Zoom
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What is a Farmer Circle?

Organic Farmers Association was created for farmers, by farmers.

In circles, farmers may share their experiences, voice challenges, identify farmer-led solutions, support each other, and form friendships or mentorships. Farmer Circles offer a place to build a supportive community for what farmers need on a regular basis.

The term farmer circle is symbolic of the relationships we aim to establish and maintain, allowing participants to share equally in the conversation in a non-hierarchical format. Farmer Circles meet via Zoom on a monthly basis and are facilitated spaces. Participation is open to all farmers who are organic curious, in transition, or already certified. OFA membership is not required to participate.

OFA’s purpose is to build and support a farmer-led national organic movement and we cannot do that without you! OFA Farmer Circles create a welcoming and safe space for farmers, farm workers, land owners, and others dedicated to the land and the organic movement to cultivate community with other organic farmers.

Current Farmer Circles

Collective Farmer Circle

The Collective Farmer Circle is a standing monthly community meeting open to all. This Circle aims to serve as a landing space for folks to come and learn about OFA, connect organic farmers across the country, and discuss what’s happening in the field. This circle may offer conversational focus around national programs, farmer challenges, etc. and is facilitated by the Farmer Services Team. 

Register Here

BIPOC + Queer Farmer Circle

The “Soil & Soul” series is a virtual workshop space that centers  BIPOC and queer farmers who are organic curious, in transition, or certified organic. This series is designed to foster a holistic approach to farming, integrating wellness, cultural heritage, and practical skills for sustainable agriculture. Each workshop combines educational content with wellness practices and community storytelling.

Register Here

Meet the Facilitators

I am Ina , a natural mother, a steward, a student, a homesteader, a herbalist, a great many of things that all bring me back to the connection to the earth , the connection to preservation and the connection to the revolution that is fellowship. My purpose for this work is reconnection. I understand that there is a disconnection, especially within my own community to healthy food . I understand that a lack of knowledge and resources plaques people just like me and causes a gap in lifestyle choices and my personal mission is to bridge those gaps within my community.

Please feel free to contact Ina with any questions at ina@organicfarmersassociation.org

Nancy is a Chinese-American food systems advocate originally from the Sacramento metropolitan area. She has experience providing technical assistance to small-scale Asian growers in Santa Clara Valley. She speaks English and Mandarin Chinese. Nancy studied sustainable food and agriculture as well as environmental justice at Stanford University, where she obtained a B.S. and M.A. in Earth Systems.

Please feel free to contact Nancy with any questions at nancy@organicfarmersassociation.org

Andrea comes from a diverse background at the intersections of food and ag, sustainability, environmental justice, and education. Her career has given her the chance to develop sustainability programs, work on different farms, and teach culinary and farm businesses courses. She has used food as a way to rediscover and reconnect to her roots, her multiple  identities, and the land she lives on.

In 2020, Andrea joined California FarmLink’s team as the Program Coordinator for El Resilerador, Farmlink’s business resilience course for Latinx farmers. She is now the Senior Program Manager where she oversees both of Farmlink’s business education programs, The Resilerator (English) and El Resilerador (Spanish). Her work with California Farmlink and her Latinx roots allow her to understand and advocate for the needs of the farmers at the base of our food systems. She also leads the DEI work at her organization and has extensive experience with facilitation and listening circles.

Andrea has spent time abroad volunteering on farms and working within rural communities. She also holds a Masters in Sustainable Solutions, with a concentration in Business Sustainability. Andrea has dedicated her time and career to fighting environmental, agricultural, and social injustices.

Please feel free to contact Andrea with any questions at andrea@organicfarmersassociation.org

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Conozca a la facilitadora: Andrea

Andrea proviene de una experiencia diversa en las intersecciones de alimentación y agricultura, sostenibilidad, justicia ambiental y educación. Su carrera le ha dado la oportunidad de desarrollar programas de sustentabilidad, trabajar en diferentes fincas e impartir cursos de gastronomía y negocios agrícolas. Ha utilizado la comida como una forma de redescubrir y reconectarse con sus raíces, sus múltiples identidades y la tierra en la que vive.

En 2020, Andrea se unió al equipo de California FarmLink como coordinadora del programa El Resilerador, el curso de resiliencia empresarial de Farmlink para agricultores latinos. Ahora es gerente senior de programas, donde supervisa los dos programas de educación empresarial de Farmlink, The Resilerator (inglés) y El Resilerador (español). Su trabajo con California Farmlink y sus raíces latinas le permiten comprender y defender las necesidades de los agricultores en la base de nuestros sistemas alimentarios. También lidera el trabajo de DEI en su organización y tiene amplia experiencia en círculos de facilitación y escucha.

Andrea ha pasado tiempo en el extranjero como voluntaria en granjas y trabajando en comunidades rurales. También tiene una Maestría en Soluciones Sostenibles, con concentración en Sostenibilidad Empresarial. Andrea ha dedicado su tiempo y su carrera a luchar contra las injusticias ambientales, agrícolas y sociales.

No dude en ponerse en contacto con Andrea si tiene alguna pregunta en andrea@organicfarmersassociation.org

For over 40 years, Harriet has been an organic educator (UW Madison, MOSES) and an organic inspector, visiting thousands of organic operations. She was the chair of the National Organic Standards Board in 2019. Organic inspectors, farmers, ranchers, bankers, USDA personnel, crop insurance agents, retail stores, veterinarians, extension agents and more have benefited from her deep knowledge of organic methods and regulations through written materials, webinars and in-person workshops. Harriet worked at the cooperative that became Organic Valley for their first 8 years, as the marketing coordinator and a management team member. She and her husband have managed a certified organic farm since 1989, growing bedding plants, vegetables, herbs and small grains as well as small scale commercial operation selling eggs and honey.

Harriet(at)OrganicFarmersAssociation.org

Get Involved

Complete this Interest Form to learn more about Farmer Circles and how to get involved.

If a Farmer Circle is not currently offered that interests you, please email Racial Equity Project Manager Ryann Monteiro at ryann(at)organicfarmersassociation.org.

Farmer Circle Interest Form
*We use the term “Indigenous” as adapted from the NDN Collective: “Peoples as ethnic communities whose direct ancestral lineage descends from the earliest, original inhabitants of a given region, in contrast to groups that have settled, occupied, and/or colonized the region more recently. The land on which we live and the natural resources on which we depend are inextricably linked to our identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as our physical and spiritual well-being. The estimated Indigenous population is approximately 370 million people worldwide (5% of the global population). We use Indigenous peoples with an “s” to recognize the diversity of individuals and groups that identify with the term, which has been distilled to a singular noun throughout history in an attempt to group our people together rather than recognize our differences and diversity. This is consistent with the UN Declaration on The Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Based on this definition, do you identify as Indigenous to the Turtle Island/the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico), Mexico, or Canada?
*We use the term “Hispanic/Latino”  to represent people who come from, or have family roots coming from, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the United States, two terms are most frequently used, sometimes interchangeably: Hispanic, and some variation of Latino, Latina, or Latinx. These terms aim to represent a diverse group of people (19% of U.S. population (2023)), representing diverse cultures and languages. While farmers may connect more with one of these terms, or their country-of-origin, for the purposes of the Farmer Circle, we are using the term Latino, which is the term used by the National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association.