NOFANJ.org Journey Person Program and Farmer Mentoring

Traditionally, if you wanted to learn how to Farm Organically, you would find a farmer who offerred an internship, and hope for the best.

NOFA-NJ, long ago realized that individual Farmers could only provide a limited experience for their apprentices and we worried that one farm might offer great learning and another less so.

Twilight Meetings were established, so Apprentices could visit multiple farms during the season and two very important things occurred. One was that new farmers saw that many farmers approach problems in many different ways, and no single answer is true for everyone… ie, dont be afraid to be unique, or to think outside the box, it might work for you. Another thing is that Farmers in Training, and Farmers themselves got to see that everyone’s Farm has problems and limitations..! Visiting another farm, during the season, you see the broken tools, the weedy beds, the harried washing station, and you realize, “My farm is not a failure, struggling with loss and hardship, is part of the Process, other farmers are also struggling with these things and somehow that is a relief..

NOFANJ is focused on Education and so we put our effort into an Annual Winter Conference, that changes year to year, and Annual Programs and Events..

Additionally, NOFANJ invested in developing a Journey Person Program – Designed to identify New Farming Operations that could use the support and encouragment of a Dedicated Farmer Mentor.

The FARMER MENTOR is a farmer, or retired farmer, who will actively meet with, ask questions of, seek resources for and follow up with, the Journey Person Farmer. NOFA-NJ welcomes folks who would like to be a recognized Journey Person Farmer, and we will connect you with a Farmer Mentor, as we have done for years. It is our hope that NOFA-NJ can also promote the Journey Persons, as we do by linking JP’s Social Media on our Journey Person Web page at NOFANJ.org/Journeyperson/

There have been many Journey Persons over the years, below is just a sampling of some that have been through the program but arent yet listed at NOFANJ.org;

John Knox, Dogwood Farms

Martenette Farms

Clifford Family Farm

Fields without Fences

Abes Acres

I encourage you to check out these Farms listed above, and to visit the Journey Persons social media links found under “Education/ Journey Person Program” at NOFANJ.org, to see whats going on, on Organic Farms in New Jersey, many of them supported by your support of NOFA-NJ.