Amidst the fruit-filled orchards, stunning sand dunes, and fresh blue waters of the Leelanau Peninsula, Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) was honored to participate as a sponsor of the 2025 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference. This long-standing event has reimagined itself for a new era, moving from a conference center to a more immersive experience celebrating the height of the Midwestern growing season. This innovative format not only keeps the event affordable for small farmers but also grounds the learning and networking in the soil, air, and water we all work to protect and nurture.
The conference is embedded in land that has been stewarded for millennia by the Odawa and Ojibwe nations. We join the conference organizers in honoring these indigenous communities for their historic and on-going kinship with the land and their resilience. It was within this thoughtful and grounded context that OSA was proud to share information about our educational programs and community-building opportunities, many of which are currently funded by our partnership with the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP).
Our participation was a chance to connect directly with a wide swath of the Midwest farming community; 225 farmers, food systems workers, culture keepers, and thought leaders attended the event. There was strong interest from farmers and home-gardeners in OSA’s educational resources, particularly our upcoming courses designed to support producers transitioning to certified organic production through seed saving and on-farm plant breeding. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm for growing the supply of high-quality, regionally adapted organic seeds. These face-to-face conversations are vital to our work, ensuring our programs are directed by and accountable to the growers we serve.
OSA’s Midwest Research and Education Associate, Michael Lordon, had the opportunity to connect farmers with resources and networks thanks to his contacts at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability and Michigan State University Extension. We also began exciting discussions about future collaborations with MDARD (Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) and some state-level and regional non-profits. Michael also appreciated learning new perspectives from the diverse presentations happening at the event, strengthening his ability to provide technical assistance to farmers navigating the challenges and opportunities of organic certification.
These connections underscore the need for the very resources we are developing through our TOPP partnership. For growers in the Midwest and beyond, OSA is excited to offer a suite of tools to support a successful transition to organic. We invite you to join the Organic Seed Commons, our virtual networking platform that facilitates knowledge exchange and community building. We will also be hosting three Midwest-specific virtual meetings this year to help farmers connect and learn from one another. Furthermore, we are offering a no-cost, self-paced Asynchronous Organic Seed Production Course for farmers interested in including seed work in their Organic Systems Plan. To access the course, sign up or log-in to Organic Seed Commons today!
To make this knowledge even more accessible, we will be transforming OSA’s extensive library of publications into engaging multimedia resources. Look for new short-form videos answering common questions about organic transition, as well as deep-dive technical assistance webinars and podcasts. Our goal is to meet farmers where they are, providing accessible, practical education that supports their success and strengthens the entire organic system from the seed up.
Events like the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference are vital for building a resilient, collaborative, and thriving organic community. We are grateful to the organizers for their vision and to every farmer who shared their time and insights with us. We look forward to nurturing the seeds of collaboration planted at this wonderful event.To learn more about our TOPP-funded programs or to connect with other seed growers in your region, please join the Organic Seed Commons or contact Michael Lordon at michael@seedalliance.org for more details.
