Organic Seed Alliance, in collaboration with the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), is seeking seed growers willing to mentor seed students enrolled in our 2026 Organic Seed Production Online Course.
Requirements and Expectations
The role of the mentor seed grower is to provide support, feedback, and advice to the student on their seed growing experience in 2026 and in planning for achieving their personal/professional goals as a seed grower. Mentors commit to the following minimum levels of support, though the specific plans for engagement are determined between each mentor/ mentee relationship. Students will also have ongoing support from course instructors, guest presenters, and peer to peer discussions. The mentor is intended to complement the course in a more personal consulting role rather than to teach the mentee seed growing per se.
Mentor Location
We are seeking mentors located within the Northwest and Southwest TOPP region to participate in this year’s course. Mentors must be located in one of the following states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
Mentor/Mentee Guidelines
The role of the mentor seed grower is to provide support, feedback, and advice to the student on their 2026 seed-growing experience and their broader personal/professional goals as a seed grower. Mentors commit to the following minimum levels of support, and mentees agree not to pursue the mentor beyond the agreed commitment of time and attention. Upon meeting, mentors and mentees should decide what forms of communication will work best for them. If any issues or questions arise with the mentor/mentee relationship, please contact Ana Galvis at ana[at]seedalliance.org.
Mentors agree to:
- Meet with the student at the start of the season for at least 1 hour to gain familiarity with the student’s seed-growing situation, their goals for the course, and their longer-term goals of working with seed personally/ professionally. (1 hour estimated)
- Check in briefly (30 min) at least once a month to answer questions or provide feedback on current course projects, or suggest resources based on the student’s needs and current course topics. (3 hrs estimated)
- Interview the student at the close of the course to provide feedback on their personal/ professional development plans and provide recommendations for achieving their 1, 3, and 5-year goals after the course. (1.5 hours estimated)
- Arrange at least 1, preferably more, opportunities for a site visit to the mentor’s farm to see their operation, potentially including a hands-on work party or demonstration of seed harvesting/processing/cleaning. (2-4 hours estimated)
- Complete mentor program evaluation to support the program (1 hour estimated)
- Total minimum time estimate is 20 hours, including time for OSA orientation and wrap-up.
