CFSA is educating a new generation of farmers to grow organically!

In 2010, CFSA partnered with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and Clemson University, as part of USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, to launch our Growing Green Farmers initiative.

The Growing Green Farmers initiative provides targeted education and assistance to new and beginning farmers in North and South Carolina, including:

• Scholarships for beginning farmers to our Sustainable Agriculture Conference
• Special Educational Tours at the Sustainable Agriculture Conference and the Piedmont Farm Tour
• Online Internship Referral Service
• SCNBFP Apprenticeship Program

Internship Referral Service

CFSA’s on-line Internship Referral Service connects sustainable farms throughout the Carolinas with aspiring farmers looking for hands-on learning opportunities.

SCNBFP Apprenticeship Program

CFSA partners with Clemson University on the South Carolina New and Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP) to offer an on-farm apprenticeship program in the Upstate, Midlands, and Pee-Dee regions of South Carolina. The SCNBFP Apprenticeship Program provides on-farm, structure mentoring to build beginning farmers’ skills in:

• Production and management strategies to enhance land stewardship.
• Business management and decision support strategies to enhance financial viability
• Marketing strategies to enhance competitiveness.

On-farm internships run from April through September. Applications for 2013 will be available May-June 2012. To be eligible for an on-farm internship, you must either be an active participant or graduate of the South Carolina New & Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP).

> For more information on the SCNBFP Apprenticeship Program, contact Diana Vossbrinck, CFSA’s Regional Coordinator for SC and Charlotte.

> For more information on SCNBFP, contact Karen Woolsey, Program Assistant at Clemson University.