Applications open for 2026 MSU Organic Farmer Training Program

Michigan State University’s (MSU) Organic Farmer Training Program (OFTP) is now accepting applications for its 2026 cohort.

The program, designed for aspiring and beginning farmers, offers a hybrid learning experience combining hands-on farm work, field trips and online coursework.

The 2026 OFTP will be held on Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from February 23 to November 9. Participants can choose from three primary learning sites:

• Keep Growing Detroit
• MSU Student Organic Farm in East Lansing
• New City Farm in Grand Rapids

The curriculum includes five field trips to visit over 20 sustainable farms, 14 days of interactive online learning and five days of hands-on training. A weekend trip to Chicago is also scheduled from July 19 to 21.

The program fee is $3,900, plus approximately $200 for books and materials. Scholarships are available, including the Detroit Farmers Scholarship for residents of Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park, and the Transition to Organic Scholarship for farmers committed to organic certification. Additional financial assistance options include the Greenstone Cultivate Growth Grant and the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund.

Applications are open until February 22, 2026, or until the cohort is full. The scholarship application deadline is November 15, 2025. Interested individuals can apply to the Organic Farmer Training Program online and schedule a farm visit or virtual meeting to learn