Announcing Farmer Circles: A joint initiative between NOFA,NCTFA, and UCONN Extension
December 12, 2020
CT NOFA is teaming up with the New CT Farmers Alliance (NCTFA) and Solid Ground 2 (UCONN Extension) to announce a new learning opportunity for beginner and advanced beginner farmers beginning in January, 2021.
Farmer Circles are peer-to-peer learning communities for farmers interested in sharing obstacles and strategies in a small, semi-structured, supportive environment. Each project year, farmers will join a circle focused on a topic or issue that interests them and explore this topic together. In addition to digging into a particular topic together, these circles will provide CT farmers with a social network that they can rely on to counter the stresses and risks of farming. The facilitator of each group will receive a stipend and have the chance to develop their skills as a group leader as they work with NCTFA and NOFA to create a successful learning environment.
Potential topics include:
- Cooperative farming
- Getting clear on farm financials
- Farm equipment problem solving/management
- Food sovereignty reading group
- Accessing new markets
- Finding and maintaining a strong farm crew
- Self care for farmers
- Crop planning
- Regional affinity groups
- BIPOC affinity groups
- Queer affinity groups
Each circle will have about 5-8 members, and will choose their own preferred meeting style, whether in-person in a living room, barn, through field walks, or via video calls.
Farmer Circles are self governed groups, meaning that members will determine their time commitment and frequency of meetings. They will meet for at least 12 hours total over the year.
Each circle will choose one of their members as facilitator. This person will be point person to communicate with the Farmer Circle planning crew and will receive a stipend of $800.
Each circle will also have some funds to hire an expert advisor to join in on one of their meetings and provide practical expertise.
At the end of the year, all the circles will come together at the Build Your Network, Grow Our Future, an annual gathering, to share lessons learned and continue building an even broader network for all farmers involved. Though circles will formally meet for one year with support, they may choose to continue meeting on their own outside of defined year-long commitment.
Farmer Circles Planning Team:
- NCTFA – coordinator & steering committee members
- CT NOFA – co-coordinator
- UConn Extension representatives
- Representative of Young Farmer Committee
- Advisory and Outreach team
Please reach out to info@ctnofa.org or newctfarmers@gmail.com with any questions or comments regarding this project.
This program is supported by the generosity of our members, donors and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2020-70017-32733
Click here to register as a farmer circle participant or apply to be a facilitator.
Recent Posts
Advocacy News: May 2026
The Good News: CT Senator Chris Murphy has introduced a bill (bipartisan and bicameral) to increase funding for Agricultural Management Assistance to $30 million and to expand the eligible uses for these funds to include “soil health improvements, composting, implementing organic farming, and food safety certification in addition to existing authorized uses such as water management structure and soil erosion control.” Let’s thank Senator Murphy for introducing this bill!
The Bad News: The Farm Bill passed the House of Representatives on April 30, despite 320 food, farm, and conservation organizations, including CT NOFA, voicing our opposition to a bill that does not fix SNAP, does not support new and beginning farmers, and does not adequately support conservation programs or organic agriculture. Now it goes to the Senate and we need to urge both of Connecticut’s Senators to reject this Farm Bill.
Our Vision for a Future of Resilient, Plentiful, Healthy and Locally-Grounded Farming and Food
In concluding its annual retreat, the Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council (NOFA IC) reaffirms the values that have grounded our work for 55 years.
Our vision is that every person is able to live their life with healthy food, clean water and air, community, livelihood, dignity, and purpose within the means of our life-giving planet. We seek that vision on every level, from our households and farms to our communities, states, bioregions, nation, and world. For that vision to be fulfilled, every person, no matter their origin or circumstances, must have all their basic human needs met without degrading the air, water, soil, ecosystems, and climate which we have been given and on which we depend for our lives.