TOPP (Transition to Organic Partnership Program)
TOPP IS A NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS PARTNERING TO SUPPORT TRANSITIONING AND EXISTING ORGANIC FARMERS
Latest TOPP News
TOPP 2024 Impact Report
What is TOPP?
CT NOFA is proud to be a Core Partner in the Northeast Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), a mentorship program that pairs experienced organic producers with producers who are transitioning to organic. This community agreement is sponsored by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service and will continue through October of 2027.
HOW TO TAKE PART IN THE TRANSITION TO ORGANIC PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
CT NOFA will be connecting paid organic certification mentors to mentees for one year. The mentorship program is ongoing and applications will be accepted throughout 2025. CT NOFA staff will assist with helping mentee farmers to navigate the organic certification process.
We welcome partner non-profit or public organizations to work with CT NOFA to provide community building opportunities, technical assistance, train-the-mentor support, and workshop and field day activities covering topics including organic production practices, certification, conservation planning, business development, regulations, and marketing.
ct nofa is currently accepting applications for:
Mentor Farmers
who have at least 3 years' organic farming experience working directly on farm production, business management, and/or organic certification. This could include experience as an employee, manager, or owner of an organic operation or someone with at least 3 years experience with organic certification.
Mentee Farmers
who have at least 2 years' experience owning or operating a farm including owners, employees, or managers. If you are planning to transition an operation to organic, in the process of transitioning an operation to organic, starting a new certified organic operation, and/or are interested in technical assistance, we welcome you to apply to join our mentorship program.
Please note that application does not guarantee acceptance.
testimonials
I wanted to thank [CT NOFA] again for your help and support. I have officially submitted our application to become CT's only Certified Organic Poultry Slaughter and Processing facility. Thank you again for all you do and I'm excited for the future.
Aaron McCool
Steadfast Poultry Processing and Farm
It feels great to be able to help a fellow farmer out with starting their farm. There are so many little questions that come up along the way and I think it's been helpful for my mentee to get second opinions and other advice. It was really helpful for me to visit her farm to really understand the lay of the land and get the full picture.
Yoko Takemura
Assawaga Farm
Being able to help [my mentee] see the application process as approachable and less intimidating was very satisfying, because my wife and I understood how intimating the process can seem when taking over managing Star Light Gardens. Accepting my own ability to be a mentor as well as committing myself to something besides the farm operation were equally challenging but also rewarding to overcome and realize I had the time and ability.
Joel Smith
Star Light Gardens
TOPP mentorship is going great. I think [CT NOFA] made the right match with me and Adam [Mentor], which I am very thankful for.
Ben Hefferon
Farmington Valley Fungi
I love to be able to share with a new grower and help them expand.
Jacelyn Slattery
The Hickories of Ridgefield
The best part is sharing my farm experience and knowledge as well as my experience as an organic inspector/reviewer.
Frederick Schafer
CURRENT Participating Farms
RESOURCES FOR TOPP PARTICIPANTS
TOPP Partner Events
No events currently scheduled
CT NOFA TOPP Events
No events currently scheduled
Technical assistance and educational resources
Farmer Roundtables
Provided courtesy of the New Connecticut Farmer Alliance
Cover Cropping on Small Farms
Greenhouse Tomato Growing
Scaling Up the Small Farm
Technical Assistance Resources
The Organic Farming Research Foundation provides a centralized collection of technical tools, guides, and research resources designed to support organic and transitioning farmers across the U.S. Inside the Hub, you’ll find:
- Research summaries
- Factsheets and guidebooks
- Webinars and videos
- Tools curated from the nation’s top organic institutions and organizations
Webinars from Rodale Institute give you firsthand access to their staff and research, no matter where you’re located. Visit their website to view and register for upcoming broadcasts. You can also navigate to an archive of their previous webinars to watch at your convenience.
MOFGA (the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) offers a variety of free educational resources, covering topics such as:
- Becoming MOFGA Certified Organic – Producer Toolkit Brochure
- MOFGA’s Farmer Programs
- Organic Certification Video Series
- Accredited Certifiers Association (ACA)
- MOFGA Pest Report
- Record Keeping Example Forms
- ATTRA Organic Farming Resources and Library
UCONN’s Solid Ground program offers a limited amount of free one on one consultations, with specialists in certain fields of knowledge, to Beginning Farmers in Connecticut. These consultations are intended for individuals who have been farming for 10 years or less, but folks can apply if they have been farming for longer than this period of time.
Program news
TOPP 2024 Impact Report
An Update on CT NOFA’s Status Amidst the Federal Funding Freeze
Federal Grant Funding Freeze and the Future of CT NOFA
Steadfast Farms Announces Pending Organic Certification
