TOPP Mentorship Program Applications Open

January 26, 2024
After successful pairings of experienced organic growers with transitioning-to-organic growers in 2023, CT NOFA seeks additional applicants for future cohorts of mentor/mentee pairings.
The Northeast/ Mid-Atlantic Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) mentorship program pairs experienced organic producers and producers transitioning to organic, supports the transition process, and creates a stronger network of organic producers across the country. This is a certifier-neutral program. You may be working with any certifier to participate.
Are you an experienced organic grower with knowledge to share? We’d love to hear from you. Certified organic producers may serve as paid mentors, supporting producers throughout the organic transition and certification process.
Are you a grower who is working or wants to work toward certified organic status and would like mentorship during the process? TOPP can offer you free mentorship with an experienced grower who can answer your questions and help guide you through the hurdles presented by the certification process.
TOPP is conducted in partnership with New Connecticut Farmer Alliance and UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources. Learn more about the program here.
Want to participate?
Prospective MENTORS – with organic growing experience – can apply here.
Recent Posts
Advocacy Action Alert: Tell Your Representatives to Vote NO on the 2026 Farm Bill
The Farm Bill will get a vote in the House of Representatives this week. It is a terrible bill, and we need to put on all the pressure we can to stop it.
Seven years into what is supposed to be a five year process, the House Farm, Food, and National Security Act favors Big Ag, and not family farms in countless ways. Of specific interest to CT NOFA are pesticide industry provisions that would strip states and cities of their power to regulate certain pesticides and would shield the manufacturers from liability.
Read MoreOrganic Record Keeping Checklists for Current and Prospective Growers
Thanks to support through the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program, CT NOFA has made available a number of organic record keeping checklists for specific farming sectors. These checklists are intended to provide a framework for management of records that are required when a farm operation is preparing to certify organic, or a current organic farm is preparing for recertification.
Read More

