Farmer to Farmer Mentorship Program

AUA is excited to announce the launch of our second Farmer to Farmer Mentorship Program. This initiative seeks to match beginning farmers with experienced farmers to share in their wealth of knowledge and foster mutually beneficial relationships. This program seeks to expand: educational opportunities for growing food, flowers, medicine, farming animals and insects in Chicago; access to quality, safe food; skills for environmental conservation of soil, water, and air in our region; and the web of collective power and solidarity amongst Chicago area farmers.

We’re looking for a variety of beginning and experienced growers to participate in this program throughout a full year from November 2020 thru November 2021. Once matched, mentors and mentees are free to structure the relationship to fit their schedules. Mentors are compensated for sharing their knowledge while mentees are given the opportunity to learn in-depth what it is to be a farmer at no cost. Mentors are expected to encourage good practices and assist the mentee in striving towards a successful growing operation. This cohort will consist of up to 15 pairs. Application does not guarantee acceptance or participation in the program.

If you are interested, please submit a completed application, and résumé or summary of relevant experience, by Sunday, November 8th, 2020. If you would like a downloadable copy of the application to fill out and mail or email in, click here for the mentor application, and here for the mentee application. For more information, please review our detailed program description.

Email application to vi*****@au********.org or mail to: Advocates for Urban Agriculture, PO Box 168083, Chicago, IL 60616. Please contact Viviana at vi*****@au********.org with any questions.

Equal Opportunity Statement: AUA works affirmatively to foster inclusive programming and does not discriminate in the selection of participants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, income, marital status, or any other dimension of identity. AUA strongly encourages applications from candidates and individuals with voices that have been historically under-represented in the food system, including but not limited to women, people of color, Black and Indigenous people. Please contact Viviana at vi*****@au********.org with any questions