Find: Independent Farm Communities

A hen peers out from her coop at an independent, organic farm outside of Portland, Oregon. Photo: Benita Green Lee

The following is a list of small, independent farm-related communities, from Farm Hack, an open-source agricultural technology group, to the Greenhorns, an organization that recruits and educates future farmers:

Farm Hack, a non-profit group, blends open-source technology with agriculture to create innovative and retrofitted tools for today’s small farmer. (Also see PlantXing’s story, Rewiring the Farmer’s Toolshed.)

The Open Source Seed Initiative, is a newly developed plan to offer new varieties of seeds free for public use, protecting them from patents and other restrictions.

The National Young Farmers Coalition brings together novice and experienced farmers to help teach and carry forward the traditions of sustainable, independent farming.

Open Source Ecology is developing and offering DIY blueprints for making fifty of modern civilization’s most important tools affordably.

The Greenhorns recruits and supports young people who want to start their own farms.

The Carrot Project offers “small-farm financing solutions” to help support sustainable agriculture.

Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA) brings together farmers from around the world to share and promote ideas for resilient agricultural systems.

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) provides grants and educational programs that promote new tools for sustainable farming.