agriculture +
Ecological Land Use
Regenerative farming and mindful land stewardship not only provide our communities with nourishing food to eat, these practices also help to heal our earth and make us more resilient to a changing climate.
PROGRAM GOALS
1
Provide support that sustains regenerative farming as a livelihood and profession.
2
Build knowledge and skills around using local food and connecting people around good food.
3
Increase local food production throughout Northern Michigan
ECOLOGY + FARMING PROJECTS
Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference
The annual Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference promotes and builds a local vibrant agriculture community, equips the small farm community with the tools to be successful, and provides a forum for the open exchange of ideas between farmers.
MICROLOANS
Crosshatch partners with Oryana Community Coop and Kalkaska Economic Development Corporation to offer zero-interest microloans to farms and food businesses in the ten-county region of Northwest Michigan. These loans provide much-needed funding to businesses looking to grow.
FARMER-TO-FARMER LEARNING PROGRAMS
Our Farmer-to-Farmer Learning Programs connect growers to solve problems collectively. Whether we’re considering climate adaptations and carbon farming or gathering livestock producers to address their processing challenges, these programs make the most of the knowledge we have right here in our region.
GUILDS
Guilds gather individuals interested in a single topic, provide peer-to-peer learning, mentorship, demonstrations, swapping, bartering, sharing work, and celebrating community. Guild members share the strength of many through advocacy, problem-solving, collective bargaining, and shared marketing. Our current guilds gather Beekeepers, Green Building Enthusiasts, and Herbalists.
SUPPORT SMALL FARM SUCCESS
Making a gift to Crosshatch helps us reach more small farms with impactful opportunities for education and connection.