CULTI VATING THE NE X T
Generation of Farmers A P R O G R A M O F S E C O N D H A R V E S T F O O D B A N K and Community Action Committee of
the Lehigh Valley, The Seed Farm provides new farmers with valuable, practical experience and skills on their training farm in Emmaus, PA, as well as the opportunity to launch sustainable farm businesses in their innovative farm incubator. They’re growing new farmers and growing the local food economy in the Lehigh Valley.
Initially developed by Lehigh County and Penn State Cooperative Extension, The Seed Farm was formed in order to help support the County's farmland preservation program by cultivating the next generation of farmers to take over the region’s preserved farmland. Since 2010, The Seed Farm has provided training in production, marketing, business planning, and equipment operation to beginning farmers who are looking to start farms. To date, 33 beginning farmers have received intensive, full-season training in higher-level farm ownership skills, and ten farm businesses have been launched in the farm incubator. Experiential and educational activities have enabled The Seed Farm to deliver valuable skills in sustainable agriculture practices to hundreds of farmers, gardeners, and community members. In addition to their programming, The Seed Farm’s annual Farm-to-Fork Fundraiser and Spring Plant Sale are much-anticipated events that bring together foodies, farmers, and gardeners in support of a shared goal: ensuring the future of agriculture.
PROGRAMS The Farm Incubator provides new farm entrepreneurs with affordable access to land, infrastructure, equipment, and mentoring, in order to lower the barriers to farm entry. New Farmer Training provides practical, hands-on experience on The Seed Farm's working and educational farm, preparing a new generation of farmers for farm ownership. The CSA Workshare program provides community members with an introduction to agriculture, working directly with an experienced farmer. The produce that is harvested is sold through an exclusive Community Supported Agriculture partnership with St. Luke’s Hospital.
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