Over the past three years, farmers, universities, nonprofits, community-based organizations, and agricultural professionals across the West and Southwest have worked together to strengthen support for organic agriculture through the US Department of Agriculture’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP).

Led regionally by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), the Western region TOPP network brought together more than 50 organizations working to expand mentorship, technical assistance, education, and other resources for farmers transitioning to and maintaining organic agricultural production and related workforce development. Berkeley Food Institute participated as a regional partner, with a focus on building the next generation of organic food system professionals. 

For Jessy Parr, chief program officer at CCOF, one of the program’s most important achievements has been building a community around organic transition, connecting organizations and farmers so that they can share knowledge rather than work in isolation.

“To me, it speaks to the power of putting together a community development initiative,” Parr said.

Farmer-to-farmer mentorship

Transitioning to organic production can require farmers to navigate new production practices, markets, paperwork, and certification requirements. TOPP placed farmer-to-farmer mentorship at the center of its approach, pairing producers interested in organic certification with experienced organic farmers. 

For Rachel Opio, who operates Little Lighthouse Farm in Phoenix, Arizona, mentorship helped make a complicated certification process manageable. Opio had struggled to navigate the Organic System Plan required for certification before TOPP connected her with experienced organic farmer Sara Dolan. Dolan worked through the plan with her, which allowed Opio to observe the certification renewal process. 

“I would have been lost and given up had it not been for that technical assistance,” Opio told CCOF.

Mentors also saw value in sharing knowledge grounded in the practical realities of farming. Justin Miller, co-owner of Twin Peaks Orchard in California, has advised two farmers through TOPP. His farm has been certified organic since 2011, giving him years of experience navigating both organic production and certification. 

“There’s no better technical assistance than what comes from an actual farmer who has to make decisions based on the science, the financials, the marketing, and all the ups and downs of farming,” Miller told CCOF. 

Caption: Justin Miller at Twin Peaks Orchard. Photo Credit: CCOF, Jessy Parr

Expanding technical assistance and education

TOPP also helped connect producers with agricultural professionals who could provide support tailored to their farms and regions. 

In Texas, farmer Caleb Duty was interested in organic production but found the certification process intimidating. Through TOPP, he connected with experienced farms and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension staff who helped him understand and navigate certification. Duty ultimately certified 38 acres of organic hay, which he sells to local dairy operations. 

“I wouldn’t be certified if it wasn’t for the program,” Duty told CCOF.

TOPP also invested in workforce development and the broader ecosystem of people who support organic agriculture. At Cal Poly, Matthew Grieshop, director of the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research, worked with agricultural professionals to develop an accredited organic course for Certified Crop Advisors. The effort expands the knowledge available to professionals advising farmers on issues ranging from pest management and soil health to organic regulations. 

Across the country, this emphasis on education has extended well beyond individual farms. In fiscal year 2025 alone, TOPP partners across all six regions hosted 1,025 events, including field days, workshops, webinars, conferences, and courses. 

Caption: Caleb Duty. Photo credit: CCOF and Jessy Parr

Building organic communities

In addition to supporting individual farmers, TOPP helped create opportunities for broader communities to learn about organic agriculture. 

At Red Acre Farm in Cedar City, Utah, Symbria Patterson and her family pursued organic certification while expanding organic education in their community. With TOPP support, the farm became certified organic and hosted farmer trainings, conferences, farm dinners, and other educational events. 

The funding also allowed Red Acre Farm to bring agricultural professionals from states with longer histories of organic farming to Utah to share their experience with local producers. Patterson saw attitudes toward organic agriculture begin to shift as farmers had more opportunities to ask questions and learn from one another. 

“TOPP pulled the community together,” Patterson told CCOF. 

The experience reflects the model behind TOPP: pairing national investment with regional and local expertise so that support can respond to different agricultural landscapes and communities. 

Caption: Symbria Patterson at Red Acre Farm. Photo Credit: CCOF, Jessy Parr

A network for what comes next

TOPP was intentionally designed around six regional networks connected through a national program. Partners used shared metrics while also exchanging resources and approaches across organizations and geographies. 

“There’s so much efficiency there, we’re not reinventing the wheel,” Parr said. “If one organization is producing something, we are figuring out how to adapt it to make it successful in other geographies and farmer groups.” Parr describes some of this collaboration as “coopetition.” Organizations may work in similar spaces, but through TOPP they have also supported one another in strengthening the organic sector as a whole. 

As TOPP concludes in 2026, the relationships and knowledge developed through the program offer a foundation for continuing that work. Farmers across the region have new connections to mentors and technical expertise, agricultural professionals have new educational resources, and organizations working to support organic agriculture are better connected to one another.

From an urban farm in Arizona to an organic hay operation in Texas and a growing organic community in Utah, TOPP’s impact is shown through a stronger regional community equipped to continue supporting organic agriculture in the years to come. 

As a TOPP partner, you can read more about BFI’s workforce development efforts here and explore organic food & agriculture career pathways here.