Farmer Training

In the United States, organic sales have topped nearly $70 billion annually and continue to grow. Yet less than 1% of U.S. cropland is certified organic. We have a need for more organic farmers, from beginners to seasoned professionals. Today, there are 6x as many farmers over 65 as under 35. The time is now to invest in the future of organic agriculture. That’s why Rodale Institute is helping farmers transition to organic and training the next generation of organic leaders.

Growing Careers, Growing Food

Every year, Rodale Institute welcomes a select group of students to their headquarters in Pennsylvania to train for careers in organic agriculture. Farmer trainees spend nine months growing their farming skills both in the classroom and in the fields.

Rodale Institute Farmer Training (RIFT) and Veteran Farmer Training

These highly immersive, full-time programs allow anyone to begin a career in organic crop and vegetable production. Students learn financial skills, soil science, digital marketing and botany, coupled with hands-in-the-soil applications, learning on a world-renowned experimental farm. Students work alongside Rodale Institute farmers to grow organic produce for farm shares and farmers’ markets, learning how to process, distribute

Meet Daniel Belt – Recent Graduate of the Veteran Farmer Training Program

Daniel Belt is a U.S. Army veteran (101st Airborne), a Certified Holistic Health Coach, and a published author of Unlocking Eden, which has sold approximately 20,000 copies. For the past two decades, he’s worked in the health and nutrition field, most recently leading a company focused on whole food, organic supplements. Over time, his path led him back to the land. “After spending decades in the health industry, I came to the conclusion that more important than any protocol or supplement is our relationship with our food and farms,” he says. “That is a sacred covenant that cannot be traded.” Daniel also helped launch the 1000 Gardens Project to bring urban farms into his local community. His work now centers on healing both people and the soil—starting with his home region of the Ozarks.

Q: What brought you to Rodale Institute?

A: “I am here because I want to start to restore the relationship between the land and our culture. Whether that be through just my own farm or networking with others to create a sustainable, diverse and resilient food system for the region which I come from.”

Daniel found Rodale while searching for raw materials for the supplements company he was running. When he saw that the training program focused on veterans, he knew it was for him. Being a long-time believer in the restorative power of regenerative agriculture, he’s committed to doing justice to farmers and to helping revalue the way we look at food—so that we can all have a dignified and healthy future. “Our food and health are the same thing.”

Q: What areas within agriculture are you most interested in?

A: “My interests lie in soil remediation and generation, which I want to make and sell.”

Daniel is especially focused on restoring land in the Ozarks, where industrial agricultural giants have caused significant damage. He’s also interested in starting an apiary and meadery, working with medicinal herbs and spices, agroforestry, and developing fermented products. All of these connect back to a bigger mission: healing land, food, and community.

Ongoing Research

For more than 77 years, Rodale Institute has been putting science behind the best practices in organic agriculture proving that healthy soil=healthy food=healthy people. With over 33 active research projects across 12 sites, Rodale Institute has been the leading global voice in developing solutions for the regenerative organic agriculture movement. Rodale Institute’s research focus areas include developing organic solutions to pests, disease and weeds, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and growing nutrient dense foods.

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Image and Video source: Rodale Institute.