I just came across a great article in the New York Times about the “graying lions” of organic agriculture:

“BIG SUR, Calif. — Among the sleek guests who meditate and do Downward Facing Dog here at the Esalen Institute, the farmers appeared to be out of place. They wore baggy jeans, suspenders and work boots and had long ago let their hair go gray.

For nearly a week, two dozen organic farmers from the United States and Canada shared decades’ worth of stories, secrets and anxieties, and during breaks they shared the clothing-optional baths.

The agrarian elders, as they were called, were invited to Esalen because the organizers of the event wanted to document what these rock stars of the sustainable food movement knew and to discuss an overriding concern: How will they be able to retire and how will they pass their knowledge to the next generation?”

Read the rest of the article: http://nyti.ms/1eZwf83

I know organizations like The Greenhorns and The National Young Farmers Coalition are doing the essential work of connecting beginning farmers with mentors and also each other to encourage skill sharing and growth.

Who else is doing this important work? Is there an elder of organic farming that you’d really like to meet?