Picture a Farmer...
Is this person you imagined a little older? That’s not surprising. Almost a third of farmers in Michigan are over age 65. Less than 10% are under 35.
In the 21st century, few choose farming as their livelihood. It’s hard enough for a daughter or son to take over for aging parents; it’s exponentially harder for someone without a farming background to break into the business. The good news is there’s a slew of resources available to help those who want to farm.
MIFarmLink arose out of a need for additional ways to address the the changing demographics of farming and rapidly disappearing farmland. The program aims to help preserve Michigan farms and farming by shepherding prime farmland from its current stewards into the hands of the next generation, and help these new farmers fill this vital role and be successful.
Mission
To protect Michigan farmland and agricultural heritage by connecting farmers seeking land with farmland owners looking to sell, lease or create another type of tenure arrangement.
Vision
MIFarmLink plays a vital role in preserving Michigan farming as a lifestyle, industry and land stewardship practice by helping to bridge the divide between farming generations and connecting farmland with its next farmer.
MIFarmLink Staff
Jill Dohner - Washtenaw County
Jill is working with a group of passionate agricultural advocates from across Michigan to grow the MIFarmLink program, an effort started in Ottawa County that helps preserve farmland by connecting agricultural landowners looking to sell/lease land with beginning farmers looking for land to farm.
She graduated from Michigan Technological University with a Master's in Forest Ecology and Management. Jill owns Rustic Roots Farm where she tends honeybees, poultry, goats, a fruit orchard and garden, greenhouse production, and woodworking. Jill has served on the Washtenaw County Conservation District board for 10 years prior and now is a Farm Bureau member in District 3. She has experience in forestry at the Greening of Detroit and ReLeaf Michigan, as well as working with a diversity of farmers through the Washtenaw Farmer Cooperative.
Becky Huttenga - Ottawa County
Becky Huttenga, a lifelong resident of Ottawa County, grew up as a 4-H kid on a 24-acre hobby farm in Spring Lake Township before heading off to Michigan State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science and 30 credits hours of Masters level graduate study in Animal Science at MSU. While raising her two children, now 24 and 29, Becky developed quite a diverse resume, from nutritional sales at Purina Mills to restaurant management at her family’s Grand Haven business to Program Assistant for Michigan State University Extension’s 4-H program. But her passion for being the bridge between natural resources and agriculture sparked when she became Executive Director at the Ottawa Conservation District in 2011. She then joined Ottawa County in 2015 where she now leads countywide initiatives in farmland protection, agriculture, and economic development. Becky, a Farm Bureau member, serves on the Ottawa Conservation District Board of Directors, Michigan Association of Conservation Districts State Council, West Michigan Agribusiness Talent Council, National Agricultural Land Network Advisory, Careerline Tech Ag Program Advisory, and on numerous planning committees for agricultural outreach events. Her favorite career accomplishments include hosting two radio shows, founding Michigan’s first statewide land linking platform, MIFarmLink.org, and being named one of Mlive’s Women Who Shape the State in 2023. Becky currently resides in the City of Grand Haven. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-huttenga-7844411b/
Upcoming projects:
Becky is helping Kent County coordinate its first ever Culver’s Share Night to benefit farmland protection and she is also serving as one of two Land Transfer Navigator’s in Michigan, a partnership between American Farmland Trust and USDA-NRCS to help increase the number of farmed acres under a succession and transfer plan.
