Lehigh Valley seed farm changes hands as it grows its mentorship of the next farming generation

The Upper Milford Township-based Seed Farm isn't just a preserved farm - it's the ground that nurtures the next generation of Lehigh Valley farmers, and it now has a new operator.

Originally funded with a federal grant and supported by Lehigh County officials and Penn State Extension staff, the farm merged with Community Action Lehigh Valley in 2019 and partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank to connect the farmers in The Seed Farm's business incubator program with local food banks.

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture has also provided training for the farmers, so the Harrisburg-headquartered nonprofit was a natural fit to take over operation of The Seed Farm when Community Action decided it needed to take a step back.

Community Action CEO Dawn Godshall told The Morning Call that federal cuts to many of the grant programs her nonprofit relies on to serve its Lehigh Valley clients have financially stretched the organization. On Friday, she told the crowd at The Seed Farm that Pasa has already proven its value as a training provider and source of expertise in regenerative agriculture, making it a natural choice to take over stewardship of the farm.

Dan Dalton, Pasa’s director for technical assistance, training, outreach and development, said the nonprofit started experimenting with apprenticeships 10 years ago. “All along the way, we have had incubator farms in mind as being part of our training ecosystem,” he said.

Leaders from the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Labor & Industry also showed up to mark International Workers' Day, May 1, celebrate Pasa officially taking over the mentorship of the Seed Farm's cohorts of new farmers, and recognize the connections between the farm and the state's other agricultural apprenticeship programs.

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said the Shapiro administration recognizes that “agriculture is an integral part of business community economic strategy,” adding that when the agriculture and labor departments work together they can improve overall workforce development in the state. Agriculture stands alongside other key industries such as life sciences, robotics and manufacturing, and energy in the administration’s efforts to support the business community’s economic strategy, he said.

“Apprenticeships are truly a game changer for Pennsylvania workers,” said Deputy Labor Secretary Patricia Blumenauer. “They create pathways where folks can earn a paycheck while gaining valuable in-demand skills, opening doors to stable, good-paying careers, and they help us break down barriers to opportunity. For us, it’s helping to ensure that our workforce reflects the full diversity and talent of our Commonwealth.”

Mentoring new farmers

The Seed Farm offers new farmers a three-year training track to get their businesses off the ground with the help of on-site resources that include two greenhouses, 17 acres of tillable land and access to crucial but expensive equipment such as cold storage and tractors.

Lehigh Valley seed farm grows the dreams of new farmers

Within the next few weeks, that equipment bank is scheduled to expand as the farm installs additional washing stations, a walk-in cooler and other processing tools to aid its vegetable farmers.

The delivery of that equipment, partially funded through a federal grant alongside state funding, had been delayed by budgeting complications in part caused by federal cuts to climate-smart programs. Those cuts created grant uncertainty and slowed or cancelled many projects designed to shore up farmers' businesses and speed the implementation of environmentally sustainable best practices.

Lehigh Valley farmers take a hit after federal cuts to climate-smart programs

The soon-to-be installed equipment is part of The Seed Farm's efforts to take small growers and expand their capacity to reach customers. In the farmers market-saturated Lehigh Valley, customer demand is strong but new farmers often lack access to the land and equipment needed to scale up.

Amirah Mitchell, founder of Sistah Seeds, and husband San Sankofa, a graduate of Pasa's Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship, were all smiles Friday as they spoke of the role The Seed Farm and Department of Labor & Industry-affiliated apprenticeship have played in launching their business. The apprenticeship program Sankofa participated in aims to help new vegetable farmers break into the industry.

Mitchell has completed her three-year business incubation period at The Seed Farm, and Sankofa finished his apprenticeship program. Together, they are excited to grow Sistah Seeds at their newly acquired 10-acre farm in Henrico County, outside Richmond, Virginia.

Mitchell is dedicated to preserving the seeds of crops traditionally connected to the African diaspora. To build her seed bank and scale up inventory so that she has enough to both preserve samples of important crops and sell seeds to customers, she grows vegetables to the very end of the harvest season (often past the point at which crops would typically be picked for sale) and then collects the seeds.

“The two of us started our farm right here at The Seed Farm back in 2022. And, just last year, we did finally leave the program and were able to fulfill the dream of so many farmers, which is to purchase our forever farmland,” Mitchell said.

Preserving access to farmland

Sankofa said too many farms are being lost due to how hard it is to sustain a living as a farmer, and he thanked the farmers who served as his mentors, saying the apprenticeship and incubator programs he participated in were “extremely pivotal and important for our journey.”

The Seed Farm ultimately seeks to get new farmers - people who are career switching or otherwise have a need to gain mentorship in order to break into the agriculture industry - into a sustainable business model.

Mitchell traveled from her home in Massachusetts to the Lehigh Valley to participate in The Seed Farm incubation program. Mitchell and Sankofa are headed to Virginia in part to be near Southern relatives.

Finding affordable land is one of the primary challenges for people seeking to launch an agricultural business who do not have a family connection that would allow them to inherit a farm.

Preserved farmland, such as the 42-acre Seed Farm, is considered by state and county officials to be a critical resource as they work to balance rapid growth and development with the need to secure the food supply, conserve green space and offer a path forward for the next generation of farmers.

Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel said Friday that farmland preservation is important across the state and that Lehigh is proud to have the highest percent of preserved farmland relative to county size across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The county ranks fourth in total farms preserved and fifth in total acreage preserved, Siegel said.

Since 1989, Lehigh County has invested more than $31 million into farmland preservation, Siegel said. Along with $69 million in state funds, the partnership of local and state conservation efforts has preserved more than 27,500 acres of Lehigh County farmland.

“We see it everywhere we drive: farmlands have become suburban subdivisions. Once open acreage has become warehouses and data centers, and so we fight hard to make sure that we preserve the character and culture of what’s made the Lehigh Valley so special,” Siegel said. “Since 1980, we have lost about 80% of our farms and 53% of our farmland, so every dollar that we invest in our farmland preservation program ensures that we keep the spirit of Pennsylvania’s agricultural livelihood alive.”

It's farmers market season. Here's where to find them, and when they open, in the Lehigh Valley

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 7:03 AM.