Need some business advice, or someone who can guide you along in your journey as a farmer? A new ag mentorship program officially launched in Pennsylvania might help.

The Pennsylvania Agriculture Mentorship Program is launching as a pilot program this year with hopes of expanding in the future.

AgChoice Farm Credit, the Center for Dairy Excellence, PASA Sustainable Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania FarmLink and Penn State Cooperative Extension are among the organizations that supported the launch of the program.

While there are smaller ag mentorship programs already around, this program is statewide and leverages SCORE, a nonprofit organization and resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Development Center.

SCORE has a track record of helping small businesses get started by providing mentors in local communities, but it has yet to make inroads in the ag community. Discussions around a statewide ag mentorship program got underway in April 2021.

Raechel Sattazahn, knowledge center director at AgChoice Farm Credit, says the role of a mentor, whether it’s for business or as a personal coach, can be invaluable.

“Mentors that I’ve had during my life asked me the hard questions, encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and cheered me on when I achieved success,” she says. “They are some of the most influential people that helped me get where I am today, and I’m excited that the new Pa. Agriculture Mentorship Program can help provide that experience for others.”

Hugh MacMaster, a SCORE volunteer for Lancaster-Lebanon, says mentors, even in agriculture, can provide a fresh perspective on business matters, help farmers make tough decisions and become better managers, and can elicit other experts for networking opportunities.

“Mentors can see a problem through fresh lenses,” MacMaster says. “Experience is the most valuable asset of everyone’s career, and mentors often know the ups and downs of the path ahead. They can act as your map and compass on your journey to success. Your mentor will often give views that you hadn’t even considered, which greatly broadens your perspective on business and prevents failures from occurring. This doesn’t mean you won't have setbacks, but a mentor’s advice hastens your growth instead of stumbling on easily avoidable situations.”

Some of the people who have signed up to be mentors in this pilot phase are likely recognizable to many people in the agricultural community. They include:

John Berry. The retired Penn State Extension educator spent more than 20 years helping farmers on a variety of marketing and financial management topics.

Richard Crouse. Raised on a tree fruit-growing operation, Crouse spent summers in college working as an orchard specialist at the Penn State Fruit Research Laboratory in Biglerville. He spent 30 years with Farm Service Agency as a loan officer, manager and specialist throughout Pennsylvania, as well as time with AgChoice Farm Credit. 

Jim Hoge. A retired AgChoice Farm Credit loan officer and regional manager, Hoge worked with dairy, grapes and forest products customers.  

Winifred McGee. She works part time for the University of Scranton’s Small Business Development Center and spent 30 years teaching business planning, financial analysis and business feasibility through Penn State Cooperative Extension.

Alan Zepp. Having operated his own dairy farm for more than 30 years, Zepp is best known for his role as risk management coordinator for the Center for Dairy Excellence. He now operates a crop farm and raises heifers for a neighboring farm.

These mentors will go through SCORE program training and will provide their expertise to anyone in the ag community.

The mentoring is free and confidential. Individuals seeking mentorship can apply at score.org. Within the application, note your involvement in a farm or food business, and identify a specific mentor you would like to work with.

To learn more about the Pennsylvania Agriculture Mentor Program and its mentors, visit pafarmlink.org/mentor.