The Tilian Farmer Residency Program and The Residency Farm feature diverse, year-round, certified organic vegetable production on approximately eight acres of land east of the barn at Tilian, adjacent to the fledgling farms on the Incubator property. The Residency Farm markets most of its produce through summer, fall, and winter CSA shares for individuals and families, with more information available here. In addition, the Residency Farm provides Restaurant CSA shares to Zingerman’s Deli, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Zingerman’s Mail Order, The Raven’s Club, Locavorious, The Root, Food Gatherers and Darcy’s Cart. Residency Farm produce can also be found at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Farm Stand on Mondays from 11-5 or at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The Residency Program consists of a two-year graduated system similar to a medical residency, where individuals with agricultural education or work background further their skills and training through managing the residency farm and its markets with support and mentorship from more experienced growers.
Each year a first-year resident co-manages the residency farm with the senior resident farm manager who is in their second year of the Residency. During a participants second year of the program they will direct the farming operation and train the first year resident to become their replacement. This process will be supervised by established agricultural professionals from our community, who can provide supervision, continuity, ideas and mentorship to those in the Residency program, as well as to the Incubator farmers.
By running a successful business for two years and coming to know the production systems at the Residency farm and the operations at the Incubator, graduates of the Residency Program will hone the skills they need to successfully launch their own businesses and move on to the Incubator Program or land of their own.
