FARRMS is located in Medina, a rural town of 310 people in south central North Dakota. This small community has two cafes, a gas station, a post office, a bank, a public school and a small grocery store along Interstate 94.
Our Mission
To further the sustainability of thriving farms and rural communities
Our Vision
FARRMS empowers people to dream and realize those dreams creating thriving, exciting, diverse, and sustainable rural communities. We establish links between people, good food, living farms and the environment through hands-on educational experiences. We model sustainability by acting with appreciation and respect for the environment, society, and just economics. FARRMS builds a better world through powerful, creative actions.
Our Values
Sustainability is central to our organization. FARRMS has determined "sustainability" to contain the following components:
- Approaches to community and agriculture which foster self-renewal, are in harmony with natural cycles and conserve natural resources.
- Activities which benefit and nurture the land and rural community.
- Activities and approaches which are socially as well as economically just and contribute to the common prosperity of the community.
- Cultural and agricultural practices which ensure the health and diversity of the land and the life it supports.
Our History
FARRMS was founded in 2000 to address specific educational needs of organic producers and processors and to promote sustainable rural development in the Medina community and beyond.
The original concept behind the development of FARRMS came from International Certification Services, Inc. (ICS) and its organic certification program, Farm Verified Organic. ICS saw the need for a separate organization to provide education to about organic agriculture and other sustainable concepts.
FARRMS first major accomplishment was the construction of a new office building in Medina, North Dakota, in 2003. This new facility includes a state-of-the-art classroom, a conference room, space for an interpretive center, as well as office space for FARRMS and ICS. It is our hope that this facility can become a meeting place for the community of Medina as well as other groups from around the state and the region. Various organizations from around the state have already met in this facility, generating income for FARRMS as well as for Medina businesses, such as restaurants and lodging providers.
With growing consumer awareness of and demand for organic and sustainable products, there are many opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs in North Dakota. FARRMS employs a multifaceted approach to developing sustainability on farms and in communities.
Education is the first step towards creating the next generation of organic farmers; thus, it is a primary focus of FARRMS.