Folks who help farmers: how to find and work with them with Sarah Geurkink from the Organic Association of Kentucky

In today’s episode, we explore the range of people who whose job is to help farmers, and how to get the most out of these relationships. We refer to these people as a group as technical assistance, or “TA” providers, and it can include extension agents, people at nonprofit or NGOs, professors, etc. And our guest today is one of those people- Sarah Geurkink is the Organic Production Specialist for the Organic Association of Kentucky [OAK].  Sarah draws on her own farming background and experience working with farmers at OAK to help growers understand how to find TA providers and what kind of assistance they can provide for farm projects. Listeners who want to learn more can find the article Sarah co-wrote from the February 2026 Growing for Market Magazine, “How to work with extension agents and other folks who help farmers,” linked in the show notes. Connect With Guest: Website: The Organic Association of Kentucky Instagram: @organicassociationofkentucky Sarah’s article from the February 2026 Growing for Market Magazine: How to work with extension agents and other folks who help farmers Here’s a link to some of the tools Sarah has built for farmers: OAK Farming Resources- tools and templates Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support: Tilth Soil makes living soils for organic growers. The base for all our mixes is NOP-compliant compost, made from the 4,000 tons of food scraps we divert from landfills each year. And the results speak for themselves. Get excellent germination, strong transplants, and help us turn these resources back into food. Try a free bag and learn more at tilthsoil.com/gfm. Farmhandis the virtual assistant built for farmers—helping CSAs scale sales, run error-free fulfillment, and deliver 5-star service. Whether you’re at 100 members or 1,000, Farmhand helps you grow without burning out. You’ve heard us—and our farmers—right here on the Growing for Market Podcast. Explore more stories and learn more atfarmhand.partners/gfm. Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last.  Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more. Farming is hard. Running it shouldn’t be. Tend helps you plan your season, map your farm, and track every task from seed to sale. No spreadsheets, no guesswork, just seamless workflows. Tend is the all-in-one farm management platform that brings together planning, field mapping, fulfillment, real-time inventory, sales, labor, traceability, and accounting in one easy platform. Built for small market gardens, CSAs, and large diversified farms. Get started with a free account at Tend.com. No credit card required. If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket. Subscribe to our magazine- all new subscriptions include a FREE 28-day trial!