Stone Barns Center is excited to announce a groundbreaking Entrepreneurship Intensive for Farmers. This immersive, experiential learning program will give farmers the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with UC Berkeley’s William Rosenzweig, additional experts, and each other as they develop their entrepreneurial skills.

Farm owners and managers run complex, nuanced businesses. Those seeking to do so in a manner that is both economically and environmentally sustainable must apply creativity, vision, and grit to their work. There now exists a variety of progressive farmer training programs and apprenticeships. This initiative will complement these types of programs, and support farmers in applying the principles of entrepreneurship to their farm businesses.

Each farmer will finish the week-long program with a practical and useful business framework in hand that complements their expertise in regenerative agriculture and empowers them to apply proven entrepreneurial practices to their farming business. Participating farmers will have expenses covered and are expected to attend the entire program (December 9-14, 2018).

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THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTENSIVE WILL HELP FARMERS:

• Learn, practice and integrate the key principles and practices of mission-driven, values-centered entrepreneurship

• Imagine a clear long-term vision and define concrete steps to successfully achieve it

• Design and present a compelling, financially viable business plan to attract and engage employees, partners, landowners, lenders and investors

• Identify new business opportunities and unmet needs in a region’s farming ecosystem and identify how to capture value

• Learn how to cultivate a vibrant community of customers, build strategic partnerships and structure successful agreements

• Explore the latest in practical farm-tech and digital strategies

• Develop an understanding and paths towards creating a thriving livelihood

Learn more about the facilitators, Will Rosenzweig and Adrian Rodrigues.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

• You are a farmer actively involved in the day-to-day management of a farm practicing or moving towards regenerative agriculture

• You have been in a farm management role at that farm for at least three years

• You are comfortable with basic farm business practices, including crop planning and tracking income and expenses

• Your business generated at least $15,000 in revenue in the most recent tax year

• You can commit to completing 5-10 hours of preparatory work in November and to monthly peer-learning check-ins (by telephone) for one year after the intensive

• You are able to participate in the entire five-day intensive at Stone Barns Center in Tarrytown, NY from December 9 – 14, 2018

HOW TO APPLY

We’re looking for up to 24 exceptional farmers to be part of the inaugural cohort. All farmers will receive scholarships to participate. The application includes contact information, short written (and optional video) responses to three open-ended questions, an optional photo, and a resume/CV.

Applications are due by Saturday, September 22 and applicants will be notified by Friday, October 12.

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Questions? See our FAQs or contact us at GFI@stonebarnscenter.org or 914.366.6200 x150