Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this 9-month, experiential…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this 9-month, experiential beginning farmer training program is a cohort-based program structured to provide hands-on training and business planning across a suite of farm enterprises that are common entry points to farming in our region. Cohorts will be conducted annually, from march - november of each year. Shared, hands-on experiences with the class cohort are complemented by an individually tailored mentoring plan that provides an opportunity for developing more in-depth production knowledge in areas of interest to the participant, and an individually tailored plan for farm business planning, food safety, and market development. This program is structured based on the needs of existing beginning farmers, as articulated by technical assistance providers working with beginning farmers as clients in their work. We have engaged these partners in the project planning process and have incorporated their experiences into curriculum and technical assistance resources. Further, they will be engaged throughout the project through active roles on the project implementation team and/or advisory board. Project partners include local county cooperative extension agents, the kentucky center for agriculture and rural development (KCARD), the kentucky sheep and goat development board, UK extension faculty and staff in animal sciences, the UK department of horticulture and organic farming unit, the food connection at UK, community-based organizations, and local farmers. The target audience for this intensive program are individuals who are eager and able to engage in a rigorous, customized accelerator program that guides them to their next step - actively farming. They must have the ability to participate in weekly, in-person activities for one full day per week (with a fixed schedule) and commit one additional day per week (independently scheduled according to availability and interests) to deepening their knowledge in areas tailored to their farming and business goals. The program will consist of these signature elements: a shared, cohort experience. Weekly, hands-on training activities with a participant cohort and structured common experiential learning activities, focused on organic vegetable, small herd beef cattle, small ruminant, and small poultry flock production. All hands-on activities are tailored for diversified start-up farm enterprises in kentucky.an individual mentoring plan. This training and guided curriculum is individually-tailored to each participant's learning and business development goals and is commensurate with an additional 300 hours of effort (approximately one day per week) throughout the course of the program. Mentoring activities will include a customized curriculum consisting of online resources curated for this program, as well as in-person activities as their schedule allows, including participating in extension and other technical assistance programming as well as on-farm mentoring when available and appropriate.one-to-one B, usiness planning support. In addition to robust in-person and online (VIDEO) business development resources, each participant will receive one-to-one technical assistance on business planning, farm financing, and market development from the kentucky center for agriculture and rural development.one-to-one market match-making and technical assistance. All participants will receive in-person and online content on buyer-driven requirements (e.g. food safety certifications, post-harvest requirements, livestock processing options, etc.). In addition to this foundational knowledge, each participant will receive customized content and one-to-one technical assistance from staff at the food connection at UK, including creations of standard operating procedures, food safety plans, and market planning and match-making from our team of value chain coordinators who can help the participants explore direct-to-consumer and wholesale market channels, as well as navigate opportunities such as farm-to-school and other local food procurement programs.customized post-program pathway planning to get started farming. The goal of this program is to develop beginning farmers that are ready to farm and market their products immediately upon graduation. However, the pathway to the land for each participant may be different based on their individual life circumstances and goals. As we meet each participant where they are, we will also work with them on where they will go next. For participants that do not already own land, this may require additional steps on their path to farm proprietorship. The program will offer graduates access to organic incubator farms in the lexington area, with technical support for farmers to get started on their own with diversified organic vegetable production. Placement in farm management positions in the area will also be facilitated for participants who have financial and professional development goals that may be well suited to such positions. Finally, assistance with land lease agreements and business relationship support will also be offered.specific target audiences include: beginning farmers at a life stage transition that are able to commit to an in-depth program (e.g. younger farmers, as well as recent retirees); out-of-state participants relocating to participate in this program and the local farming community; military veterans able to utilize GI bill or other benefits to support program participation; working professionals with flexible scheduling (e.g. ability to work a four 10'S or other condensed work week options).