Journey Farmer

The Journey Farmer Program is a year-long program for farmers who are in the first few years of running their own farm business in Vermont. The program is largely shaped by the farming interests and goals of the Journey Farmers, and enables new farmers to advance their farming skills and experiences while being a part of a cohort learning community of other beginning farmers and farmer mentors.

This program is built to be a “next-step” for graduates of the NOFA-VT Farm Beginnings program. Other beginning farmers with similar skills and experience are also encouraged to apply. The program is built for participants who are actively farming and selling products, and have a foundation of basic farm financials and record keeping. See more information on qualifications below. 

Applications are closed for the 2022/23 cohort. Please contact Aaron at 802-434-7180 or [email protected] with any questions. Thank you to all who applied!

 

 

Program Objectives

  • Define goals for your farm business through the next five years 
  • Refine business and financial planning documents
  • Further develop marketing plans and implementation strategies 
  • Identify next steps to meet your farm goals 
  • Build relationships with a cohort of beginnings farmers at similar stages of business development

Learn more about previous participants!

2019 Journey Farmer cohort >

2018 Journey Farmer cohort >

Program Details
Program Offerings

Cohort learning experiences and support network: At its core, the Journey Farmer program is designed to build an intimate cohort of beginning farmers who can learn alongside and from each other. Space will be made for relationship building among program participants all in similar stages of farm business development.

Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring: Each Journey Farmer participant will be matched with a farmer mentor of your choice. Farmer mentors are paid to provide up to $500 of their time throughout the year. Farmer mentors provide overall farm business support in addition to practical detailed knowledge that can help with a range of farming-related topics. 

Advanced Business Planning Courses: 2-3 courses will be offered throughout the year on topic areas shaped by the interests and learning objectives of each Journey Farmer cohort. Journey Farmers are expected to attend all courses. Past examples of courses include soil health management, marketing, and LEAN farming techniques.

Farm Visits: Farm visits will be opportunities to tour fellow Journey Farmer’s farms, ask questions, and offer feedback. NOFA-VT Farmer Services staff will attend farm visits to offer guidance, support, and feedback. Journey Farmers are expected to participate in 2-3 regional farm visits during the growing season. 

Educational Stipend: Journey Farmer participants will receive an educational stipend of $250 for pre-approved farm related courses, consultants, books, videos, computer software or travel. Option to use these funds for one-on-one marketing or financial consultation. 

NOFA-VT Educational Events: Journey Farmers receive free admission to NOFA-VT educational events including workshops and field days in NOFA-VT’s Summer & Fall Workshop Series, and the NOFA-VT Winter Conference. Journey Farmers can also attend individual classes in NOFA-VT's Farm Beginnings program for $25.   

Business Planning Support & Technical Assistance: NOFA-VT Farmer Services staff are available to provide additional business planning services and production technical assistance as needed.

Schedule

November: Journey Farmer Program starts with a kick-off gathering to introduce the program and connect with others in the cohort. The session will also include a presentation on an advanced business planning topic. This session may be virtual or in-person - details TBA. 

January – March: The Journey Farmer Cohort will meet two more times in the winter for additional advanced business planning classes. The class focus will be based on the needs of the Journey Farmer cohort. Farmer participants will also start working with their farmer mentor starting in January. 

June – October: Journey Farmers are expected to participate in 2-3 regional farm visits during the growing season. These will be interactive opportunities to tour fellow Journey Farmers’ farms, ask questions, and offer feedback. 

Qualifications

The Journey Farmer Program is targeted toward farmers in the first few years of running their own business. Prospective Journey Farmers should have a range of agricultural skills, a commitment to farming in Vermont, and clear and realistic plans for their future farming activities. Journey Farmers will be graduates of the NOFA-VT Farm Beginnings class, have completed similar coursework through another organization, or developed comparable skills through their farming experience. 

If you have graduated from another Farm Beginnings program or have two or more years of experience managing your current farm business, please get in touch with Aaron on the Farmer Services Team at [email protected] or 802-434-7180 to discuss whether the Journey Farmer Program is a good fit for you

Application Instructions

The Journey Farmer Program year begins in November. Journey Farmer applications are reviewed once a year in late September. Applicants are notified of a decision by early October. For applicants who have not completed Farm Beginnings, an interview may be part of the application process. Couples and/or business partners should submit a joint application.

Apply for Journey Farmer

Enrollment

As members of a cohort learning group, Journey Farmers are expected to commit to participating in all aspects of the program. At the start of the Journey Farmer program year, participants will begin by outlining their goals for the program, completing a personal assessment on their areas of improvement, and developing a list of potential mentors. NOFA-VT will use input from program enrollment and participant goal mapping to develop desired learning opportunities and coursework.

Applications are currently closed.