Wanted: Farmers with big goals. šŸŒŽ

One week that will redefine your farm's future.

Read Time: 5 minutes

FARMpreneursā„¢ is looking for climate-smart farmers with big goals to transform their farms and impact their local food system.

Their first program was a huge success, and they just opened up applications

The best part? And this program is free for farmers to attend.*

Farmers, Do You Have A

FARMpreneursā„¢ is empowering climate-smart farmers with mindsets and business skill sets to grow and thrive as social entrepreneurs. They believe that if individual farmers were better equipped to achieve their ā€œBig Hairy Audacious Goalsā€, then their growth and impact would have positive cascading effects across the food system.

The problem is that most farmers donā€™t have time or money to complete a formal MBA program and learn practical social entrepreneurial strategies for their business.

He knew that farmers were extremely busy.

So, he condensed decadesā€™ of business experience, social entrepreneurship education, and food systems change into just 7 days ā€” so farmers could learn and create impacts.

Farmers need this information. Most canā€™t afford it or donā€™t have time.

But, as you will see, one week is enough to transform farmerā€™s futures!

Strategic Sprint at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

A Week-Long Strategic Sprints for Farmers

A strategic sprint is a condensed, accelerated period of time that innovative companies and organizations use to set goals, identify challenges, clarify values, and create direction for their teams. They may host this in a retreat setting where the distractions of work are away so they can focus on the task at hand ā€” develop the playbook that will bring their ā€œBig Hairy Audacious Goalā€ to life.

Will is the Faculty Co-Chair at Berkeley Haas Center for Responsible Business. He spent his career teaching social entrepreneurship, food systems education, innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership and has experimented with new education models.

Heā€™s packaged it together with his team at FARMpreneursā„¢ and tailored it to provide farmers with the tools and resources needed to return home and become change-makers in their local food systems.

The First Round of FARMpreneursā„¢ at Stone Barns

The FARMpreneursā„¢ Strategic Sprint, developed at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in 2019 by the FARMpreneursā„¢ faculty. It has proven impactful and transformative for all the farmers, helping their farms profit and grow while becoming change-makers in their local food system. 

The program was paused because of the pandemic and other circumstances, but they are relaunching the program this January for 36 climate-smart farmers!

Alumni Impacts on Local Food Systems

The impact of the FARMpreneurs alumni only started in this week-long program. Their skills are only beginning to grow, and the success and transformation on their farms and in their local food systems are proof that this program creates change.

  • 100% of them are still farming

  • 100% increased profits

  • 100% increased their Climate Smart practices

  • 100% of our alumni report direct positive community impact

  • 80% of our alumni have increased their acreage

Emma Jagozā€™s Story from Moon Valley Farm

ā€” Purchased Farmland & Appointed Position in Government

Emma Jagoz was farming 7 separate leased plots when she attended the program. She arrived with a big vision to create local jobs, build a resilient food hub, and grow healthy food for her community in the Chesapeake Bay.

Since the program, she has purchased her own farm and profitably scaled her business fivefoldā€”all with grant funding. Emma Jagoz of Moon Valley Farm now also holds the first organic seat for the Governor's Agricultural Commission in Maryland.

What the Alumni are saying about FARMpreneursā„¢

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ā€œIt was a rare opportunity to step away from the farm and work on our business with the guidance of entrepreneurship experts and alongside fellow farmers.ā€

ā€” Vera Fabian, Ten Mothers Farm
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ā€œThe program helped me think bigger and take myself and my farm more seriously.

It was a great opportunity to learn and gain the resources from the business world that arenā€™t usually available for farmers.ā€

Nikiko Masumoto ā€” Masumoto Family Farm, California
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ā€œA kick-ass business school for climate-smart farmers.ā€

ā€” Emma Jagoz, Moon Valley Farms

Wanted: Farmers with BIG Goals

FARMpreneurs just opened applications for two strategic sprints they are offering this January. At each cohort, 18 farmers will bring their ā€œBig Hairy Audacious Goalsā€ to a space to be supported by mentors with decades of social entrepreneurship and food system education and collaborate with their peers.

Upcoming Strategic Sprints

  • January 5-10

    • Bishop's Ranch - Northern California

  • January 19-25

    • Carnation Farms - Redmond, Washington

This program is free for farmers ā€” thanks to the Ideagarden Insitute.

Farmers only pay for the associated travel costs of getting to and from the program.

Join Will Rosenzweig and the rest of his team on Monday September 16th @ 10am - 11am (PT). If you canā€™t make it to the live event, they will send a the recording.

If you know any farmers who are ambitious, curious, and hopeful about transforming their local food systems and being a leader in their local community, let them know about this program.

And again, itā€™s free for farmers ā€” thanks to the Ideagarden Insitute.

Farmers only pay for the associated travel costs.

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