Now accepting applications for the Bells Bend Conservation Corridor Farmer Development Program
The Bells Bend Conservation Corridor Farmer Development Program is a program designed to assist local farmers and apprentices in continuing to develop their skills, methods, practices, and professional network in sustainable agriculture.
A wide variety of local, regional, and national conferences and workshops can provide valuable skills and development for a small scale farmer to improve both their ecological sustainability, as well as their profit margin. However, many of these programs can be prohibitively expensive for a farmer with a tight and unpredictable budget. This is doubly true for farm apprentices (our next generation of farmers) with minimal expendable income but who would benefit tremendously at this stage as they develop their skills and methods.
Our goals in launching the Farmer Development Program are preserving our community’s ecological integrity, promoting our local farms, and ensuring our next generation of farmers have the skills they need to be successful.
Guidelines
Funds are to be used primarily for paying attendance/registration fees for conferences, workshops, and courses for farmers and farm apprentices after their application is processed.
Bells Bend Conservation Corridor will entertain covering travel fees, lodging, child care, or other expenses associated with attending a conference or workshop. Decisions on funding this piece will be made at review committee.
No one individual may apply for funding more than two times per calendar year, or for more than $1000 per calendar year.
Application Process
Farmers, apprentices, and farm workers must submit an application (form below).
Applicants should apply accordingly in order to hear about funding decisions in enough time to register for the conference or program. We will make every effort to notify applicants within 14 days of application submission.
We request that selected recipients provide receipts or an expense report to document completion of program and to report on the experience.
Thank you for your interest in the Farmer Development Program!
Apply Now: