Our Farm Incubator
"While we live, our bodies are moving particles of the earth,
joined inextricably both to the soil and to the bodies of other living creatures.
It is hardly surprising then, that there should be some profound resemblances
between our treatment of our bodies and our treatment of the earth."
--Wendell Berry
Blueberries
Planting the Seeds of Success
Modeled after a tech industry business incubator, the Organic Farming Institute's Small Farm Incubator will prepare the next generation to meet the demand for locally grown, organic food.
The Organic Farming Institute's Small Farm Incubator will help aspiring farmers grow their business 'from the ground up' with access to affordable certified organic land, basic resources and infrastructure, and experienced farming and business mentors. Our future farmers will gain practical, hands-on experience while scaling their businesses for launch in a permanent location.
Each Incubator Farm will be an independently owned and operated, for-profit business. Our collective of small farms will produce a diverse range of certified organic products that will be marketed throughout our community supported agriculture (CSA) program, and farmers markets.
Program participants will benefit from the on-site presence of the Institute's Research Farm team members. While Incubator participants are expected to graduate and transition to a permanent home farm, our Research Farm will be 'permanently rooted.' Incubator alumni will become an important part of the Organic Farming Institute's research, development, and training network.
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"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." --Robert Louis Stevenson
Learning the Tools of the Trade
The Institute's 'tools of the trade' will be tailored to the best field practices for each new farm enterprise. Mentorship topics may include:
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ORGANIC FARMING CONSULTING
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Introduction to Organic Agriculture
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Research in Organic Farming Systems
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Farm Case Studies
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Cover Cropping
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Organic Fertilizers
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Organic Pest Controls
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Soil Health & Management
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Plant Breeding & Propagation
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Seeds & Seed Production
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Plant Disease Management
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Weed Management
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Crop Selection
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Climate Resilience
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Irrigation & Water Conservation
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Renewable Energy & Water Technology
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Harvesting & Labor Relations
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Organic Certification
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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
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Needs Assessments
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Business Planning
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Site Selection
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Design Development
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Renewable Systems Engineering
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Construction Oversight
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Green Building Certification
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Marketing Development
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Benchmarking & Business Evaluation
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Strategic Growth Planning
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BUSINESS FUNDING CONSULTING
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Funding Feasibility Studies
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Federal Grants & Loans
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State Grants & Loans
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City & County Grants & Loans
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Private Foundation Grants
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Corporate Grants
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Utility Company Grants
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SBA Loans
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MARKETING CONSULTING
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Value-Added Product Development
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Marketing Value Added Products
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Community Support Agriculture (CSAs)
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Regional Farmer's Markets
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Specialty Markets
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Media Relations for Farmers
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Agri-Tourism
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Community Events
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“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life." --Wendell Berry
“Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in."
--Frances Moore Lappe
Organic Farming
I N S T I T U T E
This is more than a Funding Opportunity. It's a peek into a world where people and the planet thrive!
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Over the past decade, our for-profit affiliate, Eco-Asis, has helped mission-aligned organizations
secure over $107 million in grants, low-interest loans, contributions, and impact investments.
We're fundraising to provide "Seed Grants" that expand access to the Business Development Solutions
proven to help entrepreneurs launch, scale, and replicate regenerative solutions
that cultivates environmental and cultural sustainability.
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Your tax-deductible donations help BIG IDEAS take root.