Many people romanticize the idea of farming—fresh air, working with your hands, growing your own food. However, farming can entail significant risk taking and investment. For those without a farming background, entering the industry can be daunting and expensive. An incubator farm can be a solution to these first-time farmers’ barriers to entry.
What is an incubator farm?
Incubator farms offer beginner farmers land or physical space to raise a crop for market. With the proper funding they may also offer equipment, inputs, education, and coaching to help participants succeed. The Farm Service Agency may even approve some programs to meet its requirements for loan and aid eligibility.
For those new to farming, testing the water first in a low risk environment helps people decide if farming is really the best career path for them. Educational programs help you get clear on what to do and where to start before making any life-changing decisions. Incubator farms let you experience working outside in the heat, humidity, rain, and insects, crop failures, and lack of demand before you commit massive amounts of time and money.
Success in Sarasota County
Incubator farms are quickly catching on. Rod Greder, in his time as Sustainable Agriculture Agent for UF/IFAS in Sarasota County, dedicated significant time and the sum of his career’s experience to design a beginner farmer education program. Sarasota County’s model is offered in two phases: the Small Farm Startup School and the Incubator Program.
The Small Farm Start up School provides educational materials and experienced farmer panel discussions to prepare participants to create their own farm business plan. Upon completion, participants may graduate to an incubator farm plot for hands-on experience, made possible by a partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory.
Manatee County plans to open Incubator Farm
Building on Rod’s momentum and great contributions, Manatee County plans to open an incubator farm at the location of the former Geraldson’s Community Farm. UF/IFAS and Manatee County’s further development of the Small Farm Startup School will continue to strive to reduce barriers to entry for beginning farmers by providing the training and support they need to be successful.
We recognize the huge knowledge and experience gap beginner farmers face to run a farm business successfully. If your dream is to farm, know that you are not alone. With ongoing support from classes and panel discussions to hands on skill building, UF/IFAS extension wants to make sure you are as prepared as possible.
What if you discover starting a farm isn’t the best course of action for you? Luckily, with Manatee County’s Incubator Program, you realize that before you accumulate mountains of debt. You are now free to pursue other interests and goals. Extension offers many other classes and programs in agriculture, finances, nutrition, natural resources, and family & consumer sciences.
Please take this survey if you are interested in participating in Small Farm Startup School in Manatee County! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bec5VZdjL91X6JM
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