Dear Reader:
If you have read our previous blogs, then you know that Russon Family Farms (RFF) is taking ten acres out of production and donating its use to CCPP. We will also share farm equipment and the services of our farm manager.
But, quite frankly, RFF doesn’t have the resources to support CCPP’s Permaculture Incubator Program without help. Therefore, CCPP is applying for a USDA/NIFA sponsored Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grant.
The primary goal of BFRDP is to help beginning farmers to enter and/or improve their successes in farming through support for projects that provide education, mentoring, and technical assistance to give them the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations and enhance their sustainability. This is a perfect fit. However, the application process is onerous, made worse by some technical problems with the on-line application process.
The request for applications guide encourages applicants to partner with other entities. As we were considering partners, we came across information about a Farm Business Incubator that is supported by the Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center of Michigan State University.
If you visit their website and read about their program, you will see that their approach is very similar to that of CCPP’s incubator program. The main difference is that their focus is on business and management and our focus is on saving the planet from climate change. 😊
Below is a side-by-side comparison.
|
|
CCPP’s PIP |
UPREC’s FBI |
|
Program Fees |
10% of gross sales back to CCPP to pay for programming |
$1,540/year |
|
Plots |
2 acres |
1 acre |
|
Housing |
Barndominium ($200/mo) |
Cooperative housing ($175/mo) |
|
Duration |
3 yrs |
5 yrs |
|
Equipment |
BCS two-wheeled tractor |
BCS two-wheeled tractor |
|
Assistance |
RFF Farm Manager |
North Farm Coordinator |
|
Certifications |
Permaculture Design Certificate |
|
|
Markets |
Mt Pleasant Farmers Market |
|
|
Outputs |
Permaculture design, capital accumulation, competencies |
Business plan, capital accumulation, competencies |
When we learned about Al Gore’s new initiative to sequester carbon and to reverse climate change through the use regenerative agricultural practices, we at CCPP found that to be a validation of our strategy.
When we learned of UPREC’s Farm Business Incubator program, and its similarities to the CCPP’s Permaculture Incubator Program, we, likewise, found that to be an affirmation of our programming—and, we hope, one that is worthy of third-party funding.