What if you could start your farming business with a fair bit of certainty that it would help you reach your main objectives in life and support the quality of life you want?
You actually can.
Whilst no one can guarantee the success of a business, it’s definitely possible to plan for success and thereby make it more likely to occur. That’s what we help you do in our brand new online course, Start the Right Farm.
First we help you get clear on what you actually need (not just what you kinda think you want), because this will transform the choices you make.
Then we help you understand what a range of different enterprises require in terms of time, investments, land base, marketplace and more, consequently making it clear to you which enterprise or enterprises will best support you in meeting your needs.
And lastly we help you make a solid plan for how to market and sell your products and be profitable, because this is what will make your business, and therefore also to a significant degree your life, work.
Our new program will give you the best possible start and most likely save you a lot of time, money and energy.
We’re aware that everyone doesn’t have the same resources. That’s why we offer the majority of our content free of charge. The way that gets funded, though, is through those that have more resources available and can buy our books and trainings.
In 2020, we’re offering 3 full scholarships to the course. Since the aim of these scholarships is to make the course available to people who really need it but really cannot afford it, please only apply if that description fits you.
Start the Right Farm 2020 Scholarship Program
Recipients of a scholarship will receive complimentary access to the online course Start the Right Farm.
To be considered, read the following questions and post your reply in the comments below. Your response must be 250 words or less.
- What’s your biggest challenge as you’re trying to start a farm?
- Why do you want to start a farm? Who do you want to serve or what do you want to change?
- How would the Start the Right Farm online course help you, your family, your community and your business?
The formalities:
- You apply with a written comment below. Emails and comments elsewhere will not be considered.
- The comment must be 250 words or less. Comments exceeding 250 words will not be considered.
- We’re awarding 3 scholarships.
- The entry deadline is September 15, 2020 at 12pm CEST. Entries made after the deadline will not be considered.
- The recipients will be announced on this page on September 22, 2020 at 12pm CEST.
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SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT UPDATE (SEPTEMBER 22, 2020)
First of all a big thank you to all of you who applied. We’ve read every entry, and the beauty you intend to create in the world is both touching and inspiring.
And now, congratulations to the 2020 scholarship recipients:
* Irena Kotiga, Croatia
* Joyce Bergsma, The Netherlands
* Neil Pye, Australia/Norway
We’ll be in touch via email about the next steps.
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Best,
Richard
I interested
1.1 Can’t stop, I know I should plan but “do-fever” sets in. It’s too easy to downgrade pencil time. Some structured guidance would help immensely.
1.2 Been doing low paid farm work for experience. The owner of one farm wants to retire. She likes my work, ideas and ethics so will let me use it for free, progressing to an amicable rent as the enterprises develop. I have ideas for raising capital but need direction with cash flow and financial planning.
1.3 So many enterprises to choose from.
2. I want to be financially secure doing what I love. To contribute to and be appreciated by my community. To connect people with food for mutual benefit, clean air, safe water and living soil.
3.1 I want to create educational opportunities and collaborate with others synergisticly.
3.2 Retiring farmers are fountains of knowledge with much to offer, including access to land which they would rather not see annexed to consolidating soil miners. I hope my farm will help spread regenerative agriculture and holistic thought despite rising property prices and global trade agreements. I want to connect more landowners with enthusiastic farmers.
3.3 There’s room for CSA in my area and
support for local produce. I hope that producing excellent food cooperatively will contribute to community resilience including in matters of health, economics and social responsibility.
3.4 I know that with structure to follow I’ll hit the ground running and make my family and you proud if you pick me for a scholarship. Thank you for the opportunity.
Having set my heart on starting a farm at the beginning of the year, I lack the financial investment and the right training in order to steer me towards the most sustainable and productive farming enterprise. We are in the process of negotiating the lease of six hectares of virgin land with the hope of setting up a market garden and expanding into poultry, sheep and goat farming. Although this is a remote site with no structures and amenities in place, the prospect of turning into a fully functional business excites me. My passion for nature and healthy living is the driving force behind my motivation to establish an organic farm in harmony with our once perfect God given ecosystem. It is really heart rending to see the devastating effects of the inherent use of toxic poisons within the farming practices incorporated by most farms throughout the world. I believe we can all contribute to the protection of our environment by employing a more regenerative way of food production and help safeguard the future of this planet and our children’s health. The knowledge and expertise gained from your course will be an asset I intend on using on our farm as well as passing onto children aged between 4 to 12years entrusted to us by parents in our community at our primary education centre. In these times of major pandemic outbreaks more than ever we need healthier and more resilient bodies which come through eating right.
1. My biggest challenge would be to acquire land. I own a small house on a ( 50 x 100 ft. lot) in a city of 77,000 population. My backyard has four raised beds, a make-shift greenhouse and, some cold-frames mostly for the winter. I would be willing to sell the house and move to the country if I could find a piece of land. To my dismay, I’ve just became aware that, Canada is not a lawfully established Sovereign Nation, which; is making me think there could eventually be civil unrest just like in the States once the word gets out. Along with all the other crap that’s been going on in our country. In the end, possible forced vaccinations. Many things that have been hidden are coming out today. Just like Jesus said, “all that is hidden will be revealed.” I believe we are in those times he spoke of. So God willing, I would like to get into the country before things really get hairy. I know your probably wondering” why” I randomly started talking about that but; I’m just trying to show you, how much I want to start a new life. And it seems more important now than ever before.
2. I want to start a farm so I can work for myself and start a business to help keep my family and the community stay healthy and not dependent on having food shipped into Canada. I’ve worked at a local hospital here in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada for 20 years. I’ve seen and experienced first-hand the devastation of our current circumstances and most of it is cancer and alzeimers. Not the virus, that so much of the media has misinformed the public about. I guess, it depends on whichever news people watch to some extent. I just don’t watch the news anymore. Too much misinformation and indoctrination from 12 years of school lol. The local farmers market and maybe even the grocery stores could benefit from local produce as it seems now, we can’t even get local carrots here. To my astonishment. I’ve been looking lately and the closest are from Nova Scotia and Quebec. So I guess I would like to serve the public to some extent.
3. The “Start the Right Farm” course would give me knowledge about farming. I really don’t know where to start. It is something I’ve wanted to do for awhile now. I would like to empower and possibly even motivate others to be self-sufficient and good to the environment which to me is the permaculture way. My daughter would see how a self-sufficient lifestyle can be achieved and as far as the community. Hopefully, educate others about farming. Providing locally grown food in this day and age is of the utmost importance in my book. I believe that the genetically modified foods and pesticide laden produce are causing most of the cancer. Of course, there are many variables but my belief is: it’s in the food we eat. Local food would help the community. The course would allow me to get some ideas and first-hand experience from some farmers that have already established themselves. I would be able to work from home and have the ability to enjoy the outdoors again. I can only imagine!
Thanks for opportunity,
Sincerely,
Dawn Teakles
1. Figuring out which enterprise to start with and where to start! We have a clear idea of where we would like to end up in several years from now, but we lack the knowledge and experience to see each step we need to take at the beginning.
2. We are moving from Australia to take over my wife’s family conventional potato farm in Norway because we want to regenerate the ecosystem and restore the farm to a diverse and resilient enterprise that can send out a ripple effect into the surrounding area that might see more people value nutritious food and where it comes from.
We have 2 small kids and we’re looking for a lifestyle where we can spend time together in nature and create a legacy that we will be proud to leave them with.
3. This course will kickstart the process of converting the existing farm into a regenerative operation that can create benefits that will go far beyond just serving our family. We are reading your book “Regenerative Agriculture” currently, but this course may sharpen our focus! Hopefully it will help us avoid a few mistakes along the way, especially at the start.
My biggest challenge is capital to build up infrastructure for the farm I owned. I desire to start a farm because it’s my passion I desire to serve the community around me especially lower to middle income family pure organic food at reasonable coast along side I will be mentoring children in the farm on how they can pursue their purpose. I do believe with the right knowledge about farming from your class I will make a great regenerative farm in my country Tanzania for others to learn.
Dear Dafrosa, I would hate for your dream not to have a chance just because your did not follow the rules. Your application should NOT BE SHORTER than 250 words. All the best!
Dafrosa, My bad. I misread the rules. It SHOULD be shorter that 250 words.
My biggest challenge in trying to start a farming business is to completely change my way of living and quit my job as a risk manager in a bank. I want to start a farm because this is what I really want to do in my life and it is a passion that I have since I was a child. My grandfather was a farmer and he taught me many things. For years me and my father have grown vegetables for the family but now I want to switch this activity in a job.
The idea is to sell my vegetables in a local market garden with the aim to give to the people the opportunity to buy top quality vegetables.
The online course would help me to plan and organize the business as effective as possible
My grandfather, who just turned 90 this year, told my father and uncles back in the early 1990’s that he would not be letting them work the small farm that they grew up on. This is the farm that my brother and I adored as children. Growing to believe that someday we would be the caretakers of this land, we were crushed to learn we must pursue careers outside the farm.
The decades that followed, my grandfather rented the land to various so called farmers. The soil has been raped of any carbon. Silt and clay are all that remain. You can easily see that there is no soil biology in existence. Something needs to be done and now that he is older we can move forward with our dreams.
The farm is too small for “conventional” farming, but it is just right for regenerative agriculture. It is a mix of timbered ground and tillable soil. My brother and I are already making some headway with the family. If I can prove to them that keeping the farm whole and implementing several revenue streams will make the farm profitable, I will get to continue a legacy on our land that has lasted since 1886! In my lifetime we will see 200 years of farming on the same land.
This is our dream and we can make it come true.
My biggest challenge of starting my full time farm is money and being a first time dad to my new born daughter. I want to start a farm because it’s my passion and to fulfill the lost income of my wife who is now a stay at home mother. A farm would be a way for us to stay together rather than me get another 9-5 job somewhere else. The scholarship would help my family achieve our dream of being a farming family and being together as much as possible
My biggest challenge is getting access to water for the crops, I have to depend on rain water to water my crops. And I love farm all year round but due to the challenge I’m limited to once a year thus rainy season
I want to start a farm so that I can feed many people who can’t afford food stuffs thus the aged in the community and also get food for my house hold and make endsmeat
I will always avail myself for the course so I can have the requisite knowledge to excle in my farming practice. The course will of great help to me.
My biggest challenge is gaining the confidence to sell my vision to the bankers and other possible money people. Confidence I lack because I don’t know if I can, financially speaking, pull this off.
The idea to start a farm came to me all of a sudden when I was stuck at home with my baby girl. It hit me like bolt of lightning when I realized that this is what I have wanted to do since childhood – be around. Around my family and surrounded by nature. I just never knew there were other ways to farm.
I want to serve all. Food is what brings us together. I want to remind people that there are other ways of eating then prefab. And other ways of living.
The SRF course would help me finish my financial planning, which I really need if I’m to start my farm before the year is over. If all works out my family would gain more time with me. My community would gain an awesome producer happy to to get more involved with the community. As far as my business goes, I’m hoping to get the kickstart it sorely needs.
OMG! I am a Kenyan woman who started farming to impress my white fiance because he loves to grow everything and calls plants his babies! But I only ended up impressing myself! Farming is healing!
Not only that! I love the fact that I’m heading to where I won’t ever have to buy tomatoes which I use alot! I won’t have to ever buy fresh veggies like kale and spinach and mkunde (swahili for cowpeas) and many other veggies that I love!
My biggest challenge is that I’m farming in a small kitchen garden at a rental house and your scholarship could possibly help me to expand from a kitchen garden to a rental farm and maybe in future I can buy and own land and grow veggies to sell to my neighbors too! This way, I’m sure my fiance will definitely marry me and I can invite you to my wedding. Smile.
Okay jokes aside, I really believe that your free course will give me idea and some direction on how, what, when to grow which crop because as it, I have never taken any farming course and I have no idea what I’m doing!
Thanks in advance
.
There are three major challenges we are facing while starting a farm: start up capital, cultural norms and market creation in our region. The same three things are also what we would like to change and are a positive challenge to us. We believe that we need to establish our farm as a regenerative business that could be a roll model in rural Slovenian countryside.
We are perfect candidates for scholarship, as we are financially weak couple of artists (filmmakers), wanting to transition to serious regenerative farming business, doing so on a small budget. We are documenting our journey 🙂
Thank you for the great content
My biggest challenge is not having land, i come from an engineering background living in a city for 90% of my life and since i got to know rural areas that i fell in love, went to various local farms and did some internships there to be sure that it wasn’t just an illusion of lifestyle and fell even more deeply in love!
My objective is to show people here in Portugal that we can have great food from our country, that farmers can learn and be at the forefront of knowledge and not struggle their whole lives and that we can always improve. I want to serve people interested in improving their lives bringing them great and balanced nutrition and great information not only volume for the bellies and minds.
It would help me bringing my plan of a mixed farm to fruition or sharpen its edges so i could feed my family and community while also creating a job for me that i find meaningfull and with infinite possibilities of getting better in various areas.
Hello Richard,
Thank you for offering this special learning opportunity about how best to start a small farm! I appreciate watching your online videos and have gained many useful tips in the months since discovering your postings. In the process, I’ve decided to pursue expanding my home vegetable garden to a formal business and would greatly benefit from participating in your course offering.
The biggest challenge I anticipate is determining our local market needs / demands for fresh produce. What would benefit the most people in our community and how best to provide them the produce I grow in a manner that would cover my associated costs (fair wages to those that help me and material expenses)? My most important personal value that motivates me to start a small farm is the opportunity to be generous, to help people eat healthy affordable, food (including donating food to our local food bank). Secondly, how should we market and distribute produce – CSA, local farmers market, other?
I own one hectare of forest land and I’ve cleared less than half for my home and growing area. Deer, birds, and wildlife continue to share the space with me and my extended family of three. We garden together and are committed to sustainable, non-toxic growing methods. Our maritime climate allows almost year round growing and a large variety of plant cultivation.
My wife, my two children and I purchased an 80 acre farm 2 years ago in beautiful part of Australia. We are not from a farming background , so I would say the biggest change to creating a viable regenerative farming enterprise is a lack of knowledge and how to apply regenerative practices in an area where there is 150 years of poor farming practices such as severe over grazing as well as severe pesticide , herbicide and petrochemical fertiliser usage which has resulted in depleted and compacted land . We bought the farm as a way to be more self-sufficient and grow our own nutrient dense organic food. Having discovered the difference in taste and quality of our own organic food, we would now like to share with our local community ,the benefits of locally produced organic food and hopefully show that a small farm can be both economically viable and improve soil quality without the use of chemicals. I think the course will help focus core business ideas and increase my knowledge and hopefully demonstrate to other farmers a new path in agriculture.
Our (my husband Oscar and I) biggest challenge is a lack of proper experience in farming, the planning in particular, which will make the system as a whole work and keep us financially stable. Last year we purchased a 4 ha property of premontane tropical forest, which has suffered a history of slash-and-burn agriculture. Since then we have worked to revive the existing cocoa plot and native plants, and understand the land’s natural patterns. I’m an ecologist by education and the internet is full of resources, however, we have yet to find a suitable and structured framework to guide us in designing and managing a successful farm, with its intertwined daily, monthly and yearly activities, that is suited to our needs as well as the socioecological characteristics of the place.
We seek to lead a contented, self-sufficient life, selling the abundant and nutritious harvest of our land while regenerating the soil and promoting the recovery of local biodiversity. The farm will also serve as an example and the first training centre in the region on regenerative practices for local farmers.
Frankly, we lack a mentor for this new life direction, and we couldn’t think of a better one than Richard. Since we can’t afford to train at Richdale or take the courses, especially now after 6 months of Covid lockdown and unemployment here in Peru, with the scholarship we would greatly benefit from his expertise and get closer to our dream tropical farm and food forest.
My challenge is the mindset of the parents close to retirement living on the farm. It is mentally tiring to run the farm old ways (keeping goats for making cheese) and building/rebuilding enterprises. Lack of my own resources is certainly a limitation so I have to work with what I can.
Parents need retirement and the sizable farm (25ha+) needs to be taken care of which could use new practices and better management. Leaving my profession due to lack of meaning in the IT field, farming is what I have gravitated to considering my context. Human well-being is what needs to be improved locally as well as in the world. Producing good quality food is a great way to start! Growing up I remember fields had having way taller grass than it is today and I’d love to see it is possible make it return.
The course would provide with guidance as well as help me patch holes in my knowledge (especially market and planning side of things) that I have acquired during my research of market gardening with no dig so far. Addition of fresh diversified local produce could kindle interest to bring back people to the market and hopefully inspire to return to garden with a fresh idea. My father set up community gardens back when he was a surveyor of the local municipality and starting his own farm during the Third Awakening of Latvia. It would be a way of continuing what he started.
I am learning about regenerative farming since 2016. I am a conventionally trained farmer; my wife and I are trying to create capital to finance a farm in the south of Estonia. We have a small boy and plans for many more kids – my wife is working 24hr/7d shifts being a mom and housewife, even tho it is one if the most valuable things I have seen, it doesn’t create income. Our biggest limiting factor at the moment are cash flow and the lack of a businessplan.
We want to create a space where nature and culture can be aligned; where financial needs are met and the natural dynamics are respected, where all life can express itself and fulfill it’s purpose.
This place is serving us and our local economy; it lets us live in accordance with our needs, while regenerating the land.
While establishing the farm, we are opening a space for other people to see and learn with us for a better future – now, next year, in ten-, and in 300 years.
We have many ideas and dreams. This winter we took off to create the plan that will be the foundation for our future. This course will help me organize all my thoughts into actuality, it will help us as a family to focus and stay on the path, the plan that will come from this course will bring hope and truths to our community and will be the foundation for our business.
We have many challenges, but the two biggest have been land that is primarily sand, and an overgrowth of Tree of Heaven that is everywhere. With no tractors, it’s just a middle-aged couple and hand tools.
Before my aunt died of cancer, she told me, “We are eating it [cancer].” Deep contemplation and a little research and I believe her. I grew up on a commercial farm and saw what that did to the land. After my company laid off, I cashed out my retirement and started getting ready to feed the land so it could feed us. I’m a little terrified to start over at 43 but alas, here I am. I’d rather work 14 hours a day for myself than 8 hours a day in a factory again.
With nearly six acres to farm, I’d love to offer my family and my community good, healthy food grown without harmful chemicals. I want to aid the biodiversity in the land, but I know I need help. And it’s a challenge to ask. What’s left of my retirement is dwindling. Assistance with any education would be a blessing.
Two years ago my husband and I took out a mortgage and purchased his childhood home. It sits in the middle of 26 acres that at one time was a tobacco farm, then dairy farm and finally a beef cow farm. His great grandfather built the first home here in 1908 his grandmother and grandfather later built their home here in the 50’s all by hand! She still lives here now and at age 90 is not shy about imparting her gardening wisdom, which does not follow the school of regenerative agriculture 😆She thinks we’re crazy when we use our chickens to prep garden plots! “Just till and throw down some 10-10-10!” she says. But it’s our dream to see this transformed back into a working farm using regenerative practices so that we may provide our family and community with healthy food and so that we may teach others. Being a former teacher I have recently started a “Farm School” class for elementary students. They come and spend two hours a week learning about chickens and gardening. I hope to expand this! Our biggest obstacle is the capital to rebuild the infrastructure that was once here and add new infrastructure but more importantly how to actually make a real profit. For example we have started raising poultry on pasture only 50 at a time because just building the tractor is an expense for us. We do not own the processing equipment so we have to rent it each time we process which greatly reduces our profit. I believe this course will give me what I need to make a focused and organized plan to move us to the next place in our journey. I have followed Ridgedale and Richard over the past year and found that I can identify with his views regarding agriculture and farming more than any other person I have found. My husband and I have a dream that one day this farm will all be ours and our three children can grow up here and move their own families here to farm as well. I think this course would be a step in making our dream a reality. Thank you for your consideration.
Financial resources, is kind of difficult for me in my context to decide where to take a step o how to choose where to put my inicial money. I want to start little but efficient.
To provide good quality food for me, my son, my wife and a family income. I currently work on a 5 hect. farm in France, we grow vegetables there. Also used to work on a very little farm in Xochimilco, Mex. where we basically try lots of stuff, this gave me some experience on what my limits are. I`m convinced that agriculture is a powerful tool to change human and nature interactions for better or for worse.
I need a frame, an example, a guide of a realistic way of starting a farm business that begins little/part time and grows from there. I knew Richard in Oaxaca, Mex. some years ago, I was really inspired then and find his resources really insightful and useful.
Dear Richard,
Thanks for this opportunity, the timing to find this is perfect as I am pondering to start a farm but face the huge challenge of having a family with no background in being entrepreneurial (therefore very negative to my ideas, those are seen as irresponsibly risky!) and thus no support. I was recently laid off from a regular job and at the age of 52 I am too old to rock-and-roll but too young to die. I am finally debt-free and will have the cash to buy a small property (1-4 ha) in rural Sweden (I am Swedish) in about yet another year (whilst continuing to save money best I can).
I want to start a farm for several reasons: improve the quality of the food I am eating and help others in my proximity to do the same and be part of the solution in the way food is produced by farming according to organic / permaculture principles; improve the way I see myself by becoming more self-sufficient, I think it would give me completely new sense of empowerment (as employed I feel I only got paid for performing certain tasks).
Your youtube channel has been an inspiration for quite a while; now I would need to put a practical plan in place to see if the math works out and convince myself that I can do this and The Start the Right Farm would be the perfect course to take the next step.
The biggest challenge for me and my husband as we start our farm journey is the right utilisation of our investment, since we have planned our budget , we have decided on a small batch livestock first and which also includes a piggery to start things first . Since we are newly married couple in our mid twenties we lack experience (but ever ready to learn ) therefore our biggest challenge for us will surly be the next step and the proper way to keep up with things and to minimise our mistakes .
We want to start a farm because we both have a same idea that is a way of life which includes growing your own produce whilst being able to generate a stable income , along with regenerative agriculture to bring a change in way of growing as everyone here believes in tilling the ground before planting a crop . We want to take an initiative to bring a change in our locality slowly but surly . As for my family , we live as a joint family , I want us to bond strong together with good food and a healthy lifestyle . Lastly for myself healthy food and healthy lifestyle means everything to me ,it is a cure for diseases , I have always been passionate about the nutrients I eat all thanks to my Mumma.
This course would mean a mini map to me for my goal ,that is self growth, family happiness and health and ultimately a beautiful permaculture like yours Richard .thankyou 😊
My biggest challenge is starting a small scale farm using organic practices in Colombia, where commercially grown produce is king. Large seed and chemical companies want to keep their monopoly in selling modified seeds, hybrids, and petrol based pesticides/fungicides.
I want to start a farm for two main reasons, among others. One, I want people in Colombia to respect their rural food producers again, and to be willing to pay a fair price for their hard work. Two, to get people interested in eating vegetables again, and too possibly look more closely at where their meat comes from as well. The quality of produce here is very sad, but the market is here!
Start the Right Farm course has appeared in the perfect moment. I bought 2 hectares near Villa de Leyva, Colombia in February and am currently in the middle of my design process. I think the course would truly allow me to create the best design possible, and have the best chance of showing that these small scale models work and can provide a better quality of life to rural communities who desperately need to feel pride in what they do again, which is feed their country.
Hi Richard,
I have been employed in agriculture for the past 5 years, my biggest struggle is focusing all of my knowledge, experience and ideas into a realistic clear plan forward.
I want to farm because when starting out as a volunteer one winter, knowing that the cows were fed, clean and content was more fulfilling to me than anything id ever done. Since then nothing has seen that feeling wane.
Over the years my love of farming has developed. Through working in conventional UK agriculture I have discovered what does and doesn’t align with my beliefs and the past couple of years I have become more involved with holistic regenerative practices. My passion lies within ecologically sound farming systems with a special focus on pasture raised livestock.
I want to serve myself in terms of fulfilment, finance and health. I also don’t believe that any business sits alone in its success, but is part of an ecosystem with those that surround it. I sincerely hope that my future farm will serve all the people that come into contact with it and I would like my farm to be a successful part of my community which people can trust.
I don’t have any land, any livestock and financially I’m starting with very little but I am determined and confident that this is what i need to do. I believe your course would give me the guidance and framework to move forward that I so desperately need.
Thank you, Rebecca
1st challenge is to determine how we could harvest enough water on an arid place like the one we live ( Nuevo Leon, Mexico), once we had determine this, we follow to make a plan of how much we could produce in vegetables, therefore this could be a business.
Our state depends on the imported food, because in Nuevo Leon is almost null the production, by now exist a big interest to get healthy, organic and local food in Monterrey city, where we have a little business (@urbanfarmmx) that sales organic products, currently we have noticed a demand increment and there are no more producers that could satisfy it, with this farm is our goal to open the offer for more and better products.
We want to spread the impulse to people that are producing just a little or don’t work their fields at all; therefore we would have a bigger demand and diversified crops. There are a lot of people that are currently looking for an advice; providing it, would be an extra income for our business.
Indeed it will help me to have a better structure and centered vision for the business. To my family, eating healthier and live with less stress if we work it with a good plan. For my community; offering healthy and local products, doing this we could extend our business to reach more families that need to acquire organic products to improve their health and well being.
Thank you for the opportunity !
I have been dreaming of living sustainably for years. After 30 years as a paramedic in the big city of Vancouver Canada I have finally retired and moved to a rural property. I purchased a beautiful home with two acres of pasture where I hope to change my life and health by living and eating organically. I imagined I would supplement my pension with a small market garden. There is lots of good water here and I have some of the fundamentals from watching your videos, but I honestly don’t really know where to start.
I wish I could come to your beautiful home and participate in hands on learning but unfortunately it is not feasible for me. I would love to have any opportunity to learn, if I could be chosen for your scholarship I know I would have the footing I need to realize my dream, and I am committed to teaching and encouraging everyone who will listen to consider this type of lifestyle change.
Thank you so much for your wonderful videos, I live vicariously through you in the land of healthy living
We have burned with a growing passion for regenerative agriculture for the last 6 years. This passion was driven by my wife’s auto-immune disease, which was primarily turned around through eating food produced on regenerative principles.
Healthy soil led to healthy animals and food, which led to a healthy gut, and a healthy Anne.
Our mission now is to produce nutrient dense food that heals people’s bodies while restoring the environment. And (in time) to train aspiring fellow South Africans to farm regeneratively too, helping regenerative agriculture take root at the tip of Africa. That is why we want to farm. We want to be a part of shifting our national mindset around farming practices and provide food with integrity to the city of Cape Town.
The biggest obstacle is definitely a lack of finances and business know-how to start a regenerative agriculture enterprise. We have stepped out of salaried employment to start developing flexible supplementary income streams but have not yet managed to make ends meet each month. This course would enable us to think clearly through our financial plan and preparation, and will enable us to approach possible investors. We are dreaming about this farm with another family member, so I also anticipate this course helping us have the financial conversations we need to have before we actually start the farm. Finances are very tight for us right now – all the more reason to learn financial principles. This course and scholarship would be a huge gift.
My biggest challenge to starting a farm is getting myself into a position financially to be able to start a successful business without unreasonable risk of failure. A large portion of that hurdle is determining actual finances needed to make a full jump into purchasing a farm. This includes start up costs, first year’s operation costs, and total land requirements for the various ventures I would like to pursue in the first year of operation, and subsequent years as the farm expands and becomes more diverse.
I want to start a farm in order to live a lifestyle I’ve always dreamed of, working outdoors with plants and animals in a way that is sustainable, and regenerative to the land. As a CCA working with farmers using conventional farming practices, I have seen conventional systems mine the soil and degrade the land for future generations. I would like to show that it is possible to leave behind a successful farm and operating blueprint for future generations that will improve the soil and the land.
The course would help me, my family, and business by helping push me into the next step of planning a successful farm business. It would help with laying the groundwork for fostering a healthy and active lifestyle for me, my wife and my inlaws, who intend to help me in my pursuit. Eventually leading to a farm which provides a superior product, free of harmful pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals for the community in which I reside.
As unemployed mom since march, with management diploma and 7 years finance career, I decided this year to pull the best from homestead we’ve been developing for past 4 years (5 goats, 20 chickens, big garden and orchard on 2500m2). I had this dream for long. After 5 months of this experiment I can’t see myself in the office anymore. We had great response and big demand for our products (cheese, milk, yoghurt, meat and eggs). My biggest challenge is to make good financial and selling plan by the end of the year to make sure I can insure myself a salary.
Goat is a symbol of region Istra since roman empire, but now there’s just a few goatkeepers left, and demand for its product is huge. We want to be a part of revitalisation and meanwhile inspire young people through workshops, on site visits, blog and youtube to comeback to work the land. There is so much unused land that slowly becomes forest, what before has feed the people is now bush. All focus here is on tourism through hotels and appartments. We would love to prove them it can be done differently and people could still make a living from the land.
This course would help me gain clarity in sorting things out, from first seed to the customers basket. It would strenghten my intention to give up office jobs that bring me anxiety and make me depresive when i’m back home with my family. Thanks for opportunity!
My biggest challenge, honestly, sales. I think I can put out good, novel product — but I don’t know how to translate that into customers, and that’s holding me back. You can’t commit investment if you can’t formulate a reasonable plan for recovering it and you can’t commit resources to educating people if you don’t know how to best convey that point.
Starting a farm for me is an opportunity to test my ideas; show the world just how good food can be, both in the sense of flavour but also for the environment. Showing people that farming isn’t necessarily a simple endeavour; big ideas are as welcome as small. An opportunity to both learn, and teach, with no instant gratification.
This course I think would help me push past that biggest hurdle — understanding the market, investment, what costs matter and what costs don’t, what enterprises matter short term vs long term, and how to balance a vision with what the community around me needs and wants.
1 My biggest challenge is land (farm space). One of the things that I would like to achieve is to start a not for profit public farm. To teach the less fortunate communities about farming and to better use public lands. Thus, not farm on my own land.
2 Using public land to farm for the less fortunate we can help get good food to many individuals that need it but also get better quality food to my community. Depending on the funding structure.
3 To get government by in (even for a trial run) you would need results from the beginning. The more I know from the beginning the better. I believe it can change many factors in my community if we could harness public unused land or land below major electricity infrastructure to grow food and not be open grasslands.
1. For me the biggest challenge would be to acquire enough knowledge in order to be able to persuade the people around me (mostly family) that I am serious about moving to the countryside and not just daydreaming as an escape from daily routine. Money is also an issue but minor as compared to confidence boost and credibility towards my family.
2. As a chemical engineering by training, I am tired of living in a world of big scale processes and complex logistics. I want to start my own farm so that I can put my creativity to work but with respect to sustainability and nature preservation. I aspire to contribute to my village which is dying of old age and try to attract young people to this way of living. My dream is to give some life back to this village, offer knowledge and findings from my work to other people so that they too can live and produce more sustainably and finally return to a simpler way of living, the one my grandfather enjoyed but with the perks of technology and access to knowledge.
3. I hope that with the Start the Right Farm I can boost my knowlegde on Regenerative Agriculture and also acquire some knowledge pertaining to economics and farm management.
My Biggest challenge is convincing the community as my parents come from very deprived area in India. we are indigenous people, historically marginalised and have little to no land, which people are not farming or getting any income (may be one crop a year) but most of them are working as labourers in big cities where they are getting abused physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. with no future for their children as they can’t study due to the nature of their parent’s work. We have small piece of land (4 acres between 3 uncles and my dad) and i want to do farming the right way with the use of latest practices and technologies (I am technocrat) and show them that we can survive with small piece of land and if we can all do it together and help out each other (by starting a co-operative) then the whole community will be able support each other and not only survive but thrive too. So, I have started Project Olive which I have got my family’s buy in, and now convincing my uncles and cousins, and in the end the whole community. but to do that I need to know myself how to do all this, and I am learning online but still think need proper guidance in doing this. I am learning about Permaculture and IoT based farming, but I need overall approach which I believe your course will provide.
In South Africa, the government is confiscating farms owned by white South Africans under the policy of “expropriation without compensation”.
It is simply a method of winning votes, as they have promised to transfer these farms to landless Africans. After confiscating farms, however, they are handing the farms out to the political elite who simply strip them bare. This is causing racial division between all ethnic groups (ala Zimbabwe).
The only solution that I can see is to lease portions of land from farmers who are at risk of losing their farms. Together with fellow Africans I wish to work the land in a co-op model. If Africans (as opposed to only Europeans) are invested in a farm, the government cannot confiscate it.
Using Joel Salatin’s approach of Stacking Fiefdoms, we wish to develop a multi-racial model that merges instead of divides us. The long term goal is to empower landless locals to eventually buy their own land, and replicate the practices learnt (as a community) on leased land.
Essential to making this model work is the ability to develop an effective business strategy in order to ensure maximum chance of success. I am applying for this scholarship as the knowledge learnt will be spread not only throughout my immediate community in the Cape, but eventually country-wide. The resources and willpower is here already, but we want to do it right.
Considering that Sub-Saharan Africa is facing famine and severe food shortages, this is of utmost importance to this region.
1. I believe the biggest challenge is having a better clarity and understanding of details, related mainly with the practicalities of structuring and maintaining a costumer and market base, and in a way also related with detail management of your enterprises. Beyond the experience I’ve gained, I want to get very clear on the (smaller) things that can make a big difference in the success of a young farm.
2. I want to start a farm because I feel it’s a bridge between my wish to live a “Natural” lifestyle of working as a farmer and what is beyond that immediate surrounding, by engaging and serving with my local town, through the production of nutritious food and an impact and development on the vitality of landscape and the culture of the region. After establishing a successful cycle of food production, I would hope to serve as a place for meeting of ideas, perspectives and methods, where agriculture can find space for being discussed and innovated. Also as a place for family and friends, where the local community can find a safe space for meeting with stories and music.
3. We (my partner and I) are projecting to start a market garden veg and herb production, together with a flock of layers, in my partners land. This course would help us to identify and clarify the best ways to establish and maintain cash flow seasonally, through well planned and prepared season targets and tasks.
I am working with a First Nation in Canada who wishes to farm about 12,000 acres of their privately held land, currently being leased to local conventional farmers. These lands present cultural, economic, and educational opportunities for the Tribe and adjacent communities, and potentially Canada as a whole. The Tribe wishes to reclaim direct management of the land and develop the enterprises to support these opportunities. Opportunities for the Tribe include achieving food security, growing employment, training skilled tradespeople, and engaging in economic trade with the greater community. The tribe has specifically expressed interest in the use of regenerative agriculture and smart farm practices to create these opportunities. We have several interested stakeholders including local post-secondary and government institutions which all want to see this project succeed.
Many of us feel like this could be a national icon for Indigenous culture and reconciliation action. This project could be used as an example of how the Tribe’s relationship with government can shift from being perceived as a “fiscal burden” to becoming generative to society. The better we can prove farm income streams and show that we have projects which are shovel-ready, the easier it will be to execute our dollar acquisition strategies. The biggest challenge for us has been to formulate these farm plans to find investors and capital to help initiate this ambitious project. Start the Right Farm online course would help us develop these farm plans to attract the investment and expertise that would drive the necessary momentum for this project.
Hi Richard,
God bless you and your family. Thanks for the opportunity to participate. Let’s go!
1. Procuring land.
2. My goal: I will rebuild my grandpa’s vision of a family homestead. He started homesteading when he was roughly my age (38). Everybody ridiculed him at first because he quit his handsomely paying job to “toil in the fields”, but in the end even though he didn’t become rich, it was his homestead that saved my family from starvation in communist Romania. Sadly, we moved to Germany, he passed away shortly after and my parents sold the property. When I told my family and GF that my purpose is to become a homesteader like grandpa, they weren’t happy because “farming doesn’t pay”, “it’s so much work” (so what?), “you know nothing about farming, Jon Snow” etc. The same things everybody told grandpa back then. Thank God he didn’t listen, either!
3. To be honest I only bought your book last month and didn’t even know about this course or the scholarship. I googled “how to farm” on YouTube – that’s how I found you. The timing is perfect: This course will be the crucial first step on my journey and with your experience and guidance I know I can succeed and start a profitable business. Providing great, clean and healthy food for the community and my family as well as building “a hill to grow on” for our future children (like my grandpa did) is my purpose.
Dear Richard,
My name is Christy Kendall and I am an urban gardener currently residing in California. I am applying on behalf of me and my husband Kevin Kendall . We have been studying farming for the last 3 years as we have begun to grow 70% of the food we eat here in our small urban plot. My husband is a chef and we have plans to open a sustainable farm to table wedding venue in Nashville Tennessee by 2022 – we had planned originally to do this in 2021 but covid had other plans. Our biggest struggle at the moment in moving forward has been finding the proper land, designing proper layout and understanding the algorithm of how much to plant in order to not over or underproduce. We feel called to start a farm because we want to stand as a green example in an otherwise very unsustainable industry (weddings) and provide not just the food but also the flowers to those who come together at our venue. We want to be able to give our community the experience of not just enjoying a meal and beautiful event but seeing where the meal comes from and connect them to the land they are on so they come away with a feeling of responsibility for it. We want to host community events, festivals and other such events to get people excited about local produce and green living (we are an active zero waste family). As avid watchers of your YouTube channel we feel that your course would be indispensable in helping us create our farm from start to finish as we get closer to our dream.
We thank you for your time in reading our application and appreciate the opportunity.
Warmly,
Christy & Kevin Kendall
1.My biggest challenge starting a farm is becoming overwhelmed with incorporating my knowledge with permaculture principles, I become overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. My partner and I have recently brought 100-acre farm in Australia and trying figure out where to begin and understand our land, for example: we had a spring pop up last winter which constantly ran through our dry hot summer.
2.Becoming a mother has changed me and my ethics, I want to be able to provide my family, friends and one day my small community with fresh produce. With today’s statistics with overall health, it is important that we ensure everyone can have access to the most important medicine of all. Fresh produce and good quality meat and poultry.
3.My partner and I have always wanted to open a business/shop and sell fresh produce to our community. With gaining more knowledge and guidance hopefully one day I will be able to open my very own business, which could lead to job opportunities for my community. I have the privilege to be a stay at home mother and I think it’s important to get the kids involved so that they can learn, get their hands dirty and appreciate where our food comes from, and hopefully one day they will be able to take their knowledge and do greater things.
1. The greatest challenge I have experienced thus far is attempting to put all the pieces together of starting a business legitimately.
2. I want to start a farm to teach my children a trade while learning to become self sufficient. Farming allows for critical thought, problem solving, and empathy. All these things are crucial for growth in a well rounded adult.
3. This online course will give me insights needed to get started with a clear plan. A successful start will pass on better vegetables and savings to my community. Also, my neighbors will be forced to ask questions about my success, then I will discuss your online course and how it helped. Thank you for the opportunity!
1. I am an “educated” Indian who never lived in a village, never farmed. I feel driven to farm because our soil is dying, our rivers are disappearing and I MUST do something to bring it to life and raise awareness. My biggest challenge is I cannot afford consultants, but a course that can help design, plan and execute will truly help.
2. Our farmers are simple people stuck in a rut. They grow cheap staples and sell at pitiful prices to dealers (who make a massive profit). I and 56, single mother of two grown up kids and HUNGRY to create meaning for whatever years remain. I want to spend the rest of my life in a small village called Dabol in Uttarakhand, lead by example, show them first that organic farming not only works, it is the ONLY way to honour Mother Earth. I also want to help create channels of direct sales for them so that they get the right value for their hard work. Sales is my forte so I believe I can find hotels, hospitals, restaurants and online channels to sell on.
3. Currently, few people in this village have a decent life. By teaching them to grow intelligently and sell directly, I hope to enable many families to live better. But to do that, I first need to set a successful example and demonstrate what works. And right now, I am looking at picture of the farm and thinking “Where would I START? HOW would I do this?”
Hello, Our biggest challenge in starting a farm is without a doubt having the courage to do it. We have a small market garden which is largely based on the concepts I read in your book Regenerative Agriculture, as well as the Market Gardener by Fortier. Myself and wife really want to make the next big step, move back to my homeland, Ireland, where we intend to buy a farm of approximately 5 hectares. Our main drive for starting a farm is to build soil ecology and farm biodiversity. We will do this by producing better than organic food for a local community, in doing so we hope to be a model for diverse and profitable small scale farming in the south of Ireland. We have a global concept using holistic management techniques, we believe our forms of production could lead us to being financially independent, however we are naturally nervous to make the step. As we are an older couple in our 40’s, with children, it represents a step away from the “norm” at a rather late time in our life. We don’t believe it’s too late and we believe in our principles. We hope that your online course will go deeper into the concepts, finances and techniques explained in your book. In doing so it will give us a deeper self-confidence and courage to leave our current jobs and build an ecologically diverse farm supporting local community food needs.
My biggest challenge getting started is knowing WHERE to start!! Once I have somewhere to lay my head, what do I do next? Build a barn, start the gardens, get the orchard going? I want the most success possible with the fewest oopsies – I’m no spring chicken anymore and want to have something beautiful and amazing to leave for my kids, grandkids and friends.
I want to start a farm to be able to grow as much of my own food as possible from fruits and vegetables, to grains and even meats. It’s really important to me to have that food security, and know just what went into the things I ingest for maximum health and energy. In order to support doing all that has to be done, I want to provide the community around me a source of the same kind of food at prices that help them choose healthy over over poisoned foods. Maybe even get a system started where others can come to learn (and help out) all the processes necessary to a good life.
Having a resource already mapped out, showing what has already been done successfully, what failures to avoid, and community to ask questions would really be something fabulous! I can just imagine being able to be successful so much easier with this resource than without it. No matter how much experience I have earned over the years, there is always so much more to learn.
1. Hi, my biggest challenge will be to establish an enterprise/s that are both profitable and manageable to start on my own whilst being the primary caregiver for my two young children. Secondary to that, is finding affordable land with adequate water or starting enterprises that suit the conditions. Water efficiency and availability here in Australia is a key consideration.
2. After spending 15 years managing natural resources from an office, I yearn to make a measurable difference on a local scale. I see a regenerative farm to be an optimum place to raise my children and be a place for learning and healing for the wider community whilst delivering ecological benefits for the environment.
3. The course will help me establish a farm more efficiently by providing me with a framework for meaningful consideration of possible enterprises. I need to start a profitable farm that is manageable (particularly from a time and stress perspective) with young children and can be scaled or diversified as they grow older. Most importantly, I hope the correct planning will help me avoid unhealthy levels of stress- something I experienced in my office job and which put great strain on me and my family. Finally, I hope to share this experience and support others in achieving the same.
Thank-you for all the content you have provided, I have already learnt a lot and Ridgedale is a great inspiration.
1. My biggest challenge is that I live in rural northern Japan where organic, sustainable farming methods are completely misunderstood. They believe organic is full of pests and doesn’t look as good.
2. I love everything about farming. I have been a car electronics design engineer, software engineer, (embarrassingly) English teacher, and web developer, but nothing makes me feel so fulfilled as growing and cooking my own food. I used to pass people working in their fields on my way to work after leaving my own garden and wished I could trade places. I got laid off because of COVID and decided it was time to make my dream come true and start a farm.
I’m going into business farming because Japan’s future of farming is very bleak. Younger people need to get excited about farming, because the average age of farmers here is 67. Japan needs a farming revolution, and I want to reach as many people as I possibly can by proving regenerative, organic, sustainable farming practices work and work well. The old ways aren’t exciting or sustainable.
3. I’ve been growing vegetables organically since 2011. I work on a farm and I have a lot of land to grow food on; but I need ideas for marketing, organization, and planning so I wanted to take the online full course. Unfortunately, I have invested so much this year in my farm, I found the cost was too high for me at this time.
Thank you for this opportunity.
I started small greenhouse 1 year ago and I am limited to grow different plants so I want to start mini farm that produces different nutrient dense crops. My biggest challenge is finance and I dont know how to planning the plant growing plan. I dont have cristal clear plan for start new mini farm. I want to determine my context before start this farm.
I live in middle Asia. In my country people have no idea what is regenerative agriculture, compost, role of biology in plants and eat vegetables without chemicals. I want to change that belief and build regenerative farm to support my family.
I as mentioned before in my community has a belief that without chemicals can not grow vegetables profitably. We need to understand new healthy and profitable vegetable production.
From El Bolsón, Patagonia. The biggest challenge in starting a farm is probably understanding the flow of resources, the natural ones and the monetary ones. Trying to understand what existing resources I am overlooking, and also trying to understand what necessary resources I am lacking but overlooking. But the greatest challenge is interlocking these material complexities with the social, cultural and historic complexities of the human experience, which has marked the landscape in ways we can sometimes consider irreparable. My greatest challenge in life and therefore when starting a farm is being a force of reparation of these scars.
I have been farming in the Patagonian region for about ten years, both in the humid Andean region with a market a garden (this is my income-base), and also in the arid steppe region working with small sheep farmers and regenerative pasturing.
This course would help me bring so much valuable information to people who need it (both in urban and rural areas) and are thirsty for it but do not have access to the perkins genius because of language barrier and in many cases very limited access to connectivity. As a by-product I wish to improve my own practices to build my experience and knowledge and also give a good example. I very much value not only the content of Richard´s teaching but also the pedagogic method based on coherence and integrity.
As I do not yet have land, nor much capital, but am more than willing and able. The tools, knowledge, and resources to produce a viable business plan, and with that, gain the necessary confidence to commit, and secure funds to start the right farm in a foreign country, is the biggest challenge for me.
After reevaluating my contribution to life, it is time to take responsibility for my impact, and provide a better quality of life for myself, and my family, while bringing social, economic, and ecologic value to all I interact with. Like you said: “Looking after your own needs first, in the service of the whole”. And as I am a hospitality man, I would like to socialize, and do a part of sales & marketing by also providing a Saturday brunch at the farm to all my friends, their friends, and with that change what we value.
Your scholarship would help me to achieve all of the above and much more. Thank you for your consideration.
1.) Lack of experiential and intellectual capital.
2.) My wife and I have been gifted 3/4 of an acre of land and have potential access to about 23 acres of family owned land nearby. We are going to learn how to be good neighbors and steward this land well. Our family is made up of my wife Julianne and I and so far we have been blessed with three daughters and one son. They will grow up on the same family homestead that I grew up on and my great grandparents purchased 75 years ago this year. We believe that being a family intimately involved with each other and the place we live will be good for our household and bless those around us.
Also… “So that we can eat” – Annie (our 5-year-old daughter)
3.) My hope is for our family to gain some of the intellectual capital we need and then invest the financial capital saved from the scholarship to start our farm and together build a ‘nutrient bank’ that can serve our family and neighbors way after we are gone.
My biggest challenge as a farm school teacher, owner of 4 hectare of unused land and trying to start a farm is addressing a crises at school level, enabling children to drive the change within our community. I want to start the farm up in order to be able to encourage local schools in the community to set up their own market gardens with our farm school being the ” training center”. My mission is through our school children getting our communities in South Africa involved in their own food production, utilizing the unused land on my farm, creating local employment, sustainability and giving teachers from rural schools educational resources, and allowing children to connect with the Earth. Being awarded a bursary to do the STRF online course will assist me to align myself with international trends; install an open-source space where children can learn in a tactile environment, where geography, science, biology and economics can be brought to life in a biologically diverse environment with the primary focus being to grow food, minds and community by nurturing children and communities so that we all can become advocates for change. Everyone would benefit as all market garden produce would be sold to the community, providing nutritious food, local employment, a small revenue stream and an environment that is uplifting for our children
1. Not having someone to turn to for solid advice. Although I have spent time with a lot of local farmers, with their practices being so different to what I wish to pursue there is a limit to their usefulness. Second challenge is finances. Having bought a 2 hectare plot of land last year and a Defender as a tractor alternative I then lost all my income this year thanks to Covid (my ‘real’ job is DJing at weddings)!
2. Before marrying an Italian and moving to Tuscany I worked for a charity in inner city Bristol working with vulnerable people. The desire to work with people has stuck and although the context couldn’t be more different, I believe a thriving farm could provide the ideal setting to create meaningful relationships that bring healing on many levels. I am setting up various enterprises to involve and provide employment for others. Secondly since having children we have focused more on what we eat and realised that it is basically impossible to get good meat here without raising it yourselves. We want to also offer others who can’t farm themselves the chance to have access to this quality of food.
3. I want to avoid making silly mistakes which will waste time, money and energy so the chance to learn from others’ experience is invaluable. Unfortunately it is not easy to find such people hence my desire to tap into Ridgedale knowledge as much as possible.
1. Right now my biggest challenge is time management. Figuring out what is priority, and where to invest my time.
2. We started a farm to grow good food and to teach our children where it comes from. It has now turned into this desire to teach and provide our community with the best locally sourced food we can provide. We want to serve our family and our community. I want to change the mind set that high quality food is affordable and obtainable.
3. This course would give us the direction we need to help our farm grow into its fullest potential. Our farm growing and producing high quality nutrient dense food would give our community, friends, and family access to that which is what it’s all about. We have been blessed with a beautiful piece of land and it is our responsibility to make sure the land has what it needs in return. I believe this course will educate us in how we can care for the land while providing for those around us.
How to make decisions, successfully identify all areas of their impact and plan accordingly in the face of complexity? How can I build an enterprise from the ground up, holistically? These are challenging questions, and by following a structured framework and knowledge gained from the course will help me tremendously to
-understand the importance of different factors present in my project, and weigh accordingly
-establish a realistic view on what enterprise and approach fits my context best
-come up with a solid and detailed plan tailored to that context
-replace guesswork with clear and holistic decisions.
My vision is to be financially secure while serving with passion in a progressive and intelligent manner. To join and support a resilient community of healers, educators and artists by producing high-quality food following and spreading regenerative practices, creating a demonstration ground for sustainable and financially viable small scale farming, promoting the importance of local food, soil health, preserving biodiversity, and being joyfully active while doing so.
Demand for diverse ecological food is present on-site, meaning from next year I have a steady and expanding market that consists of a clinic, a nursery home, all their residents and a couple of families working on those projects. Their aim is to shift their balance from imported supplies to local produce.
To apply for relevant funds, I have to be able to show a viable plan that shouts of professional thought and careful planning. Your wisdom is welcome to guide me through this process. Thanks!
1. Hello, my fiance and I would love to participate in this course. We have apprenticed on various farms for several years trying to learn all we can. We recently inherited some land (huge blessing!) that his grandfather used to farm conventionally . We dream of making a living off the land and treating it responsibly. Our biggest challenge is developing a long-term plan that puts our (currently very small) resources to work as optimally as possible so we can grow and build from it. We would like to learn how to make a smart, large plan and how to break it down into achievable steps.
2. We want to start a farm because we know there is nothing better than creating a healthy, thriving space where we can take care of the land that takes care of us. Understanding that there are many problems with the main food systems of today, we want to participate in healing and rectifying these systems. We hope to serve our local community and help educate people on better food choices and more sustainable lifestyles. While there is not much current emphasis on regenerative agriculture in our town, there is curiosity and we are inspired to make an impact.
3. This course would supremely benefit our process in these beginning stages of our farm. We would like to set some larger goals and put plans into action. Learning how to turn our dreams into a successful business would mean the world to us. Thank you.
1. Making the case for various enterprises that I am considering; how do I ensure I’ve planned for success? I need help planning the big picture, down to the practical details to ensure that I don’t exhaust myself, before making a profit.
2. My partner just bought a small piece of land in his hometown to be closer to the sea, nature and sun. We want to demonstrate a circular way to farm, regenerate the soil, grow unique products that can add value to local restaurants and provide a place for learning. As a nutritional therapist I’m keen to demonstrate to the community how important nutritious food is for our health.
3. Although I’ve been gardening for several years, I’m inspired through my work at Patagonia to take on more and positively impact the environment, but need to be able to make a profit at the same time . The risk needs to be mitigated and I want to approach it with my eyes open. I’ve watched many of your videos on youtube and can’t get enough. I work part-time and just can’t afford your course at the moment.
Hello Mr. Perkins.
I’m just a random guy sitting on a plot of land but I have a dream.
A dream of running a farming business on a little scale for my community.
Everyday since I found your channel I’ve been more assured that that’s the
way I could improve the lives of my family, friends and neighbors. By providing them
with more resilient and healthier food and
providing a proof of whats possible on a little piece of land. Every workday I have to listen to
old school understanding that ‘You wont make a dime out of it, it’s not worth it’
and every weekend I hear parenting lessons of how ‘the conventional agriculture is
the only way to grow food for profit’. Lack of education and financial difficulties
being the key issue i see this opportunity as an absolute problem solver. Please help
me change my community.
Sincerely, a fan.
Hello Richard and Ridgedale Team
What an inspiration and wealth of knowledge!
1. Growing up and working on the 15 ha conventionally farmed family smallholding; 6 ha orchards and 5 ha vegetables produced on sandy soil in Hungary. After finishing agricultural college I decided to get out of it all as I could not resonate with the farming ethics.
Living in England for 10 years, I am ready to move back to Hungary and become the holistic guardian of the land.
My biggest challenge is the lack of know-how to transform the smallholding into an ecologically, financially and ethically thriving place.
2. I want to return to farming because that is where I am free and happy.
The right way of farming is healing through connecting to Mother Earth and all it`s living creatures; healing through producing nutritious food which become medicine and healing nature`s traumas around us.
3. With the RFS course knowledge I will become an advocate in the local area to create a sustainable farming system where successful business, ecological biodiversity and community life would influence each other in a positive way.
Thank you for your consideration
All the best
Erzsebet
My biggest challenge is money to invest. I have to start very small and choose well where to put my money in order to avoid debt and start growing from there. Another challenge is to start from scratch and plan it from there, as I have experience running an established farm already.
It’s a life style I pursue/dream for many years, want to do it on my own now, instead of working for someone else. I want to bring people healthy local food and to show it is possible to farm small without chemicals and tractors, and at the same time have a positive impact on the land and still make a good living out of it. To educate people that is important to know where their food comes from by creating a transparent and trustworthy farmer-consumer relationship.
I want to put my hands on every possible piece of valuable information and knowledge. I believe STRF would give me a better and clear idea where to invest my effort and to avoid initial common mistakes as well as to guide me on finances and sales which it is still a foreign land for me.
Thank you
I need a strong business plan to persuade family to convert old farmland into regenerative agriculture enterprises. The biggest challenge is understanding the local market for these enterprises and investing effective use of time in learning, setting up and running such enterprises to become quickly cash positive and convince family to invest.
Starting such a farm can leaves the world in a better place than when I began my life! Regenerative small farm agriculture 100% achieves this after reading Richard’s book and watching his videos and doing other research such as reading policy papers. However my life’s passion is wildlife and nature and I have access to 60 acres to create many initiatives that connect with environmental biodiversity targets such as creating new woodland, wetlands and wildflower meadows. In order to support these “public goods”, running my own successful small farm regenerative business will create a holistic, sustainable and profitable solution (with future diversification) to achieving this goal via time working on the land all year and looking after my elderly parents as well.
I want to serve the environment, my family, younger generations, local organizations, schools and local communities with quality, natural products, skill sharing and growing habitats and ecosystems that will also boost tourism aesthetics locally as well. I am currently a teacher but my values would be better served farming and teaching real, “life-time” skills, like Richard.
Here in Zambia land is almost readily available and quite easy to acquire. Therefore, many people have access to land.
Despite these facts I haven’t seen any successful farmers especially small ones. I came to discover a few things why farming here is seemingly unprofitable and unattractive. Some of these are:
1. Expensive inputs such as fertilizer
2. Static prices and too many middlemen in the supply chain.
3. Lack of knowledge to change the status core.
4. Difficult in finding financial capital.
Lately I stambled on regenerative agriculture which seem to be the answer to many of the challenges being faced by small scale farmers.
Being a small scale farmers I have been looking for the solutions to these many problems and regenerative agriculture is the answer if I can understand it
This online course will therefore provide me with the opportunity to understanding how a small farm can be profitable and sustainable and would appreciate if am considered for the scholarship.
1)The biggest challenge I’m facing is having a solid, smooth, complete plan that can fit into my holistic context and that can give me a detailed evaluation of all the aspects that running a farm requires: how to get there and how to make it work, from visions to clear steps, supported by data. Having a reliable plan to follow would then give me enough confidence to jump into this new adventure.
2)I’d like to farm in order to get a healthier lifestyle, be more in tune with the seasons and embrace my true nature as a human being. Starting from myself, being able to financially sustain my family doing something that brings me joy and gives me the opportunity to get constant learning of the best subject you can study: life! This would automatically reflect and have a positive impact on the things I value the most: community and environment being two of those. So, changing my position would help serve what surrounds me.
3)This course could help me establish a solid business: for example having the possibility to simulate the potential of an enterprise through spreadsheets is a real gold mine that can be then translated into a real working business able to provide income, local healthy food to the community, while regenerating land, creating soil and increasing biodiversity. This is a win-win situation I’d like to be part of as the director, the producer, the artist, the manager, the student, the supplier…the farmer!
Good day, I am Shehlêt Prime, a fifteen year old homeschooled, island youth farmer with nine years experience in chicken and crop production.
My passion for this vocation started when my parents took an opportunity to go live and farm in the forest with us for four years. There were challenges but we took to it like ducks to water.
My brother introduced the family to market garden because he follows your site and started one in February of this year with few hiccups, but up until now, no weeds, that’s half the problem solved.
The challenge is priority, profitability, capital and record keeping.
I want to introduce market garden as a commercially viable business in a small island state. I want to serve my community then my country.
I want to change the mindset of my people who see farming as labour intensive with costly inputs. Also, I want them to appreciate and buy more local produce to help reduce our country’s high Food Import Bill.
Start the Right Farm would help me gain knowledge and understanding in the use of new methods of farming that would enable me teach others, especially youths like myself to appreciate by practicing what was taught.
Finally, I know that this course will help my family farm become better organised and profitable for us.
When I was sixteen, my mother asked me to help her start a vegetable garden. Her garden was her therapy and I enjoyed spending a few hours a week with her, planting and talking. I suppose that’s where I caught the “bug”.
I began experimenting. I made my own compost, put up trellis’, no-tilt gardening, etc.
I soon realized I had a passion for the earth.
Over the years, it became extremely challenging in a garden of fifteen square feet. I began looking into renting a half acre of land from farmers to venture into the market of organic vegetables.
That’s when I purchased your book and realized there’s a lot more I need to learn before I begin 😉
Then Covid hit. Life changed. Out of a job, financial situation became dire. Then I thought, if it gets worse, people will need food. Fresh. Organic. Delivered. A financially stable endeavor was born, simultaneously serving the community.
My country, Israel, is entering its second lockdown as I write this application. This year will be my year of study. But in the near future, I would like to bring your strategies to my country. Regenerative agriculture, soil fertility, fungi ecosystems, etc. I need this course.
It’s a new world out there. The way we get our food will change, the way we eat our food will change and everything we took for granted will certainly change.
Thank you for this opportunity.
My biggest challenge is to think of a small farm business model that can be economically viable. The main reason is that I’m living in a country (Italy) where the majority of people in the farming sector believe this is impossible. Therefore, I feel I need more examples of successfully run small farm business to look at for inspiration and guidance that I couldn’t find locally.
I would love to start a farm because I want to make a living out of a job that I’m very passionate about. I’d like to focus on the production of rich and nutrient food for my community. I believe it’s possible to run a profitable small farm business, even when starting from scratch. I want to be able to communicate transparently to the people the costs and the price of the food I’d grow for them.
The course would help both me and my partner to learn the key points to take into consideration before starting a farm and to understand which kind of farm business suits better our holistic context. Over the past 7 years we’ve had different experiences in agriculture in multiple countries (Colombia, Australia, Spain, France and Italy) and we feel like the course would provide us with the right tools for starting on our own. Becoming better growers will give us the ability to engage with more people in our community and to pass on what we learned, and hopefully to inspire others to do the same.
1. I have a very steep learning curve ahead of me, with no background, training or education in farming. I imagine many aspects will prove to be huge challenges as I move through the process, but the biggest for now is to work out what a viable small farm business could look like for me.
2. I need to change my lifestyle, which is currently dictated by my Corporate job, to align with my values and to allow me to make more of a contribution to my community. Regenerative farming is an exciting option for me which I believe will allow me to have a fulfilling, ethically sound and meaningful life. I work hard, and want to direct this work ethic into a more positive cause.
3. I see this course as an opportunity to kick-start a huge personal change, and having tried unsuccessfully for some time to find local food from organic or ideally regenerative farms, I believe there is also opportunity to bring benefits to my wider community via an ethically sound approach to supporting people, the environment and animals.
1) My biggest challenge is that I am trying to establish Milpahave by myself in a foreign country. I am half British/El Salvadoran but moved to north Jutland 3 years ago with my Danish husband and our 5-year-old twin girls. My Danish is limited, so carrying out basic internet searches for equipment, sources of compost/woodchip or producing a customer survey are more complex. Also, after 16 years of a 9-5 office career, I need to learn how to juggle a self-employed lifestyle with my other roles of ‘mother’ and ‘wife’.
2) As an ex-archaeologist I have always been interested in the role farming has played in the development of human civilization. By the time I moved to Denmark I was desperate to leave the office and reconnect with the soil. Milpahave was created from my overwhelming passion and desire to provide my family and community with locally grown, pesticide free herbs and vegetables whilst regenerating the soil and enhancing biodiversity. I know how much our food system is broken. Now is my time to stand up and act in a very immediate and physical way to help change it.
3) I realise I am woefully ignorant when it comes to economic planning and working out finances. I lack the tools and basic skills to accurately price produce, invoice customers and work out profit and loss. Your course could save me from utter failure due to my numerical illiteracy.
Hello Richard,
thank you for the opportunity.
1. Clarity. I’m already very clear on my motivation. It’s just that I’m lacking a real experience and insight of what it takes to run different systems. Sure, I will do more than one internship on a farm in the future. But I’m not certain enough if I should even start as long as I don’t know what it really means to build and run such an enterprise. I think this course can give me the certainty and confidence I need to commit fully to the vision, by concretizing it first, and get a real insight upfront.
2. For myself I want to find a way to live a modern, healthy life in unity with nature. And I want this possibility for the world as well. I can’t see a better way for our future. What is most important to me, is to find ways for humanity to live in harmony with the planet that feeds us, and that means weaving together functioning eco-systems with our society. Just preserving little parts of nature and go there on weekends isn’t enough. The eco system has to get into the middle of our life again. And one of the biggest impacts of our life on the planet and vise versa is – how we produce our food. That’s why a farm.
3. For me – gaining clarity and confidence in the path ahead, to give it the needed commitment.
For others – There aren’t enough good examples of functioning permaculture farms in my country, yet. But many people who dream of it. A good foundation might help to change that.
Hi! I am Alex and this year I started a market garden on a leased land here in Andros Island Greece.
My challenge is to find the right context, and crop selection that meets both the needs of a challenging market (small but massive touristic season etch) and my family.
Also my challenge is that I have no clue on how I can collaborate with others in order to make it more stable and growing while sustainable.
Through biomimicry farming I believe that people can connect and start relating in a different way with the nature around them. Though tasting and seeing the farming methods as well as connecting the dots with other good practitioners of the island I aim that local communiy will get more sensitive and responsive to local and global environmental and food related (waste management) issues.
Honestly what I would expect from STRF is to put my a…s down to plan based on on clear and realistic context that includes the capacities of the land and the human patterns of the island…
Thanks
Alex
The biggest challenge as i’m trying to start a farm is convincing people, family; friends; farmers and project analysts, that is possible
to farm in a different way.
That is possible to be farmer and not be miserable, that mono-culture is not the only way, not even the best way, that i don’t need
a tractor or i don’t even need to till, that small farms can be successful.
Barrier after barrier that shake confidence, block access to credit, turn you down on agriculture funding.
I want to farm because I like to work outside in nature, I like physical work where you exert the body but the mind wanders, the challenge of finding the most efficient way to perform a task. Because I want to take part in changing society, to contribute.
I want to show other farmers that it’s possible. Inspire change.
This course would help me build confidence to go forward, giving me tools to plan and manage various operations, and I hope, allow me to show the most skeptical that this project is going to be a success.
1- My biggest challenge to launch my farm project is knowing exactly how to arrange the land, what to plant, when to plant, when to harvest, how to store food, how to connect the different elements together to have a synergy (vegetable garden, orchard , Chickens, bees, goats, rabbits, aromatic plants…) what are the necessary and vital tools for irrigation, the vegetable garden and the general maintenance of the farm.
2- I want to launch a farm project to have a profitable economic activity in accordance with my ecological values and also to make my farm a pleasant and resilient place to live for my family.
Also, I want the success of my project to be a model that will inspire several farm project promoters to get started in my region (Morocco, North Africa)
3- The course will help me better prepare and structure myself to have every chance on my side of launching an economically profitable ecological farm project.
It will be a shortcut for me to the success of my business as well as that of my family , while having a positive environmental impact by improving soil quality and enhancing biodiversity … in North Africa .
Having found a piece of land to work on, the biggest challenges are the very low funds and the knowledge to get started. Passion and dedication are in abundance but I’m lacking the business skills and clarity to properly get going.
Having some farming experience, I know the reality of how much hard work it is, but I also know how rewarding it is! It’s the way of life that makes the most sense to me on so many levels.
I want my farm to contribute to the local community with amazing healthy produce and also by offering a space for learning and connecting. At the same time I want to give back to the land through regenerative practices, enhance the soil life and provide food for the bees!
I believe there is a real need and opportunity for change in my region. The soil is poor and a more holistic approach to food and how it is grown is in high demand. The proximity to a big city is ideal.
The practical teachings of this course would help me immensely to establish a concrete plan and vision. It’s guidance would give me the confidence I need to take the next steps.
The knowledge and strategies gained from this course would be invaluable to help avoiding mistakes, being more efficient, and particularly in starting with such a small budget.
Thank you Richard and your team for this opportunity and for sharing your expertise.
1-Completting my business plan and get approved for loan to start the farm.
2-I grow up in farm and loved it. My family are still working on farm but I came to Stockholm. I know how is happening now but I want to do it right. I read plenty of book as well as the books you recommended and your first book. I enjoyed your free mini course. I don’t have the money to buy your second book and this online course. I started to save money for this course but I have to wait more because I am living on budget, paycheck to paycheck. Mean I keep reviewing details of your book and going through videos that I have bookmarked and writing my thoughts and plans.
3-I believe this will act as a catalyst and accelerate and organize my work further. My wife and I are improving our plan and revise our context over and over. We have decided to do this and we will. It is only matter of time.
1. My biggest challenge is to get land for what I want to do. I could probably start a market garden with the land I have which was the initial plan a number of years ago due to some health issues I re considered and thought starting with Hens would be better. Although my health has bounced back better than ever. My father has land nearby but won’t support me to date. I intend on giving it another shot this week. I have asked so many people about renting land but they are so strange about their land they prefer to see it go unmanaged or there are family issues where someone in the family won’t let it be rented. They prefer to hold onto what land they have under stock and over graze it. 11 cattle to 45 acres for summer grazing on good land in Ireland…..crazy stuff. I have a Ridgedale egg mobile built and awaiting hens so land needs to come quickly. I find Support to be my biggest challenge, I know plenty of people with land my father included but finding the right people to support me is by far my greatest challenge. These are people I have supported my whole life and 10 years or more.
2. I have wanted to farm since I was a child absolutely loved it and I disliked the petrochemical inputs as a kid. I liked organics as a way to farm and rotational graze. Then I came across Joel Salatin….ohh my God this totally trumped organics!!!! Woo Woo!!!!!! I was totally stoked and thought this is the bees knees tried getting some land from my Dad to get started while being a couple of years into a professional career that I didn’t like anyway that was about 2010. I was learning all I could from Joel, Curtis Stone and Jean Martin for a couple of years and growing veggies for the family. Then I came across your channel and it really inspired further with the actual figures for animal production which would be my natural preference for Farming enterprises.
I am inspired to provide the healthies food for my wife and kids and community. It’s such a buzz dropping surplus’ over to the neighbours and they really love the veggies. The feedback is amazing and a total buzz.
My biggest Why is to incorporate Holistic Management with Cattle/Dairy and Sheep ( Oh ya and don’t forget the hen’s!!!!). I found Alan Savoury’s Ted Talk on grazing to save the planet absolutely amazing even though I am not currently in a brittle zone who knows I’d love to run project or something in the brittle zone’s.
3. It would give me more confidence and a sense of support to go ahead and do it even with all the unknowns etc. I would really love to have interactions with yourself about farming. I believe we hold similar beliefs and I am constantly looking for better ways of doing things or making things work in a different context.
My community would benefit from my contribution, my interactions and support. The community would gain the best value veg around, nutrients per gram. I would intend to set up a destination to buy some food and chill for people which would become a focal point in the community. A place where they meet friends and get the best food for the week while children run wild in a the great outdoors.
The business would help support my family in a very wholesome way and make us more conscious about what we choose to do and why we do it.
Good day,
The idea of moving into a full managerial position on the farm is daunting, keeping up with all the budgets, book keeping and over all planning of the farm as a whole. After obtaining my B.Agric at the University of Stellenbosch, I have worked on many grain and livestock farms, both at home in South Africa and oversees in the US and UK.
After years of seeing the effect that chemicals have had on the human health of US Mid West, something needs to change. I have been on the Regenerative Agricultural path for the past few years, yearning for more and more knowledge. I would now like to put my knowledge and experience to the test, by moving to a 20ha piece of land that has been made available to me. I would like this farm to serve as one of the pioneers of an alternative way of farming in South Africa, learning as I go. With the aim at changing old paradigms, offering learner-ships to the youth and the underprivileged.
This mentorship program would be an amazing opportunity to help bridge the gaps in being able to successfully fulfill my mission without the farm falling at the wayside due to not going about business correctly the first time round. I fear that if I fail I will not be able to reach out to the surrounding communities that are in dire need of upliftment
Sowing the seed of self-sustainability is crucial.
Thank you,
@simonsows
Why do we want to start a farm
My grandparents sold the family farm when I was a child – apparently, with 100 acres, it was not possible to make a living!
It’s hard to describe, but I feel a sense of loss, for something that might have been.
Inspired by you, your videos and your book, I know something my grandparents didn’t – farming can be profitable. My husband and I have dreamed about creating our own little ‘Ridgedale’, that will ‘give back’ to our planet, feed the soil, our family and the local community, and a living legacy for our children – beyond organic of course.
Biggest Challenge:
Have we saved enough money to take the plunge right now? We need to be sure – there is no room for error.
How will ‘Start the Right Farm’ help?
After completing ‘4 fundamental elements of making small farms work’, we realise we could really benefit from a bit more direction, some focus on which enterprises will work best for us, how much and what type of land/infrastructure we need (forest for pigs, pasture for cows and layers, caterpillar tunnels, fencing etc).
Do we have enough capital to make a go of it, without indebting ourselves.
If we could ‘test’ this out, really dig into the numbers (finances, time and resources) and decide on a plan that works for us.
Your course sounds like the perfect solution for us and the timing couldn’t be better.
I am a 17 year old in England and very interested in farming at a small scale in a natural way working with nature and not against it.
1. My biggest challenges are my lack of experience and knowledge as i live in a normal suburban house with a small garden so haven’t got much space to try things out. also i will have very limited funds when i start my dream of growing my own food for myself and my community.
2. I want to start my own farm as it fits my context of wanting to work outdoors in a natural environment and wish to be as self resilient as possible. I would like to change the way food is produced to make it more sustainable for an uncertain future. there also seems to be a want for high quality, fresh and naturally produced food in my area which i would provide.
3. I think that it would help me gain knowledge and therefore confidence to actually go and start a farm but also help me get clarity as to why and what i want to produce.
A big challenge to crystallize my idea is to make a clear plan of approach from all the ideas in my head. As a one man show you have to be a swiss army knife OR have the financial means to outsource.
The subjects and information buzzing in your head can cause a feeling of task loading and give tunnel vision and guidance could be enormously helpful.
The reason I want to start a farm is because I´d like to be able to offer clean, organic medicinal plants and herbs locally to my community.
This would enable people to buy local from a farm with an open door policy and a regenerative approach.
My mission is to serve the people in need of natural medicine and supplementation for both physical aswell as mental health.
People have migrated away for years from this area but now people arrive, looking for positive change through permaculture and sustainable and regenerative approaches.
In the long run the farm would not only be providing my family with a means of income and way to be of benefit in the area but we could also employ and educate people from the community spreading different types of capital.
Besides this I would live my passion and be able to work where I live and have my family and community around me.
The course would help to make a clear strategy and assist in planning my enterprise. A thriving business will positively benefit my family and community.
Our biggest challenge at Carmel Valley Estate is pest and soil borne fungal diseases in our vegetable field. We’re located in the southernmost Caribbean island of Trinidad and we have two season – a wet season and a dry season. We plant during the wet season as water is another issue. Dry season we’re dealing with our honey apiary which has been in operation for the last 25 years. We have an almost equatorial climate that encourages a number of soil pathogens and rampant pest. Chemicals are not an option mostly because of our bees and other obvious reasons. We started following you methods and are now at 17 piles of compost – almost ready to be spread out in one small field. We are also at 30 chicken but still hitting road blocks.
We are situated on 42 acres of land – only half cultivated (flat land) and need your help feed ourselves and our community. We are struggling to get production up. We want to offer our community the best food in the world and change the way people consume – an appreciation for where our food comes from. We also want to prove that organic farming is possible in our climate.
After 30 years of Farming we need a solution, we desperately need a method that can help us turn a profit which we have never been able to achieve. We’re on the brink of having to close up shop and something needs to change now. We need to figure this out and really need your help. The community we have grown through our world class honey is ready and waiting to be fed.
One of our biggest challenges is to adapt all of the regenerative agricultural knowledge to even harsher weather conditions in the north of Iceland, where the farm we just managed to acquire last month is located. There is a lot of valuable information we have been able to gather on small-scale farming techniques, but some differences like in the length of the seasons and the wind conditions for being on an island need to be adapted to our weather conditions.
We want to start a farm to be able to fulfill the demand on organic produce in Iceland. There is a small amount of organic produce that is grown locally, so it will hopefully open doors to new organic projects to arise and make an environmental and social impact in our community.
This online course will help us as a family to have clarity and guidance throughout our main deliberations concerning the big steps in decision-making that will make the base of our project. Our community will be benefited as well in many ways, but we mainly hope to create job opportunities which have a humane and holistic approach in a safe environment.
1. I only know that I want to farm, but I lack the background and experience, which has been difficult to obtain while being the sole money earner in my household. I work more than full time off the farm. Thus, I have spent several years overanalyzing how I would make this leap. I recently sold everything and purchased neglected property with almost no infrastructure but an old house. I now feel that I am still overanalyzing the steps to take, which is turning out to be my biggest hurdle.
2. I want to farm to be a part of a local community of small food suppliers, which I believe takes a massive part in changing the global food system. I have become extremely passionate about supporting other local farmers and a smaller foodshed but feel that I can supplement this local system with my farm.
Equally important to me is providing a healthy lifestyle for my children. I want them to live and understand a better life. This is why we left the city and completely changed our future.
3. This program is the next step for me, as I have the farm now, but am still overanalyzing the process. If I am every going to transition from my off the farm job to this new business successfully, I need to shift my entire focus. Thankyou for the consideration in helping me do this.
I’ve been preparing to start my diversified farm business for the pass 3 years visiting and working in many farms. What I’ve find a lot is what not to do. Which helps, but I think that now finding the right solutions, systems and idea that I can understand in details is what has been the most tricky.
Through my farm project, I want to feed people high quality food (I am a big foodie if I can say so myself) that really makes them stop and enjoy a part of life I value. And doing so I want to take care of my family and live in an environment that makes us happy and that is beautiful with vibrant life. I want to take care of a piece of land, inspire and show people it’s possible to do so while making a living and providing quality food for the community.
I feel that this course will help me join a community of farmers that share similar values and dreams and the exchange from this group could really inspire me more. I have read the regenerative farm book with immense pleasure and stimulation. I feel this course will do the same thing, just even more, at a time where I have refined my project to the point I hope to start in spring-summer 2021. I believe the process of the course will allow me to think ahead of as many step as I can during implantation, the timing feels ideal.
1.
Biggest challenge:
– planning the farm area the optimal way (where to set what, to minimize everyday effort).
Other significant challenges:
– setting the prices of crops which are both acceptable for customers & profitable for me,
– learning how to use to the fullest opportunities which comes from owning the old orchard,
– learning how to keep the laying hens healthy & productive and managing them for the benefit of soil (I’ve never had poultry).
2.
What I care about is pleasure and health, which both come from eating self-grown organic food full of taste and nutrients. I want it for myself as well as for my family and friends, who are high quality food lovers, mostly because I care about us. I also want to settle, so I can finally become a part of the community to serve it and receive support.
3.
I guess it can show me the topics, I haven’t considered yet and make me think them over now. Simply speaking I hope it can help me avoid some unnecessary time- and money-consuming actions and focus on the things which really bring me closer to my goal specified in point 2.
1. Our biggest challenge, put as simply as possible, is not knowing what we don’t know. We know what we want to achieve; a new way of life living off our land in a sustainable regenerative way. But exactly what we need to do, in what order and to what extent feels a little like we’re stabbing in the dark. We are actively looking for land to start our dream homestead but how do we know we’ve found the right property?
2. We strongly believe in the importance of becoming more self-reliant. To us this means living in-tune with nature, growing our own natural healthy food, and creating income opportunities by doing what we believe in. Also by having the courage to take these scary steps into a new life that we’ve talked about for many years, we hope to demonstrate to our friends, family and community that this style of living is highly beneficial for everyone.
3. The course sounds like it could really help myself and my family to come up with the right plan so we can feel confident about the direction and steps we should be taking. Probably most importantly at the start, we really hope it will help us with selecting the right property which will be what really sets everything in motion. Last but not least, by becoming successful we hope to reduce any hardships and be able to devote time and resources sharing this knowledge with our community.
1.My biggest challenges; I’m currently working towards purchasing 4.5 hectares of land which will take all the extra money I have. I also really want the course to know how to actually setup and farm properly
2. I want to farm because of the lifestyle and sense of fulfillment, doing something good for the land and people while making a living.
3. This will be good to show the community what good soil and management does for producing crops and better food.