Don’t Wait to Apply for $5,000 Grant Opportunity
For the fifth consecutive year, National Young Farmers Coalition is partnering with Chipotle to offer $5,000 grants to 50 young farmers and ranchers to help them build careers in agriculture.
There are two reasons for potential applicants to respond quickly. One is that the application deadline is January 15, aka this coming Monday. The second is that this is the last year for the NYFC’s grant partnership with Chipotle
If you’re intrigued, please read the info below from NYFC. There’s a button at the bottom to apply.
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We are excited to announce that applications are currently open for the 2024 Young Farmer Grant Program!
This will be the final year of the Coalition’s Young Farmer Grant program. While we are sad to be unable to continue providing direct funding to farmers in this way, we are grateful to the ongoing generosity of our partnership with Chipotle.
Moving forward, our partnership will continue to support the Coalition’s broader structural change efforts and our mission to shift power and change policy to equitably resource our new generation of working farmers. Please check this page — https://www.youngfarmers.org/youngfarmergrants/ — and follow us on social media to stay updated on this final year of the Young Farmer Grant Program!
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
For the last four years, the National Young Farmers Coalition (Young Farmers) has partnered with Chipotle to support young and beginning farmers and ranchers start up and grow their businesses with a flexible funding opportunity each spring. The program provided 50 farmers and ranchers with $5,000 each in the spring of 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Grant recipients also received a one-year membership to the National Young Farmers Coalition.
In our fifth and final year of the program, we are celebrating distributing 50 grants to a new cohort of young farmers and ranchers in 2024!
This year, 45 awards will go to businesses already in operation, and five to farm and ranch operations starting up in 2024. Our grant program is available to support farmers and ranchers in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, in addition to the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Applications are currently open for the 2024 Young Farmer Grant Program!
Applications are open until January 15, 2024 at 3 p.m. ET. Please reach out to em@youngfarmers.org with questions. No phone calls please.
Farm Leader Job and Marketing Classes at McHenry County College
If you have farming experience… are looking for a new opportunity and challenge… and want to teach aspiring farmers… then check this out: The Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake is hiring a Farm Production Manager and Practicum Lead.
Their description below is lengthy, so I’ll cut to the chase.
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Make a difference in the local food system by guiding the next generation of practitioners and problem solvers.
The Farm Production Manager and Practicum Lead for the Center for Agrarian Learning plays a pivotal role in the farm-based learning component of MCC’s Entrepreneurial Agriculture program. This position manages all aspects of production on the MCC Student Farm in order to best facilitate hands-on learning for students and, as seasonally appropriate and available, to meet the needs of the Culinary Department and Campus Food Service.
This position requires significant knowledge and experience in specialty crop production, high tunnel management, record keeping and post-harvest handling, as well as teaching experience.
Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities
Oversee the campus farm, including:
Plan all areas of production including vegetable, tree and small fruits, flowers and other crops with the intent to demonstrate best practices to students and community groups
Identify and order all equipment and supplies needed, in coordination with Horticulture faculty and staff
Manage the planting, maintenance, and harvest of all crops
Plan and delegate tasks to Program Coordinator, student workers, and on-campus interns
As a teaching farm, include Entrepreneurial Agriculture/ Horticulture students in all aspects of production
Manage organic certification (record keeping, reporting, inspections)
Lead both the Introductory Agriculture Practicum and the Advanced Agriculture Internship courses, teaching through lectures, individual projects, and hands-on training from seed to sales.
Organize field days for students
Coordinate with the Culinary Department and Food Service to determine appropriate crops to grow
Coordinate use of crops with various internal/external customers, partners, and agencies
Supervise student workers and volunteers
Assists the CAL Director in managing all issues related to land use, and select operational issues
Collaborate with all staff and faculty on special events and tours of the MCC Student Farm
Assists in the development of departmental goals and objectives; makes recommendations for improvement of services to students as needed
Assists in the development and implementation of policies and procedures
Represents the department in the absence of the Director; serves on college committees as requested
Work collaboratively with others (e.g. colleagues, stakeholders, vendors) to accomplish functions and responsibilities
Support and participate in the College’s commitment to continuous improvement
Assume additional duties as assigned by immediate supervisor
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
3-5 years of experience in agriculture, specifically vegetable and/or fruit production – overseeing aspects from seed through sales
2+ years of experience managing people new to agriculture (students, employees and/or interns)
Experience facilitating groups and/or teaching adults
Experience implementing farm recordkeeping and project management strategies
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It’s a busy winter at McHenry County College. The school is holding two classes, both on Saturdays — January 20 and February 10 — on the importance of marketing for food and farm businesses, and how you can do it easily and affordably.
Here’s the scoop from McHenry County College:
Shout it from the Rooftops: DIY marketing made fun, efficient, and cost-effective
Sat. January 20, 2024
10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Room A229
$35 includes lunch
Marketing your food or farm business is a lot like tending a garden: you know it needs regular time and attention, but the work can feel overwhelming. But just like gardening, when we break marketing down into smaller pieces, it starts to be more manageable and it’s not long before you see results.
In this workshop, we will unpack the basics of marketing and explore different low- and no-cost strategies including websites, social media, and email. Learn the latest trends in digital marketing and try out some of the simple, yet professional tools you can use to market your business—including how to easily make your own website.
Finally, we will spend time creating step-by-step marketing plans to help grow your business. Participants are encouraged to come with questions, so we can orient learning towards shared challenges.
Lights! Camera! Action!
Making the most of video to tell your story
Sat. February 10, 2024
10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Room A229
$35 includes lunch
We all know a great story when we hear one, but telling your own story can be a struggle, not to mention when doing it on camera. Yet with a little practice and a little know-how, these are skills we can all learn and use to market our businesses. In this workshop, we will develop skills both for telling stories and for producing engaging short-form video content.
We will first explore different storytelling techniques and practice strategies for sharing with different audiences. Next, we will take a deep dive into producing video content, offering tips on staging, directing, recording, lighting, and more. We will also share guidance on cost-effective equipment to help with video production.
Throughout the workshop, participants will have hands-on experience with equipment, and leave with new skills, tools, and insights for sharing their stories. Attendees need no prior knowledge to participate.
You Got to Have Friends: Meet Non-Boring History
Non-Boring History is a Substack publication that shines a light on some of the fascinating but little-known corners of history. I met Dr. Annette Laing — the author and retired history professor who resides in Madison, Wisconsin — at a Substack meet-up last summer and we became friends and subscribers to each other’s newsletters.
After I published my pizza-baking article in the January 9 Local Food Forum, Annette wrote this nice and funny comment. With her permission, I’m sharing it here… with a link for you to explore Non-Boring History.
That looks awesome! I haven't made pizza in years (even in COVID times). It's my first go-to for takeaway when I can't face cooking. Plus my 1968 oven might not make it to 500 degrees (Captain, the engines cannae take it!) But you're absolutely tempting me to give this a try, Bob, as soon as I can get out from under the snow to get cheese.... As Captain Oates said to Scott of the Antarctic, I may be some time...
Yesterday’s Trivia Answer
Yesterday’s trivia question was about the requirements for achieving the Vera Pizza Napoletano (Real Neapolitan Pizza) designation. The choice that is not a requirement is that the pizza maker must be located in Italy.
In fact, the Chicago region’s amazing pizza community includes seven pizza makers who are allowed to proudly display the Vera Pizza Napoletano sign. They are:
Coda di Volpe, Chicago Lakeview neighborhood
Forno Rosso, Chicago West Loop and Belmont Heights neighborhoods
Gia Mia Pizza Bar, Elmhurst
Napolita, Wilmette
Parkers’, Downers Grove
Sapori Napoletani, Chicago Lincoln Park neighborhood
Spacca Napoli, Chicago Ravenswood neighborhood
Been to any of these spots? Have a favorite? Share your thoughts
The number 999 is taunting me. Somebody please break the spell!