The Southern Oregon Farmer Incubator helps beginning and limited resource farmers start and sustain their businesses while providing needed fresh produce to area food pantries. Participants can opt to participate in one or both of two program tracks: hands-on farm business courses and access to new markets.Track 1: Farm / Business Training consists of bi-monthly hands-on agricultural, business management and marketing education over a nine-month season. Participants will receive an on-farm consultation with a small farms instructor and be referred to other experts to address any specific issues arising during the program year.
Track 2: Market Access gives participants an opportunity to sell their produce to area food pantries, made possible by a generous grant from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation. Participants in the second track will also sell product through Rogue Valley Local Foods, an online farmers market, and will gain experience by staffing the markets in rotation.
The program is a collaboration between the Oregon State University Small Farms program and Thrive in partnership with Friends of Family Farmers, Rogue Farm Corps and ACCESS. For more information contact Thrive at http://www.buylocalrogue.org/index.php
