BRATTLEBORO — Windham Grows Farm Business Accelerator is seeking farmer-entrepreneurs interested in individualized farm-business, value-added, scale-up plans that will include mentoring, in-kind resources, physical space, educational experience, and technical expertise.
By giving farmer-entrepreneurs the resources for high-value management skills, this project will help them build dynamic new farm businesses while leveraging one of Vermont's most valuable assets - land.
“From the many farmers who have contacted Windham Grows, we learned that they have specific needs that are different from value-added food businesses,” Orly Munzing, founder of Strolling of the Heifers, said in news release. “Therefore, we have created a specialized program for farmers.”
According to Jim Verzino, Windham Grows entrepreneur-in-residence, the program “will assist farmers in developing value-added products and agritourism as additional revenue streams,” and will “seek out, evaluate, and provide development support for selected farmer-entrepreneurs.”
Since 2016, 37 businesses that support farms have completed the traditional Windham Grows Business Accelerator. These businesses have raised nearly $2 million in outside investments to help fund their growing businesses.
The Farm Business Accelerator begins in November and ends in April. Farm business leaders in the program learn how to grow socially conscious, food-focused businesses by means of concentrated sessions on marketing, finance, production, technology, and entrepreneur mindsets.
The program consists of three weekend residencies in Brattleboro, regular video meetings, and outside consulting services tailored to the needs of individual farmer entrepreneurs. The program provides food and lodging for non-local participants during the Brattleboro weekends.