Farmer Development and Support
Beginning Farmer Training
The aim of the Beginning Farmer Training program is to help train and mentor the next generation of local farmers and food growers, and increase the amount of fresh, locally grown food available to our local communities. With three separate tracks (Incubator, Intro to Farming and Intern), the program is able to meet people where they are and help them along on their farming journeys.
GoFarm is committed to equity and ensuring historically marginalized communities (including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQIA2S+, women, refugees, immigrants, and veterans) have affordable access to beginning farmer education and training. To demonstrate our commitment to equity, we ensure that our organization, including our programs and services are representative of historically marginalized peoples.
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En el futuro, nos gustaría ofrecer nuestros Programas de Capacitación para Agricultores Principiantes en español. Si usted está interesado en esto, por favor envíe un correo electrónico, tessa@gofarm.org. Gracias.
Incubator Farmer Track
A two-year program beginning in October, designed for beginning farmers wanting to launch or continue an independent urban or small scale market garden/farm business/farm venture/organization centered on food production (flower farms may be considered).
Incubator Farmers attend 15 weeks of classroom training followed by 8 hands-on farming workshops, are provided year-round mentoring and technical assistance, access to a â…™ acre farm plot at our Arvada farm, paid intern labor, a supplies stipend, and no-cost use of GoFarm’s farming equipment library.
Starting a farm/farm business is time consuming, usually requiring at least 20-25 hours/week.
Applications are open from mid-July to mid-August. Scholarships are available!
Intro to Farming Track
A one-year program beginning in October, designed for people who are interested in learning more about market gardening/farming and running a farm business and/or who may want to explore starting or scaling up their own farm in the future.
Intro to Farming participants attend 15 weeks of classroom training followed by 8 hands-on farming workshops, are provided year-round mentoring and technical assistance, and no-cost use of GoFarm’s farming equipment library.
The track is designed to allow Intro to Farming participants to maintain a full-time job outside of the track.
Applications are open from mid-July to mid-August. Scholarships are available!
Market Farmer Internship Track
A 5-month paid internship that runs from late April through September, designed for people who are interested in a career in agriculture and wish to gain on-farm experience. Intern Farmers work approximately 30 hours per week on Incubator Farmers’ farm plots, gaining valuable hands-on farming knowledge. Internship opportunities are posted in March for the following growing season.
Why We Started The Beginning Farmer Training Program
For the past 50 years, the Denver Metro area has been steadily losing farms and farmland. In addition, the average age of a Colorado farmer is 58 years old, and studies estimate that as many as 50% of farmers will retire within the next decade.
Over the past 7 years, Colorado’s population has increased by over 550,000 residents, and in the Denver Metro area, 24% of the population are millennials. This influx of young Coloradans has resulted in an increase of young entrepreneurs interested in farming.
We know how hard it can be to start a farm. The start-up costs, access to land and water, and industry knowledge/technical skills required all pose immense limitations on who can start a farm and where. GoFarm is here to provide the support and mentorship to help passionate beginning farmers be successful, and to strengthen our local food system as a whole!
Beginning and aspiring farmers!
The Intro to Farming track caters to anyone looking to explore, establish or fine-tune their hobby or career as a market gardener or small-scale farmer. The Intro to Farming track is also a great way to access educational resources and training that could eventually support someone in becoming an Incubator Farmer or farm business owner.
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The Incubator Farmer track is designed for people with some farming experience (work experience, interning, and/or volunteering) who want to launch or continue their own market garden/farming venture centered on producing food for the local community. Folks with extensive gardening experience may be considered. Beginning farmers who have considerable volunteer experience at production farms, have completed another farmer training program such as Veterans to Farmers, Sprout City Farms or another GoFarm program, are encouraged to apply. We also encourage beginning farmers with their own businesses who have been in operation for 1-3 years to apply. Incubator Farmers are expected to launch or continue their farming venture in Year 1 of the track, with a minimum aim of growing food and getting it out to the local community. Starting a farm/farm business is time consuming. It is very difficult to maintain a full-time off-farm job during the growing season, and simultaneously launch a successful farm and farm business.
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It is highly recommended that people interested in starting a farm/farm business/farm organization augment the knowledge gained through this program with on-farm production experience at a local farm in addition to self-directed research. While this track offers a significant amount of education, technical assistance, mentoring and hands-on learning, deeper study into the various aspects of farming/farm business ownership will be necessary for a successful farming enterprise.
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We acknowledge that there is injustice in the current food system and that land and resources have been stolen and withheld from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color both in the present and historically. We support farmers of all backgrounds and we work to ensure that our Beginning Farmer Training Program is representative of BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, women, refugee, immigrant, and veteran farmers. Therefore, we are seeking value-aligned farmers to participate in this program who acknowledge the importance of anti-racism and anti-sexism work and who celebrate our LGBTQIA2S+, refugee, immigrant and veteran communities.
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Applications for the Incubator Farmer Track and Intro to Farming Track are open until August 20, 2024.
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For more detailed information about each track, click the Details & Application buttons below. If you have any questions, reach out to tessa@gofarm.org.
Incubator farmers and Intro to Farming participants receive valuable mentorship from experienced local farmers throughout their time in the program. We’re always looking for experienced farmers to join our network and help mentor beginning farmers. If you are available and willing to lend a hand or an ear to a beginning farmer, contact tessa@gofarm.org about being a mentor. Farmer mentors get paid hourly for mentorship provided.
Testimonials from Incubator Farmers
This is an awesome program that I have been fortunate to experience firsthand. The stipend has allowed me to decrease my work hours to spend time developing my business and production plan. I was also able to take advantage of all the hands-on training offered through the program and find land to start on after searching for a couple of seasons. I got my FSMA certification, cottage foods certification and attended workshops taught by horticulture professors on pest control, weed and disease ID and got connected with all of the urban farmers in my region. There is no way I could have afforded all the training and resources without the help of the apprenticeship program. My mentors through the GoFarm program have offered priceless guidance and have become dear friends.
~ Shannon, Western Flora
As a disabled veteran and apprentice of this program I have greatly appreciate the stepping stones and guidance of starting my own farming business. The mentorship is excellent (Jamie is literally one of the most smartest people I’ve met). Katie the main farmer manager, who runs her own successful farming business and also provides mentorship, has not only been an advocate for some of us that have experienced disadvantages and struggles, but has been truly there for us as a leader and friend. No matter your background, GoFarm welcomes you. Whether you come from privilege, hardships, discrimination, sexism, trauma, racism...etc this is an opportunity for you to empower yourself to become a better farmer, business owner, and human. Farming is therapeutic and without GoFarm’s opportunity I don’t know where I would truly be. I attribute me choosing life to farming and GoFarm has aided me in that journey, so I am forever grateful.
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~ Jess, Netzel Farms
So grateful to be a participant in this incubator program. The support and mentorship I’ve received from GoFarm has helped me start a profitable farm business that I can continue to build on over the coming years. I would highly recommend it to anyone who dreams of starting a small farm and is willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen!
~ Ashley, Paper Kite Farm
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This is an amazing organization/program/network. GoFarm and the farmer incubator program have provided the launching pad and continuous support for numerous urban farms in the Denver Metro area. We are recipients of the MANY perks that come with being involved with GoFarm programs. Even if you only reach out you will be plugging into a passionate and dedicated network in this area.
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~ Ivan, SoCliff Farm​​