FARMER INCUBATOR
Farmer. Agricultor. K’éé’dí’dlééh.
Want to become a farmer but don't have access to land or capital? That's exactly why we started Superyard Farms. According to the National Young Farmers Coalition, the biggest barrier of entry to farming is lack of access to land, and money to farm it. The issue is compounded for new farmers who are women and BIPOC.
Our model seeks to empower aspiring farmers by circumnavigating that barrier in a creative way – borrowing land! At the core of our model is the basic need for farmers to earn a fair wage, and we believe this is possible when the prohibitive cost of land is removed.
As a network of profitable micro-farms, we reduce the economic barrier of entry for farming and can incubate farmers and create much-needed diversity in the next generation of agricultural leaders.
How does it work? We help establish a new plot, and pay for all the tools and materials needed for infrastructure (tools for weed & grass removal, compost/soil amending, drip irrigation, tool share, seed stock) to convert it into a micro-farm. New farmers get hands-on training and season-long support for their plot. The farmer of each plot will manage all farm aspects for it, from planting to harvest to marketing in the local neighborhood. Produce grown in all of the Superyard farm-yards will be pulled to create the farmshares (CSA) for every neighborhood. Work harvesting, washing, packing, and delivering will be divided up equally between farm managers to be fair and equal.
We are committed to farmers making a living wage ($15 minimum) in our model. We are treating 2021 as a Beta year to iron out the kinks of our model to ensure this working wage.
If you are interested in becoming a farmer or learning more about it, reach out and we will send you our Farmer info packet!