Fellowship

Meet Our 2023 Fellows

How the Hoosier Beginning Farmer Fellowship Works

The Hoosier Beginning Farmer Fellowship Program aims to propel a cohort of outstanding beginning farmers forward in their farming journeys. These farmers must be in years 1-10 of their operations, and ready to take on a large project that will push their farms to the next level (thanks in part to the Fellowship funding). And together, they form a network of peers available for assistance and advice. Each farmer receives a total of $5,000 to compensate for their time engaging as Fellows.

The goal of the cohort model is to create a bond between Fellows that offers camaraderie and allies for practical, technical or emotional support. The farmers will spend the winter connecting. They will meet five times over the course of February-April 2023, and join HYFC in our effort to connect beginning farmers statewide.
The goal of the compensation ($5,000) is to acknowledge the work farmers put into engaging with their Fellowship cohort. Ideally, the funds will offset costs incurred by participating in the Fellowship, and let the farmer tackle a major farm project that will advance their growing business, allowing these beginning farmers to build their capacity, scale up to the next level, and/or intensify their impact in local and regional food systems.
The Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition is committed to furthering racial equity in agriculture. We acknowledge that our food system is a racist system, and that white farmers and eaters have been offered advantages that have been kept from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community members. We want to use the resources of this Fellowship to contribute a more equitable food system in Indiana. We know that this is just a start, but for our 2023 Fellowship, all three (3) Fellowships will be offered to Black farmers, Indigenous farmers, and other farmers of Color. To read our full solidarity statement, click here.

By providing this Fellowship, the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition aims to help beginning Hoosier farmers solidify their roles as successful, sustainable farmers building the food systems we need.

We want to say a very big thank you to an anonymous donor and the City of Bloomington for making the Fellowship possible.

Our 2023 Fellowship Is Connecting Three BIPOC Farmers in Monroe County

We want to use the resources of the Fellowship to contribute a more equitable food system in Indiana. This year's Hoosier Beginning Farmer Fellowship Program is a partnership between the National Young Farmers Coalition and the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition, with generous funding from the City of Bloomington. The Fellowship aims to connect a cohort of three BIPOC beginning farmers who are ready to take their farms forward. The Fellowship entails three main aspects:

This cohort of Black Farmers, Indigenous Farmers, and Farmers of Color will meet 5 times over the course of February, March, and April of 2023. Fellows kick off their time together with a mini-retreat (3 hours) to get to know each other, start building trust, and share what they’re up to on their farms. Each month, one Fellow will host a monthly meeting (ideally structured as a casual farm tour for the other Fellows, followed by rich discussion). This monthly meeting will be a chance to share ideas and lessons learned as the Fellows hone their growing and business plans for the year ahead. In April, Fellows will gather one last time for a mini-retreat (3 hours) to reflect, share their videos/podcasts, contemplate takeaways from their time as Fellows, and give feedback on the Fellowship program.
Additionally, each Fellow will share about their Fellowship experience to the broader beginning farmer community. Fellows can create a ~5 minute video or 5-10 minute podcast on their own, or we can help them find allies in the community to collaboratively create the video or podcast.
Farmers will receive a fellowship stipend ($4,500) to compensate for their time engaging as Fellows (which they can use to help tackle a major project that will advance or strengthen their farm...building infrastructure, buying supplies, hiring an employee, etc.) as well as $500 to offset the cost of mileage for the monthly meetings and any travel needed for making the podcast/video.

All types of farm operations are eligible, from veggies to livestock to mushrooms and flowers and beyond. You can be for-profit, non-profit, or otherwise. Lead managers of nonprofit farms are eligible as well. You do not have to own the land you farm on to be eligible.

Applicants must:

Self identify as a farmer (Note: there is no minimum scale, amount of production, or income from farming),
Self identify as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color,
Be in years 1-10 of their farming operation (minimum one year growing food, maximum 9 years),
Farm in Monroe County, and
Be willing to make / be featured in a podcast or video about how your Fellowship experience and how your are strengthening their farm (our staff can help with that...and you'll have promo material for your farm).

We are assembling a selection committee to review applications. It will include BIPOC community members from Monroe County as well as board members from the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition. Applicants will be evaluated using this rubric, based on the following questions:

Do you have a clear vision for your farm, and what progress have you made toward that vision so far?
Describe why your farm is "viable" and primed to take a step forward. Viability could be in terms of finances/income, but it might also be how you contribute to your community, how you're restoring nature, etc.
What are your "SMART" goals for strengthening your farm (Details below)?
Do you have an idea for how the Fellowship funds will help you improve your farm and/or impact the food system in Indiana?
Are you ready and willing to engage with the other Fellows? What resources will you bring to this community?

Questions? Email us at fellows@hoosieryfc.org.