The California Bountiful Foundation, operating as the 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education arm of the California Farm Bureau, announced enrollment for "Expanding Our Roots: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Mentorship Program."
The initiative targets farmers and ranchers with one to ten years of experience in California who may enroll at no cost. Experienced mentors with over ten years in agriculture may also participate and receive financial compensation for providing six hours of mentoring.
The program will match 200 beginning farmers with mentors. Specialty crop growers must comprise fifty percent of participants. Priority consideration goes to socially disadvantaged farmers and military veterans.
Mentoring Topics
Besides yourself, your parents, or family — when was the last time someone invested in you? Farm Bureau has a program called Expanding Our Roots that does just that. The cost to play is a simple application that pairs you with a knowledgeable agriculturalist in your field or desired area of development. I call the program a shortcut to experience.
My mentor Dave Cox is a nurseryman from Visalia, CA. His lifetime of learning became a book that I got to read from when I have a question. For some folks zoom meetings will work. For Dave and I, it had to be in person — walking the nursery and talking about issues. Dave invested and continues to invest in me because we share the same passion for the industry. Find your investors, sign up for EOR, because you are worth it.
Chris Wichman
Expanding Our Roots participant
Program benefits extend to educational workshops addressing California agricultural regulations, financial incentives, grant opportunities for conservation practices, and resources from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Funding came through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
