Farm Beginnings 2024
Intro to Farm Business Planning

FAQ

What if I want to start a farm but don’t have any farming experience? 

We encourage all individuals interested in farming to approach this transition as any other career change: accept the necessity for education, entry-level training and experience, and taking time to understand the right path for you. 

Related to the cultural and societal devaluing of farm work, many people living in urban areas are under the impression that farming does not require technical training and expertise, and that the first step would be to buy land. If you wanted to start a restaurant but had never cooked before, would your first move be to buy a building?

Out of respect for generations of farmworkers and the legacy of those who have grown food for us, we highly discourage individuals inexperienced with farming to begin by pursuing buying land to start a farm.

For those with genuine interest in pursuing farming careers, we recommend pursuing farm crew, field staff, and apprentice positions, all of which open in the months before the growing season (as early as January in the Northeast). For those accustomed to living in urban areas like NYC, this may mean moving for a season to gain experience, or facing a tough commute. This consideration and transition of lifestyle is directly related to the decisions that will arise further along your journey.

In addition to pursuing farming experience, our team recommends learning through the vast universe of books, videos, films, and podcasts about farming (production, food justice, food systems) and biology (plants, animals, fungi). This education can inform the area you want to focus on and learn more about, as apprenticing or being on a farm crew may not provide the foundational education that can support your awareness and instincts about what you are experiencing.

Further reading: Beginning Farmer Resources in the Northeast

What if I want to start an urban farm?

Our program is currently focused on preparing farmers to keep farmland in production in our region. The components of a successful farm business in a rural area is very different than the components of a successful urban farm business (e.g. cost of land, cost of living), and requires a very different set of training.

In partnership with other organizations and institutions, we are exploring training for urban farm production opportunities. The past 10 years have seen many urban agriculture business open and close. Nonetheless, we continue to believe making a living stewarding and growing food on urban land in New York City (and other cities in New York State) is a possible future, and are in development of ways we believe we can support those who want to try.

What if I own land outside of the Northeast and want to use this course to develop a plan for it?

Our mission is to support farmers who want to farm in our GrowNYC regional radius (~250 miles of Poughkeepsie) and grow food for people in New York City. Unfortunately, providing training for people with land outside of this radius is not in line with our mission, and takes resources away from someone who does want to farm in this region. 

We recommend building relationships with communities and organizations local to the place you want to farm -- this will be the community you will likely grow food for. There will likely be more appropriate training programs similar to ours that are adapted to that region.