What is Farmshare Austin and Farmer Starter

In 2012, a board of dedicated volunteers created the nonprofit, Farmshare Austin.  Together, they sought to create an innovative 501(c)3 that could effectively address the complex issue of food security in the Central Texas area.  As the board looked at the barriers to achieving such security, one in particular stood out: the lack of education programs in the region for students wishing to become organic farmers.  Consequently, the board identified new farmer education as a priority, and Farmer Starter was born.

Farmshare Austin’s Farmer Starter program will start October 1, 2014. The program will be a six-month intensive residential course where students will live and work on an educational farm in eastern Travis County, just eighteen miles from downtown Austin. Students will learn about the science, theory, and business of farming while gaining experience working on the educational farm. The curriculum will be accentuated with workshops that will cover some of the diverse skills that are needed around a farm like carpentry and mechanics. The program will also include fieldtrips to area farms so students can see a variety of growing methods and scales of production.  

Produce grown on the farm will be used to support Farmshare Austin’s food access goals. The Sustainable Food Center’s Happy Kitchen program will receive produce from Farmshare, and Farmshare students will supply produce to a weekly farm stand at Sanchez Elementary School in East Austin.  Farmshare will also work with community non-profit nutrition programs to identify clients for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The food access strategy will help ensure that Farmshare produce is used by people who may otherwise lack the means to purchase seasonal organic fruits and vegetables. At the same time, Farmshare students will gain experience operating three distribution models that are essential to local farmers—wholesale, farm stands, and a CSA program. The food access strategy will also put Farmshare students in the community where they will work with partnering non-profit organizations and serve low-income and access-challenged people.

Why Farmer Starter Matters

Aspiring farmers without a traditional background in agriculture have a lot to learn in order to be successful, and Farmer Starter will give them the foundation necessary to begin realizing their dreams. Farmer Starter will be one of the first programs of this type in Texas and one of the only programs in the South and Southwest.

Farmer Starter graduates will play a critical role in Central Texas’ food system. The demand for high-quality local produce is increasing just as many farmers are nearing retirement. Training the next generation of vegetable farmers is essential for the health of people in the region and the businesses that rely on the availability of these products.

Finally, the disastrous effect of the standard American diet is the greatest public health challenge our country currently faces, and, like so many social problems, the burden is disproportionally borne by disadvantaged people. Farmer Starter will be one of the only producers growing nutritious organic food specifically for low-income and access-challenged people in our community. By serving these people during their education, it is our hope that Farmer Starter students will, in the course of their agriculture careers, continue to develop innovative ways to ensure that healthy food is available to everyone regardless of location or income.

What Farmer Starter Needs

Farmershare Austin needs to raise $50,000 this summer to complete construction at the educational farm and give our students the best possible experience when they start this fall. We need:

·  Six student housing units

·  A shared hygiene facility

·  A classroom and office space for students and staff to learn and work

·  Supplies to support the food access strategy

·  A scholarship fund to help ensure that the most qualified students can participate in Farmer Starter regardless of resources.

What You Get

When you contribute to Farmer Starter you become part an exclusive group of people who work tirelessly to ensure that Central Texas has a dynamic, healthy food system for generations to come. The perks for this campaign, described on the right, are designed to welcome you into this community and express our appreciation. 

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you can’t give to this campaign Farmer Starter needs your help! Please share the campaign with your networks and use the Indiegogo share tools. You can also sign up for our newsletter at farmshareaustin.org/connect and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for information on upcoming volunteer opportunities.