Journeyperson Spotlight: Josiah Venter of Ro-Jo Farms

Josiah Venter (right) with friend and business partner Toby Fischer

Last week we announced the 3 newly accepted farmers of the 2 year Journeyperson program with CT NOFA which helps beginning farmers in their most formative years. Today we shine the spotlight on Josiah Venter of Ro-Jo Farms in Bethany, CT! 

CT NOFA Invites Serious Beginning Farmers to Apply for the Journeyperson Program

Journeyperson Joe Listro and his mentor, Dina Brewster from The Hickories,
at Sullivan Farm in New Milford

The Journeyperson Program aims to provide serious beginning farmers with the opportunity to learn skills and techniques and gain experience they will need to succeed as farmers and business owners.

Deadline: January 15, 2013
The Journeyperson program strives to support farmers in the education gap between apprentice and independent farmer and to provide resources and opportunities for prospective new farmers who have completed an apprenticeship to further develop skills they need to farm independently. The program is shaped by the farming interests and goals of individual participants. New farmers are able to gain advanced farming experience, skill and perspective in a supportive environment while also becoming part of a sustainable farming network.

Each Journeyperson, once selected, is matched with a mentor, who is then paid through the “Cultivating a New Crop of Farmers from Apprenticeship to Independence” grant (funded by NIFA through the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program) for their time and work. These arrangements are flexible and are shaped by the journeyperson and the mentor. Some farmer-mentors also offer access to land, equipment, and support so a journeyperson can farm independently.

Journeyperson Max Taylor (who is a JP along with Kerry Taylor)
samples Provider Farm's melons with his mentor Rob Schacht from
Hunts Brook Farm.

Additional resources available to journeypeople include free admission to CT NOFA events, and education and business stipends. All people who go through the Journeyperson program must enter an agreement describing goals and objectives for the program which will include completing full farm plans and business plans. Journeypeople are expected to attend regular mentor meetings, a number of CT NOFA workshops, and check in with CT NOFA employees about their progress. A grant from the USDA has enabled NOFA Chapters of New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Jersey join with the Main Organic Farming and Gardening Association in offering this program.

Apply online at https://nofa.wufoo.com/forms/m7p8m7/. For more information or a print application, please contact the Beginning Farmer Coordinator: Kristiane Huber at kristiane@ctnofa.org or 203-888-5146

Our Second Journeyperson Farm Visit at Sullivan Farm

Yesterday, Bill and I visited Sullivan Farm in New Milford for our second Journeyperson Farm Visit.  Joe Listro, one of CT NOFA's journeypeople, was hired as farm manager in February and since then, has started managing the vegetable production, hay production, farm stand, interns and education programs, and a variety of other responsibilities around the community farm.  We were glad he could make time to meet with us!
First we looked at the vegetable plot as you'll see below.
While we were in the vegetable garden we were joined by Joe's mentor, Dina Brewster of The Hickories in Ridgefield. Dina's mentor stipend is supported by the USDA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program distributed by the National Institute for Agriculture.  Just during our visit Dina offered advice on growing practices, cover crops, marketing, fencing, working with the National Resource Conservation Service, record keeping . . . I can go on and on.

We walked around the farm for over an hour, looking at current vegetable and hay production and his equipment (a seed spreader below). 

 

We were excited to hear that Joe will soon be applying for organic certification for Sullivan Farm, though the farm has already signed the Farmer's Pledge!

Joe also laid out his plans for the farm including several new vegetable plots, fruit bushes and possibly a small orchard and even space for Christmas trees. 

We also visited the sugar house where Sullivan Farm will again process sap to make maple syrup this winter.

For more information on Sullivan Farm, check out their website.You can also read this New Milford Spectrum article from March.  For more information on the Journeyperson program (which will be accepting applications for 2013-2015 in just a couple months) please visit our Journeyperson Page. The journeyperson program is for farmers just starting to independently farm, and provides a mentor, free admission to CT NOFA events, business and education stipends, and the support of the greater regional NOFA network. 

Here's to cooler days!
Kristiane

CT NOFA Announces the 2012 Journeypeople

            The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT NOFA) is proud to announce the acceptance of Max and Kerry Taylor of Provider Farm in Salem and Joey Listro of Sullivan Farm in New Milford to the first year of the Connecticut Journeyperson Program. The program is designed to provide financial and educational support for farmers transitioning from apprenticing to farming independently.  More of Connecticut’s farm operators near retirement age while the demand for Connecticut Grown food continues to grow.  To respond to these trends, beginning farmer support has been identified as a key to securing Connecticut’s local food supply and protecting farms.

            2012 will be Max and Kerry Taylor’s first full growing season on Provider Farm.  Prior to working at Provider Farm, Max worked at Riverland Farm in Sunderland, MA and Kerry with five years of experience at Brookfield Farm in Amherst, MA.   At Provider Farm the Taylors are growing vegetables and raising beef cattle for sale through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  There are still shares available for their CSA, with shares available for pick-up from their farm in Salem, CT.   For more information about Provider Farm or to purchase a share, visit their website at providerfarm.com.

Max and Kerry Taylor - Provider Farm

            Joe Listro has just taken on the position of Farm Manager at Sullivan Farm, a community farm in New Milford, Connecticut.  Listro has operated a small, vegetable growing business through the Community Farm of Simsbury and worked as a farm-based educator at Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain.  Sullivan Farm is a community farm, providing a rich variety of produce at their farm stand and is open to the public.  For more information about Sullivan Farm, please visit sullivanfarmnm.org/. 

Joe Listro selling vegetables at the Ellington Farmer's Market

             The Journeyperson Program is a two year program that will provide the selected farmers with stipends supporting education, business planning, a paid farmer mentor and admission to all of CT NOFA’s workshops. The Journeyperson Program is part of a collaborative program implemented by NOFA chapters in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.  The project, funded by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture through the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, provides support through several avenues including on-farm workshops, apprentice-mentor matching, farmer socials and a beginning farmer workshop track at NOFA Winter Conferences. 

            For more information on the CT NOFA’s programs for beginning farmers, please visit http://ctnofa.org/Beginning_Farmers.html.