SMART Farmers Collective
How to Apply
To express your interest in joining the SMART Collective and the upcoming training and advisory program, please fill out our short survey by September 30th, and we will follow up with an interview.
Beginning Farmers’ Training Course and Advisory Program
Are you looking to establish or grow a successful farm business in RI?
NOFA RI is thrilled to announce an opportunity for eight beginning farmers to participate in our SMART (Sustainable, Marketable, Adaptive, Resilient Team) Collective. The goal of the collective is to help new producers strengthen their businesses by:
1) participating in a training focused on marketing, financial management, and production
2) being part of a community of peers sharing ideas and expertise
3) receiving personalized support from an experienced farmer-advisor.
This 12-month initiative, implemented by NOFA RI in partnership with Writing for Green, is funded by an RI Department of Environmental Management LASA grant.
To be considered for this program, you must complete survey by September 30, 2026.
Who Is Eligible?
Farmers with ideally 1-5 years of experience who are aiming to improve their financial viability, can commit to the program, and want to make farming their primary livelihood if they haven’t already.
SMART Collective Overview
The training sessions (approximately 80% to be held virtually) will take place in the off-season, for 6-8 weeks between January and March 2027. There will be two modules:
1) Marketing and Finance (approx. 10 hours) - focusing on topics like financial planning, farmers' market display, CSA management, branding, and value-added products
2) Farm Efficiency and Productivity (approx. 6-8 hours) - with topics like crop planning and platforms, high tunnel production and greenhouse crops, season extension, and workflow efficiency.
The collective members will have multiple opportunities to meet, share ideas, and explore solutions to shared challenges. After the training course concludes, the collective members will be assigned an experienced farmer-advisor whose skill set and experience match their needs. They can meet with their advisor in-person, virtually, or by phone for ~5 hours between March and December 2027. Upon completion of the training participants will receive a $750 stipend.