Vilicus Institute believes that careers in agriculture should be accessible to anyone, not just those with generational land or family farms. We promote stable, life long careers in agriculture through Agrarian Training and Enterprise Incubation. Bringing new and diverse perspectives into agriculture is critical to our future as we shift to organic farming practices.
Farmers are ecologists, entrepreneurs, and stewards of the land. Our New Agrarian Training programs include, but are not limited to, apprenticeship opportunities, in which Vilicus Institute connects potential apprentices to host farms, and provides tools and support to build long lasting, symbiotic relationships. This program advances continued learning and honing of farm management and land stewardship skills.
Enterprise Incubation means creating a stable and supportive environment for the development, exploration, and implementation of new agricultural businesses. Vilicus Institute helps aspiring business owners gain financial autonomy by helping them overcome barriers to access, such as land ownership, and works to create symbiotic relationships with host farms. We envision a future where farms host a network of value aligned, resource sharing owners and partners, that work in tandem, as opposed to the standard employer/employee hierarchical relationship.
Individuals and business owners interested in learning more and organic farmers interested in hosting an apprentice or incubating businesses can reach out to Anna Jones-Crabtree at [email protected] .
— Masanobu Fukuoka
