Mentorship Pilot Program
New and established farmers wanted!
New farmers: Are you looking to start a farm but have little in the way of experience? Looking for further resources and hands-on support in establishing your own farm?
Established farmers: Do you want to pass on valuable farming wisdom and support the next generation of agriculture producers in Newfoundland and Labrador?
In order to make the program more attractive to potential mentors and provide new opportunities to mentees, we have recently secured funding through the Candian Agriculture Partnership (CAP) to enhance and expand the program. We are able to provide an honorarium to mentors in the program, which can cover up to $2,000 in support for an 8-week or longer program. All matches are subject to approval.
Pilot Program Details:
The NL Young Farmers’ Forum (NLYFF) Mentorship Pilot Program seeks to match new or beginning farmers with experienced local farmers based on matches related to geography, learning goals, areas of agricultural expertise, and other matching criteria. This will help to encourage the successful establishment of new farms in Newfoundland and Labrador and make the next generation of farmers have more tools at their disposal to contribute to their success.
Mentorship leads to skill development and can be essential in providing an opportunity for hands-on practical experience and a safe place to try new things under the guidance of an experienced mentor.
NLYFF’s Mentor Farmers work one-on-one to help ease the transition for new, and beginning young farmers, and help build the skills and network which can be essential to new entrant success. The aim of the mentorship is to help build lasting relationships between generations of farmers across the province.
Details and Requirements:
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Potential mentees must be new or beginning farmers between 18 and 40 years of age, as per NLYFF’s mandate;
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Potential mentees will download and submit their application form to NLYFF and provide information about their needs and areas of skill development;
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Similarly, potential mentors (established farmers) will download and submit their application form to NLYFF and provide information about what they can offer to mentees;
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NLYFF will determine whether each applicant is eligible
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NLYFF will enter the mentor and mentee information into a database and will contact each prospective participant as matches are made;
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Potential mentors should have the farm facilities to host a mentee and may be required to provide accommodation and board (or make arrangements) for the mentee;
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Due to resource constraints and the limited nature of this pilot, there is a possibility not all matches will be able to begin the program even when a match is available.
We will review applications as they arrive and we endeavor to facilitate these mentorship partnerships in a timely manner. While there is no official application deadline, we encourage interested parties to apply at their earliest convenience.
Application Forms:
These files are fillable PDF documents which can be filled out on your PC or device and submitted by email to mcarlson[at]nlfa.ca or sent by postal mail (PO Box 1045, Mt Pearl, NL, A1N 3C9), or by fax to (709) 747-8827. They can also be printed and filled out by hand if you prefer.