BFRDP Projects

The Southern New England Farmers of Color Collaborative (SNEFCC) is a collaboration of beginning farmers of color and collaborators who work to increase the success of farmers of color in the New England states. SNEFCC aims to position farmers of color for new opportunities, and to provide them with the necessary skills and resources to build and sustain successful farm enterprises now and in the future. This work requires a solid foundation of education and training; ongoing mentoring and coaching; skill and resource sharing; and other forms of mutual support and relationship building. Through SNEFCC's Land Access Course for Farmers of Color in Southern New England Project, as well as SNEFCC's management of peer-to-peer learning groups (called Farmer Circles) in each state, SNEFCC is helping to meet these unique needs and is building a strong network of beginning farmers of color across the region. 

In our first project year, we hired a Project Coordinator and Project Assistant. We assembled a Steering Committee (originally called our Core Team) of 10 individuals representing several leading BF service providers in the CT-RI-MA region; nine members identify as BIPOC. We launched a subcommittee focused on Curriculum Development.  An Executive Committee of four members  met monthly (and sometimes bi-weekly) to monitor steps toward project activities and give staff guidance. SNEFCC's Land Access training program that is structured to engage a cohort of farmers of color (and aspiring farmers of color) with a curriculum focused on pathways to land access for both urban and rural farmers. The course launched in Feb 2022 and was offered again in spring 2023. In addition to land access training, SNEFCC is supporting peer-to-peer learning through Farmer Circles which has proven to be an exciting strategy to build farmer networks and resilience. In 2022, SNEFCC distributed stipends to 23 farmers for the purchase of seeds, tools, and other small inputs. Moving into our final year, SNEFCC is taking steps to support BIPOC farmers in their access to tools and equipment. SNEFCC will distribute stipends to BIPOC farmers to purchase tool inputs, and also explore the development of shared equipment libraries. SNEFCC is also supporting the professional development and learning of BIPOC farmers through participation stipends to cover registration and travel costs to attend farmer training opportunities.