Do you operate a farm that is not for profit? Or do you have an operation that engages in bartering, provides mutual aid, or community education? Are you dreaming, hoping, or planning to do so soon?
Be a part of our Farming Not-for-Profit Experience Team!
Farm Commons wants to provide not-for-profit farm businesses with easy-to-read, accurate material on the law’s expectations of their business. But we can’t do it alone! As attorneys and educators, we can only get so far – we need guidance and input from folks on the ground, doing the work, to make sure our resources meet your needs.
Your questions, thoughts, and understanding of legal issues are invaluable to us.
When you share where you have questions and what you’re already doing to manage risk, we can create effective materials that help you do even more. Your peers want to hear your thoughts too! your input creates the solidarity we need to build stronger agricultural communities together.
Help us create actionable materials for the community while getting answers, sharing your wisdom, and connecting with peers!
Your time and thoughts are valuable, and we want to be sure you are compensated for your contributions. Service on our experience team will take 12 hours of your time from September through October. We will give each participant $800 in respect of their contributions.
The Application Portal for the 2024 Farming Not-for-Profit Experience Team is now closed. However, if you are interested in receiving our not-for-profit resources and guides, please email us at info@farmcommons.org.
Farming Not-for-Profit Experience Team FAQ
What does the Farming Not-for-Profit Experience Team do, exactly?
Experience Team members attend 3 meetings over Zoom, each of which are 90 minutes long. Meetings are facilitated by our staff, who focus on creating a welcoming, respectful, and interactive environment. Before each team meeting, you’ll receive a reading assignment and reflection questions to prepare for discussion. During meetings, team members will have the opportunity to share questions about the material, get widely applicable answers, and engage in action planning activities that support your individual goals.
In total, team members are asked to contribute 12 hours of their time to the program.
When are meetings held?
Wednesdays from 12 PM – 1:30 Pacific Time on the following dates:
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September 25, 2024
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October 2, 2024
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October 9, 2024
You say I’ll be compensated? What are the details?
We will provide each participant who successfully completes the program with an honorarium of $800 after the final meeting on October 9, 2024. To receive the honorarium, Farming Not-for-Profit Experience Team members will provide their payment information in our secure, online, payment management system, Gusto. A social security number, TEIN, or EIN is required to receive payment so we can fulfill our tax obligations. Payment can be made via direct deposit or via paper check through the postal mail. Participants may forgo the payment if they wish.
Am I the type of business owner you are looking for?
We are looking for folks fitting the following criteria:
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You own a not-for-profit farm, you want to form a not-for-profit farm, or you conduct mutual aid programs, barter goods, and/or donate food from your farm.
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You are willing to share your stories and questions about legal issues related to not-for-profit farming that will be recorded (for evaluation purposes only)
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You are willing and able to join online group meetings using Zoom (including having the necessary hardware, software, and internet bandwidth), and you can access Google Drive, complete written responses in an online form, and communicate in English.
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You have the ability to join all of the scheduled meetings on Wednesdays from 12 PM to 1:30 pm PT on the following dates: September 25, October 2, and October 9, 2024.
Whether you are in the advanced planning stages of your not-for-profit farm business, have just begun, or have many years of experience, we are looking for a diversity of voices! Please consider joining us.
If I apply, will I get a spot on the Experience Team?
We anticipate receiving more applications than we have available spots. We apologize in advance if we are not able to accept all applicants! In that event, we will extend invitations based on our priorities. We are prioritizing the following individuals for participation, in no particular order, and we strive to create a diverse Experience Team representative of a wide variety of product types and personal experiences:
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Not-for-profit business owners in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
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Black, Indigenous, and People of Color not-for-profit business owners
What do you mean when you say “not-for-profit?”
When we say “not for profit” we mean folks who are running nonprofit or do-good-focused operations (B corp, L3C, etc.), or who want to form one of these entities.