The Carrot Project

We're hiring, full-time, ideally based in CT/RI/MA. The Farm Viability and Access to Capital Fellowship is an applied professional development fellowship for any career stage. A great role for a farmer transitioning out of farming and into advising, or those wanting to transition to Carrot's area of work from a related field. On-the-job training is provided.

About:
The Fellow acts as a resource and educator on farm and food business viability, financial, business, risk management, and access to capital topics for primarily BIPOC, women, and low-income/resource and early-stage business owners. The Fellow engages in 1:1 business coaching, delivers educational trainings, and develops online resources and client-oriented newsletters for farm and food businesses.

The work takes place in MA, CT and RI, within greater Northeast regional and national collaborations. The work is primarily performed remotely from personal home office located in New England. Ability to regularly travel throughout MA, CT and RI is a requirement.
https://www.thecarrotproject.org/fellowship/

We're thrilled to announce that The Carrot Project’s Executive Director is Benneth Phelps, as of February 13, 2023.

Our long-term supporters will already be familiar with Benneth’s boundless drive, practicality, and clear vision for building a just and resilient future for agricultural entrepreneurs. Benneth brings a deep and dynamic knowledge of our work, relationships, and sector from 12+ years of on-the-ground experience uplifting New England’s farmers — and from her long history with The Carrot Project as an essential volunteer, employee, and Advisory Board member. Read the full announcement: https://www.thecarrotproject.org/welcomeournewexecutivedirector_2023/

Benneth joins our team from Dirt Capital Partners, where as Director of Farmer Services since 2016, she refined the company’s organizational culture and infrastructure, as well as their approach to investing in farmland, farms, and food enterprises. She also developed a track record of solving farmers’ land access and transition challenges using Dirt Capital’s unique farmland investment models.

As Benneth’s former farm business clients note, her approach of repeatedly rolling up her sleeves to work alongside her clients and partners, while pairing deep listening with expertise, builds trust and achieves unique outcomes.

She has served as the Vice Chair of Carrot’s Advisory Board since 2021, guiding our Strategic Plan implementation at the Board level. As Carrot’s first full-time employee, back in 2011, Benneth laid the groundwork for many of The Carrot Project’s current programs, and she cultivated strong relationships with Carrot’s collaborators and supporters. In addition to her years of experience helping farmers execute business plans, secure farmland, and access capital, Benneth holds a Masters in Regional Planning from UMass Amherst. Before working at The Carrot Project, she farmed vegetables and small fruits in Western Massachusetts for close to a decade. She lives in Sunderland, MA, with her son.

Because Benneth is already actively engaged as a leader and collaborator in much of our work and partnerships, she’s in an excellent position to dive right into moving The Carrot Project’s strategic priorities forward. Her key areas of focus include catalyzing change in our sector through the Agricultural Viability Alliance, delivering on our commitment to racial and economic justice and adapting our approach to serve our region’s diverse entrepreneurial community, while continuing to refine The Carrot Project’s core services and cultivating our network of collaborative partnerships.

Please join all of us at The Carrot Project in offering our warmest welcome to Benneth. We are excited for you to get to know her in this new role, as she brings Carrot’s legacy into a brighter agricultural future in New England. We look forward to sharing more about our work soon.

Benneth Phelps joins The Carrot Project as Executive Director | Carrot Project Benneth Phelps joins The Carrot Project as Executive Director by Jenny Goldleaf | Mar 9, 2023 | Homepage, News | 0 comments   We’re thrilled to announce that The Carrot Project’s next Executive Director is Benneth Phelps, as of February 13, 2023.   Our long-term supporters will already be fami...

Help The Carrot Project support farm and food entrepreneurs facing the unexpected. Your support will enable farmers like Mac to access the training, skills, and expertise they need to weather disruptions — while lowering barriers for beginning, women, and BIPOC farmers to thrive.

From the persisting impacts of the pandemic, to the rising waters and temperatures of climate crisis, or the generational barriers to equitable land access, the hurdles to a vibrant and equitable farm and food future are as steep as they have ever been.

Can you make a donation today to support The Carrot Project’s ongoing work and take on the new challenges our clients face? Your gift will go directly to equipping visionary agricultural entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to thrive for the long haul. tinyurl.com/vax39ve9

Meeting farmers’ changing needs in challenging times Help The Carrot Project support farm and food entrepreneurs facing the unexpected. Your gift will go directly to equipping visionary agricultural entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to thrive for the long haul.

The Carrot Project is offering support for farmers and food entrepreneurs pursuing value-added production. Follow the link to learn about upcoming QuickBooks office hours, workshops, and more! This is created with value-added producers in mind, but any agricultural entrepreneur can benefit. All are welcome! https://tinyurl.com/3zvxrmbv

Curious about new ways to build your risk management toolkit? The Carrot Project and our partners are offering free support to help farmers learn about and evaluate USDA’s new Micro Farm Insurance program. Learn more and register for our workshops and one-on-one support through this link: https://thecarrotproject.salsalabs.org/microfarmworkshop20222023
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Micro Farm insurance is available specifically for farmers making up to $350,000 annually. This program can help prepare your farm for the unexpected by protecting your total farm revenue from losses in income. Coverage is based on your historic revenue over the past three years, along with your estimated revenue for the coverage year. So, if you’re insured for $100,000 and you only make $30,000 during the year, you could receive a claim payment of $70,000 to recover the difference.
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We’re here to help you think through the details and, if you decide to get insured, prepare your application. Follow the link to get started!
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This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2021-70027-34693.