Farm-based entrepreneurs from Gloucestershire received plenty of advice in the practical introduction to starting a sustainable business this weekend, led by Jonty Brunyee, our Head of Sustainable Farming and David Bozward from the RAU, with guest speaker Domini Fearn from Wild Hare. The two day intensive bootcamp will be followed by 10 weeks of mentoring support and online workshops.
We explored values, mission and brand as well as the farm and our CSA model. We used the business model canvas and practiced pitching.
Diversifying? Join us next time? We will be running more entrepreneurial events next year. This is what this year's cohort had to say:
Jerel Kelly from London is studying agrofood at the RAU and came to find out more about ‘how to run a sustainable business’. Jerel is planning to establish a veg box and recipe scheme supplying tropical and subtropical food. ‘The Bootcamp has broadened my mind in terms of crop rotations and it’s been great to be challenged by the team,’ Jerel said.
Dale and Lucy Allen from Cheltenham are new to farming, having purchased a flock of sheep last year and chickens more recently. They came to the Bootcamp to help them with ‘everything.’ Specifically they wanted advice on ‘ identifying the market for our poultry and sheep enterprise, developing strategy and messaging.’ Lucy described FarmED as ‘a good snapshot of regenerative agriculture’ and Dale said he was particularly inspired by the ‘comparison of soil structures between the conventionally farmed control plot and regenerative farmed heritage wheat plot.’ They both also praised the ‘great cake’ on offer at tea breaks!
Eric Walters has just bought a farm to develop a ‘stacked enterprise with a variety of initiatives.’ Eric’s background is in tourism, he has an MBA in business administration and is studying for a masters in agroforestry and food security at Bangor University. He said it was ‘inspiring’ to be part of the Bootcamp group and finding out how to ‘farm in a productive and regenerative way to help facilitate other businesses.’ He was particularly interested in talking to The Kitchen Garden People as ‘so many people are keen to set up CSAs’.