| | Short of bringing a small army of marketing experts to your front door, the Agri-Preneur Scholarship program might be the next best thing.
Under the program, experienced Alberta farm-direct marketers and agri-tourism operators can receive up to $1,000 in funding to pursue an educational opportunity that’s relevant to their interests and their business. The learning experience can be an out-of-province, national or international event.
The $1,000 scholarship can include funding for conference registrations, travel expenses or assistance with the cost of self-guided tours of farm-direct or agri-tourism points of interest. As well this year the scholarship program will award up to two scholarships to new entrants to agriculture to attend an Alberta-based event.
“We focus on the marketing part of the business,” says Lisa Sharp of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Local /Domestic Market Expansion Branch in Camrose. “Marketing is usually the area where agri-preneurs would like to upgrade their knowledge. If the event is strictly about production, then it’s outside what we can fund with the scholarship program.”
Qualifying educational opportunities can be found year-round; the Agri-Preneur Scholarship program announces new recipients at five points during the year. The most recent class of scholarship recipients includes:
Esther Walker, GlenView Farm/Greenhouse, Camrose
This is an organic farm producing grass-finished lamb and organic free-range eggs, as well as operating a greenhouse. Walker was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for a self-directed tour of greenhouses and orchards in British Columbia - September 2008.
Susan and Larry King, Harmony's Way Farm, Crooked Creek
These organic farm operators, focusing on cattle, sheep, hogs and laying hens, were awarded a $1,000 scholarship for a self-directed tour in Terra Madre, Italy in October 2008.
 Susan and Larry King, Harmony's Way Farm, Crooked Creek
Keri and Randy Graham, Edgar Farms, Innisfail
A $1,000 scholarship allowed these fifth-generation producers, who grow vegetables and raise natural grass-fed Angus beef, to attend an industry conference in Ontario in November 2008.
 Keri and Randy Graham, Edgar Farms, Innisfail
Peter and Mary Lundgard, Nature's Way Farm, Grimshaw
The $1,000 scholarship enabled these organic farmers of beef, lamb, alfalfa seed and bees to attend the Organic Connections 2008 Conference in Saskatoon in November 2008.
The Agri-Preneur Scholarship is delivered through Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and funded through the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF), a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
How to apply
To apply for an Agri-Preneur Scholarship, Alberta farm-direct marketers, agri-tourism operators and appropriate industry association staff or board members are asked to submit an application with information about their business, their planned activity and how scholarship funds will be used.
For eligibility and program rules, and to download an application, please visit www.exploredirect.ca. The next application deadline is January 30, 2009. |
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