Rural Enterprise Center's One Big Thing

What does it take for a newly trained "agripreneur" to build a successful farming business? A well-thought out "Incubator" process, complete with individualized business planning, a revolving loan fund, and transitional access to land and poultry production facilities.

Jose and 20 other agripreneurs in Southern Minnesota graduated from the Rural Enterprise Center's agripreneur training program this September and are ready to move forward with their farming plans. As another graduate, Zenaida told us, "I would like to achieve my own goals . . . not stay stuck in one place."

The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation has shown their support in a big way, awarding Main Street Project the "One Big Thing" grant of $100,000. The award came with a challenge: to raise matching dollars in order to fund the full Incubator program. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has already generously committed $75,000 toward the program.

Can you help us meet the challenge to raise the remaining $25,000?

Here are some crucial activities your dollars will support:

Purchasing building supplies for the construction of year-round poultry production facilities

Seeding a revolving load fund to finance agripreneur start-up expenses, such as chicks and feed

Developing long-term lease arrangements for incubator farm sites

Hiring an Agripreneur Incubator Manager

RESULT? In the first year, six or more Latino families in rural Minnesota will make progress toward their goal of attaining an annual family income of $30,000. For most, that's a 50 to 75 percent increase over their current incomes!

Every dollar matters as we work towards our goal of $25,00, and the faster we get there, the faster our motivated agripreneurs will be supporting their families, and contributing to their communities as part of a new, inclusive system of sustainable agriculture.

As training graduate Jaime said, "I think with your help I will be able to achieve my goal."

On behalf of Jose, Zenaida, Jaime, their families and many others, thank you for your generous support.