Our Farm Technical Training
The smallholder farmers worldwide face significant challenges in accessing the resources and support they need to succeed. The lack of access to farm technical training, viable markets, and capital often leads to unreliable crops, wasted resources, environmental harm, and limited opportunities for growth.
These challenges can leave smallholder farmers with a sense of shame, low confidence, and limited social standing, leaving them with few viable options for a better life.
To address these issues, we offer 8 modules that focus on providing smallholder farmers with the necessary training, resources, and support. Our programs are designed to help farmers build their technical expertise, expand access to markets or create new ones, and improve access to capital.
Since the inception of 99 Farmers, we have spent considerable time and resources in developing strategies that will help us identify and implement the most effective programming for the most amount of people. We have developed a comprehensive digital risk assessment tool that would help us gain a better understanding of the specific needs and opportunities of each farmer. As part of the farmer’s application process, our training staff visit the farmer and walk them through the assessment collecting hundreds of data points. The assessment is scored and will determine whether we believe our program will benefit them.
After the farmer is accepted in the 99 Farmers training program, the data collected is used to identify areas of the farmer’s operation where we can realize the most amount of improvement. Our training is designed to address three pain points: a lack of farm technical know-how, access to markets, and access to capital. The data collected help us develop individualized business strategies, as well as improve the overall quality of life.
With the farmer at the center of each step of our programming, the aim is to build farmer capacity in entrepreneurial and management skills. It does this through a ‘learning-by-doing’ approach. It enables farmers to learn and improve their knowledge, change their attitudes and enhance their skills toward improved farm commercialization – while working on their own farms.
