Diversify your skills to reach your goals
The New Agrarian Program year-long Management Fellowship will start its second season in October 2025.
Production skills are gained in the first years of a ranching career, but most positions don’t offer the opportunity to actively engage in the business, financial, and leadership aspects of the operation. Career advancement depends on developing strong skills in operational management including team communication, enterprise analysis, basic accounting, marketing, and much more. In response to this, we’ve designed a management-level training program that supports skill development necessary to launch an enterprise or secure management-level employment.
Everything you need to know
Our Program
In-person kickoff event
Two full days at Paicines Ranch in California in November 2025, where fellows will receive training on business planning and leadership development, connect and build relationships with one another. Fellows will walk away with a business canvas model to help guide the development of their business or career for the upcoming season.
Monthly small group discussions
Fellows will be placed in small groups, based on business type or interest, and will meet virtually each month to discuss fellowship curriculum as well as the challenges and successes that they are experiencing throughout the year.
Virtual Orientation
In early October to review the program, set individual goals, and begin creation of individual holistic goals, mission, and vision statements
Required trainings during the winter months
Business planning, business structures, financial management, insurance, communication and leadership skills, and branding your business. See the list of classes and teachers below.
Elective modules during the production season
Livestock markets, team management, accessing capital, marketing strategies, navigating USDA and other funding opportunities, and land access strategies.
Access to experienced ranchers
Fellows will be introduced to a group of mentors who are excited to provide coaching and share advice on a range of topics related to successfully operating a ranch business. Coaching will focus on business and leadership topics rather than production topics.
Access to scholarships
These will help offset program-related travel expenses or cover additional training, technical assistance, or equipment needs.
Required Trainings
Manager Fellows will gain a solid foundation in agricultural financial and business management, livestock and direct marketing, strategies for accessing land and capital, leadership, organizational systems and more. Current curriculum and instructors include:
- Business Canvas Model, Decision Grids, etc – Dave Pratt, Ranch Management Consultants
- Financial Basics, Cost of Production, Managing Cash Gracefully with Olivia Tincani, Olivia Tincani & Co, and Anjali Oberoi, Bernoulli Finance
- Business Structures – Farm Commons
- Enterprise Analysis and Managerial Accounting – Caroline Wild, Wild Ranch Solutions
- Branding your Business – Good Meat Project
- Emotional Intelligences for Business Success – Shannon Stober, Jump Start Training
- Livestock Marketing – John Wagner, 4L Grazing, Ferrell Ranch
- Land Access Panel
- Creative Capital Access with Olivia Tincani and panel
- Direct Marketing – Good Meat Project
- Business Planning with New Agrarian Program staff
- Mission, Vision and Goal Setting with New Agrarian Program staff
FAQs
Who is eligible to participate in the program?
Participants must be working in production agriculture, either running their own business or enterprise, in a ranch management position, or actively working toward entrepreneurship or ranch management. Participants may be located anywhere in the U.S., but preference will be given to those who are in the Western region. Participants are expected to be invested in fully participating in the program, to further their own career development and business goals, as well as those of their fellow early career agrarians.
What is the cost to participate in the program?
Registration for the program is $1,499. This includes food and lodging at the kickoff event, access to all training modules and associated office hours, and additional coaching and advice from program mentors as needed. A significant portion of program expenses are being covered by grant funds. We recognize that $1,499 may be a significant financial burden for some participants, and we will also offer a sliding scale registration fee so that no one is excluded for lack of funds.
Will participants be expected to cover any additional expenses?
Fellows will be responsible for getting themselves to and from California for the kickoff event (either arriving at the ranch in Paicines, CA, or to one of three major Bay Area airports). Quivira will cover transport to and from the airports, as well as all food, lodging, and instructor expenses at the event. Scholarships will be available on an as-needed basis for those who need additional travel support in order to make these trips possible.
Move into management
and entrepreneurship
Applications are now closed.
Top candidates will be invited to a 30-minute phone interview on a rolling basis, to elaborate on anything included in the written application, and provide an opportunity for applicants to ask questions about the program. We anticipate having 15 fellowship spots available in 2026.
We recommend drafting your application responses in a word processor (you can copy the questions from this doc) and then copying and pasting your answers into our form. You should get a confirmation email after you submit your application – if you do not get a confirmation email, please contact us.