Expanding a Farm with Help from a Microgrant

When Kama Doucoure began updating his farm business plan to expand his operation over the next few years, he knew he wanted to hire a consultant. He worked with GrowNYC, a Regional Navigator for Farmland for a New Generation New York, to apply for and receive a $1,000 microgrant from American Farmland Trust. He then hired consultant Faith Gilbert to consult on his business plan updates.

Without the microgrant, he says, “I would still have tried to hire her, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it right away. I’m so glad I was able to work with Faith because she understands my vision.” Kama grows African vegetables on three acres of land he found through the help of network partners and raises livestock, too. Both expansions were outlined in his business plan that he has been developing since 2017, when he started in GrowNYC’s Beginning Farmer Program.

Kama is also using his updated plans as he seeks to secure additional acreage to serve his community in the Bronx. All of this will help Kama achieve his goal of developing a community-managed business in which more than 50 people are sharing the workload of growing vegetables and raising livestock like sheep, Guinea fowls, and chickens.

Read more about Farmland for a New Generation New York.