Portfolio
Agriculture
 The
Teaching
Farm
 2009‐04‐13


Portfolio
Agriculture


The
Teaching
Farm


Summary


Garrick
E.
Louis,
University
of
Virginia.


April
2009


A. The
Concept

1. In
Portfolio
Agriculture
a
group
of
farmers
create
a
portfolio
of
the
plant
and
animal

produce
whose
cultivation
is
suited
optimally
to
the
climate,
soil,
hydrology,
and

ecosystem
of
their
region.
This
collection
of
factors
is
called
the
“agricultural
theme”
of

the
region.

2. The
farmers
divide
the
regional
portfolio
into
individual
folders,
each
comprised
of
a
set

of
products
to
grow
on
their
respective
farms.

3. The
folder
of
each
farm
overlaps
with
those
of
its
neighboring
farms
in
order
to
account

for
the
gradual
progression
of
the
theme
across
the
region.

4. Diversifying
the
portfolio
in
this
way
indemnifies
the
region
from
the
possible
failure
of

any
single
subset
of
produce
in
any
given
season.

5. The
farms
rotate
their
folder
of
produce
in
a
coordinated
manner
in
order
to
ensure

optimum
conditioning
of
the
soil
and
sensitivity
to
the
periodic
variation
in
the
region’s

theme.

6. The
farmers
in
the
portfolio
jointly
negotiate
agreements
with
local
markets
for
their

produce,
including;
grocery
stores,
restaurants,
nurseries,
wood
products
outlets,

packagers,
and
distributors
of
agricultural
produce.

7. The
farmers
agree
to
set
aside
a
minimum
percentage
of
their
earnings
to
a
joint
fund

(trust)
that
is
invested
financially
in
their
interest.
Farmers
are
entitled
to
dividends

based
on
their
respective
contributions
to
the
joint
fund.

8. A
percentage
of
the
earnings
from
the
joint
fund
is
to
be
used
to
finance
the
social

outreach
activities
supported
by
the
portfolio
farmers,
including
the
Teaching
Farm.

9. The
farmers
take
university
students,
other
farmers
from
outside
the
portfolio
region,

and
international
students
(with
a
special
interest
in
students
from
developing

countries),
who
want
to
learn
portfolio
farming
to
work
on
their
farms.
The
students

would
spend
at
least
one
full
season
on
a
farm.
Each
student
would
rotate
through
a
set

of
farms
in
the
portfolio
region
in
order
to
be
exposed
to
the
full
set
of
products
within

the
portfolio.
Students
would
be
spread
out
across
the
regional
farms
in
numbers

ranging
from
1
to
6
on
any
given
farm
in
a
season,
depending
on
the
size
and
resources

of
the
farm.

10. Affiliated
university
students
and
faculty
help
bring
appropriate
technology
and

management
practices
to
the
farms
in
order
to
improve
their
sustainability,
efficiency,

and
productivity
with
respect
to
air,
soil,
and
water
consumption
and
pollution,
energy

and
materials
use,
ecosystem
and
aesthetic
impacts.


G.
E.
Louis

Portfolio
Agriculture
 The
Teaching
Farm
 2009‐04‐13




11. Farmers
from
different
theme
regions
may
form
partnerships
to
share
products
across

themes
in
order
to
supply
their
affiliated
market
partners
with
‘out‐of’
region’
items.

These
partnerships
may
extend
to
national,
and
even
international
coverage
by
portfolio

partners.

12. Portfolio
Farming
Funds
may
be
used
to
support
those
seeking
to
acquire
land
for

portfolio
farming,
to
establish
portfolio
farms,
and
to
support
the
training
students
and

farmers
in
portfolio
farming
practices.


B. The
Business
Plan

1. Establish
the
first
portfolio
in
Albemarle
County,
VA

a. Farms

b. Markets

c. Joint
Fund
(Trust)

2. Establish
the
learning
farm
within
this
portfolio.
Start
with
students
from
the
University

of
Virginia
and
other
interested
regional
institutions.
Include
students
from
University
of

Venda
and
the
Limpopo
region
in
South
Africa,
who
may
come
for
a
summer
or
winter

term.

3. Establish

revenue
generating
ventures
to
support
the
learning
farm
activities

a. Aquaculture
–
trout
(HenFin)

b. Greenhouse
–
specialty
hot
peppers

c. Solar
farm
–
electricity
sale
to
the
grid

4. Grow
the
portfolio
partnerships
nationally
and
internationally

a. Portfolio
Farms
‘brand’
with
selected
market
partners

b. Furniture
accessories
from
rural
farming
communities
from
DiA’s
network

c. Tobago
Trails


d. Well
Water
–
Local
water
purification
systems
(kiosk
style).
Put
these
in
local

grocery
stores,
clinics
etc.
in
the
DiA
network

e. Louis’
Landing

f. Stay
at
Home.

g. Village
Vacations.


G.
E.
Louis