Tailored business planning & coaching program for San Diego County's small scale farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food business owners

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Pollinator is a tailored business planning and coaching program offered by the Local Food Economy Lab. Every year, the program supports a cohort of six food business owners—including farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and other food business owners—in San Diego County. The experience is highly customized to fit the needs, scale, and stage of operation of each participating business. 


The application for our second Pollinator cohort closed on February 29, 2024. Our next cycle will open in January 2025. Please visit the Local Food Economy Lab page to explore other resources for local farmers, fishermen and food businesses.

 
 

Pollinator is part of the Local Food Economy Lab’s long-term efforts to support the viability of farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food business owners in San Diego County.

Through this program, we aim to provide deep support to our region’s small food system businesses and help entrepreneurs build a strong foundation for viability and success.

Pollinator is focused on uplifting businesses led by individuals and/or communities that have been historically disinvested and face systemic challenges to achieving profitability and success in their sector. We center equity and community ownership, and prioritize beginning and small-scale enterprises—especially those led by Indigenous and people of color, immigrants, women, seniors, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with low income.

 
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About the Program

Eligibility

  • All food business owners operating in San Diego County can apply, including but not limited to farmers, ranchers, fishermen, beekeepers, value-added food processors, food distributors, restaurateurs, caterers, retailers, and composters. For-profit and nonprofit businesses, micro-enterprise home kitchen operations (MEKHOs), sidewalk vendors, and pop-ups are all eligible and encouraged to apply.

    Priority is given to Indigenous and people of color, immigrants, women, seniors, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with low income.

    We encourage all food business owners operating in San Diego County to apply, regardless of immigration or citizenship status.

  • To be eligible, businesses must be in operation, meaning they are selling a product or service at the time of application. Operating businesses at any stage of development are eligible to apply, but priority is given to small-scale and early-stage businesses.

  • Our guidelines for determining program eligibility are flexible. In general, we define small-scale businesses as those with gross sales under $500k annually and early-stage businesses as those that have been operating for less than ten years.

    We understand that definitions of these terms can vary, and no one definition works for all. The goal is to make this program as inclusive as possible, taking a human, case-by-case approach and prioritizing a commitment to those who have been most affected by inequities in the food system.

Program Experience

  • Start date for services begins in April 2024, but can vary based on participant readiness and needs.

  • Program duration varies based on participant needs, pace, and capacity. Formally, the program can last up to two years depending on their needs, scale, and stage of operation. Informal support can be available to participants through the Lab beyond the two years, if needed.

  • Through Pollinator, participants receive support from values-aligned partners on their top priority needs. This can include anything from business plan development and coaching, to marketing and legal support. The goal of the program is to provide deep, one-on-one support to food system businesses to help them create a strong foundation for viability and success.

  • Service providers are selected uniquely for each case, based on their expertise and ability to provide high-quality service that best fits each business’s needs. The Lab strives to choose service providers who center social and racial equity in their work, and those who have lived experience farming, fishing, and/or owning a food business, particularly in San Diego County.

  • The value of services will depend on the needs of each business and available funding. We are striving to offer a maximum of $25k worth of services per business, over the course of two years.

  • No, the program is free for selected businesses.

  • The program is operated primarily in English. Our goal is to be able to support food business owners with limited English proficiency in the future, through offering the program in other languages.

    In some cases, we may be able to provide businesses with select services in other languages, or referrals to multi-lingual service providers. Please contact us if this could meet your needs.

Application & Selection Process

  • This year, the application opens in early January 2024 and closes February 29, 2024. Select candidates will be invited for a 30-minute interview in March. Six (6) businesses are selected and accepted into the program annually, and will be notified in early April.

  • The Local Food Economy Lab reviews and selects applications based on three categories of criteria:

    • Program Fit

    • Demonstrated Need

    • Community Impact

    The Lab also takes into consideration factors like the following:

    • Business type

    • Business location

    Learn more about these selection criteria.

  • If your business is not selected to join the Pollinator cohort, please don’t be discouraged! We hope to continue growing our relationship with you, following your journey, and supporting your business. You are always welcome to apply for a future cohort, or to engage with us in other ways.

    As the Local Food Economy Lab grows, we will continue to offer additional programs, services, resources, and support for beginning and small scale food businesses in San Diego County. Watch this space for other ways to engage with us.

  • Please reach out to the Local Food Economy Lab Manager, Hanna Schuler, at hanna@sdfsa.org.

 
 

“Building a more resilient food supply and economy means we need to ensure that through small business ownership, diverse entrepreneurs are able to increase their income potential, achieve long-term financial stability, provide for their families, and continue enriching their communities.

We need to create an integrated support system and invest in those in our community for whom traditional business development services are out of reach, with a focus on BIPOC, immigrants, women, and individuals with low income.”

— San Diego County Food Vision 2030
Objective 2 | Increase the Viability of Local Farms, Fisheries, Food Businesses, and Workers

 
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Application & Selection Process

 

🗒️ Step 1 | Written Application

Early January 2024 — February 29, 2024

Tell us your story. What are your business needs and vision? How long have you been operating? Who are the communities you serve or aim to serve? The written application helps us begin getting to know you and your business, understanding your needs, and evaluating whether the program is a good fit for you.

 

🖊️ Step 2 | Initial Review & Selection

March 2024

After the application period has closed, the team at the Lab makes selections based on program fit, demonstrated need, and community impact. We aim to inform applicants within three weeks about whether we’d like you to join us for the next step.

🗣️ Step 3 | 30-minute Interview

March 2024

The purpose of the interview is to further get to know you and your business. This intentional dialogue is a time to dive deeper into answers from your written application, and to answer any questions you may have about Pollinator Program.

🌱 Step 4 | Final Review & Selection

April 2024

By early April 2024, a cohort of six (6) farms, fisheries, and food businesses will be selected and informed. At this point, we are thrilled to get the program underway, and begin working with you on a tailored plan for business planning and coaching services, tailored to your needs.

If your Business is not selected

If your business is not selected to join the cohort for Pollinator Program, please don’t be discouraged! We hope to continue growing our relationship with you, following your journey, and supporting your business. You are always welcome to apply for a future cohort, or to engage with us in other ways.

The Local Food Economy Lab offers additional programs and services that support small scale farmers, fishermen, and food business owners in San Diego County. Explore our webpage to learn more and join our Community Food Chat.

 
 

Contact Us

If you have additional questions, please reach out to our team.

Sona Desai
Co-Executive Director
sona@sdfsa.org

Hanna Schuler
Local Food Economy Lab Manager
hanna@sdfsa.org

 
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