We lost an organic farming pioneer when Chatham County, NC farmer William “Bill” Dow passed away in December 2012.
“Bill was a teacher before anything else. He loved to teach young people,” said Ms. Daryl Walker, his partner for the last decade of his life. It was important to him to pass along a passion for growing and the satisfaction of the life of a farmer.
Learn more about Bill’s life and legacy in his book, What I Stand On, and in this dedication from CFSA friend and longtime Chatham County Agricultural Extension Agent Debbie Roos.
William W. Dow Scholarship Fund
Being a farmer is hard work, and the learning curve is often steep for small farms. For many, it is challenging to find the right resources and education necessary to start a successful farm business, especially when navigating the pressures of production, marketing, and responsible land stewardship.
In recognition of Bill’s commitment to shaping farmers, CFSA established the William Dow Scholarship Fund in 2013. The fund promotes fairness and opportunity in farming by providing scholarships to help beginning farmers and limited resource farmers attend CFSA’s annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference, the premier forum for networking and education for local and organic agriculture in the Carolinas.
Since its inception, the Dow Scholarship and its predecessor, the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Scholarship, have enabled 376 new farmers from across the Carolinas to attend the Sustainable Agriculture Conference since 2011. Between 20 and 30 scholarships are awarded each year.
The benefits of the scholarship extend beyond the conference! Scholarship recipients also receive a complimentary one-year membership to CFSA, which provides access to our free consulting services, discounts on our events, and a subscription to the regional listservs for members, among other benefits.
From Dow Scholars:
“The conference was a place where I finally felt like it was ok to be a beginning farmer. Overall I think the Dow scholarship helped me seriously pursue farming because it demystified the experience. The farmers presenting the workshops are people just like me. They learned it. I can learn it. I’m not alone.” -Anthony Sawyer, Sawyer’s Micro-Farm, Winterville, NC
“The Dow Scholarship enabled me to be a part of CFSA Sustainable Agriculture Conference which opened doors to knowledge and relationships. The knowledge and relationships have allowed me to start and maintain a small urban farm as a business.” -Preston Clinkscales, PHC Farms, Anderson, SC
“As a 44-acre start-up farm, funds are in short supply and high demand, so the scholarship made it possible for us to attend CFSA’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference, which we otherwise would likely have missed. We were like kids in a candy store trying to soak up everything that was offered.” -Scotty & Donna Sweatt, Sweatt Family Farms, Rockfish, NC
