Budding farmers in the Whitsundays and Mackay have a chance to take a step towards their dream of owning their own farm and pitch to a panel of investors.

World-first farm pitching program Cultivator, run by Cultivate Farms, will allow next generation farmers to share their vision with the panel in April.

Cultivate Farms CEO Sam Marwood said farm ownership was out of reach for many next generation farmers who were not going to inherit or did not have the millions of dollars needed to buy in.

“The traditional model of inheriting a farm or applying for a loan to buy a farm is broken,” Mr Marwood said.

“Cultivate Farms and Cultivator are offering serious aspirational farmers the skills of an

entrepreneur to develop a partnership with investors.

“We know this is a proven, realistic and successful way to get people farming.”

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The Cultivate Farms team has a particular focus on aspiring farmers in the Great Barrier Reef and specifically the Herbert Catchment.

In addition to pitching to investors, the team will work to take farm pitches to retirement-aged farmers, from this region, who are willing to share ownership.

The Cultivator program guides them through the development of their farm investment proposal.

The top 10 aspiring farmers will have an opportunity to pitch to a panel of investors at the next Cultivate Farms pitching event in April.

Starting in February, the program is open to any aspiring farmer in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reefinance is funded through a partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Applications from aspiring farmers are open now and close January 30.

For more information about Cultivator click here.