During the pandemic, Hillery Goodgame left her career as an information technology (IT) executive on Wall Street and purchased Blue Heron Urban Farms and Sanctuary, LLC, in Fulton County, Georgia. Her mission was ambitious: inspire young people to pursue green careers in agriculture while building a sustainable, profitable business.
The mission was clear but far from simple. Blue Heron Farms—now nearly 100 acres—is one of the many small family farms comprising 86 percent of U.S. farms. However, these businesses produce just 17 percent of agricultural output, often operating on tight, high-risk margins and non-farm income according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. So, when Philip Gibson, executive director of Georgia Life Sciences Institute (formerly Georgia Bio), invited Goodgame to collaborate with the Georgia Black Home Educators Network, he knew there were opportunities to find solutions to key challenges. Students would research innovative solutions in food production, specifically related to her farm. Goodgame enthusiastically agreed.
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60
Number of Atlanta-area students linked to workplace experience through the program
Opening Doors with EPIC
The program was part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) initiative, which builds scalable, high-quality, project-based learning and workforce development opportunities to high school and post-secondary students. EPIC works through an accredited “clearinghouse”—a business organization or hub that matches schools and student groups with employers who give students valuable workforce experience. Participants use the Riipen software platform to collaborate and share information.
Nicole Doyle, co-founder of the Georgia Black Home Educators Network, learned about the EPIC program opportunity from a colleague. She had just nine weeks to assemble her students and prepare for the program. The students had their choice of three opportunities, including ones in medical devices and automated biomanufacturing. However, the Blue Heron Farms challenge—exploring innovative food production solutions—stood out.
“From a cultural standpoint of a community, homeschoolers don't want to be inside,” Doyle said. “Once students finish their online lessons, they want to be outside, exploring and learning.” Top teams would have the opportunity to present their findings in Washington, D.C., which was also a big motivator.
Learning in the Field
During their first visit to the farm, the five students working on the project brought along their parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family members—approximately 25 additional people. Doyle says homeschoolers often travel with family members and rely on their parents, grandparents, and other homeschooling families to transport them to sites related to schooling.
Goodgame was ready. She had prepared a vocabulary sheet to teach the students about industry terminology, and the farm’s lead engineer showed them how the farm uses technology to operate its various lines of business. Blue Heron Farms grows produce, specialty crops, and medicinal herbs. The farm also raises and processes sheep for mutton and lamb. The farm’s sanctuary includes a wildlife habitat for protected birds like blue herons and cranes, and a haven for ducks, geese, and other birds. Its scenic grounds give the farm sanctuary opportunities for ecotourism and events. Students even experienced the realities of herding sheep when they helped Goodgame round up a group that had gotten loose. “It was a lot of running,” one student quipped. To expand their perspective, Goodgame also organized a visit to a neighboring farm.
Real-World Challenges—and Solutions
With a newfound understanding of farm operations, the students began researching the farm’s biggest challenges. However, their work wasn’t just pie-in-the-sky thinking. They also dove into each solution's challenges, which could create barriers to implementation.
For example, their work showed that using QR codes at farmers' markets, events, and on the farm could boost the farm’s revenue by 15 percent. These QR codes are now being developed to streamline donations, volunteer sign-ups, and point-of-sale transactions. The collaboration also helped Goodgame pinpoint three areas with the highest profitability potential:
- Specialty meats
- Specialty crops (including saffron, garlic, and medicinal herbs)
- Digital development to boost direct-to-consumer sales
Students also suggested revenue and cost savings opportunities, such as new markets for various byproducts from sheep processing, such as selling tallow to cosmetics companies, and harvesting seeds from existing produce.
For Goodgame, one of the most valuable aspects of the EPIC experience was the professional-level problem-solving students delivered, addressing her farm’s immediate needs. Students provided solutions for upgrading point-of-sale systems, optimizing volunteer recruitment, and even assisted in her pursuit of B Corp certification, a designation that could help the farm attract socially conscious consumers and investors.
A Learning Model for Students
In addition to taking on key business challenges facing Blue Heron Farms, students gained broader industry experience, discovering the breadth of opportunities in agriculture, from engineering and law to regenerative farming research and livestock management. In addition, they learned from Goodgame, who changed careers from finance to food systems, joining the small but growing number of the county’s Black farmers, who make up just 1.4 percent of farm producers nationwide, according to the USDA.
The program also showed them that career paths are rarely linear and that reinvention is possible. Students also learned skills from presenting onstage at a Washington, D.C., conference to the nuances of business email etiquette. “Everything is about credentialing for us,” Doyle said.
One student is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture studies at Fort Valley State University, and the EPIC experience reinforced that choice. Others saw how business strategy and passion intersect in agriculture and built the confidence to tackle high-level projects. The experience expanded students’ professional circles and informed them about the many career opportunities in agriculture, with one student noting that the project “bridged academics, creativity, and industry.”
Workforce Development That Works
Philip Gibson, a longtime educator and advocate of connecting students with career pathways, says that EPIC programs have linked roughly 60 Atlanta-area students with workplace experience. The program also aligns with his career-long mission: ensuring students see clear pathways from education to employment. He says that the program’s success lies partially in the power of collaboration. In the case of the Blue Heron Farms initiative, that included Doyle’s coordination, Goodgame’s expertise and passion, and Georgia Life Sciences’ facilitation.
He adds that the students exceeded expectations, demonstrating that, with the proper guidance, high school and early college students can contribute valuable solutions to industry challenges.
And the work continues. Goodgame is now implementing the suggestions and launching a drone certification program to promote agricultural technology. “How do we integrate technology into agriculture? Because I think that's what will stimulate them to come into this field,” she said. “They need a reframing of what agriculture is.”
Planting Seeds for the Future
EPIC’s Blue Heron Farms experience demonstrated that when students, educators, and industry professionals work together, the results can be transformative. Goodgame gained actionable strategies to grow her business and her mission. Students built confidence, career skills, and professional networks. Gibson saw his vision for connecting young talent with industry opportunities come to life. Ultimately, the program was a living example of what workforce development can look like when rooted in real-world challenges, community engagement, and shared purpose.
This partnership was made possible with the support of Stand Together Trust.
