Farm Beginnings Launches Statewide Series of
Tours & Workshops on Farm Start-ups April 21 in Milan

3/29/07
MILAN, Minn.— A tour and workshop on farm management will be held at Dry Weather Creek Farm near Milan on Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the first in a series of on-farm events sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings® program targeted at non-English speaking families interested in farming. The presentations at these tours will be given in Spanish. In early May, there will be another farm tour in this series offered in the Northfield, Minn., area.

The tours are free of charge and lunch will be provided. Space is limited, and transportation may be available upon request. For more information and to sign up, call Amy Bacigalupo at 320-269-2105, or e-mail amyb@landstewardshipproject.org.

This first on-farm educational event will feature Mark and Wendy Lange, owners and operators of Dry Weather Creek Farm. The farming workshop will be led by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin of the Latino Enterprise Center. Reginaldo is an immigrant himself, originally from Guatemala, and has extensive farming and business management experience. The tour will provide the basics of how to raise meat and dairy goats and the workshop will focus on the realities of planning a farm business. Four years ago Mark and Wendy Lange started farming together on Mark’s family farm.  They see opportunity in raising goats and are working with neighbors, including Latino families, to mentor others in farming.

The Langes are excited about hosting this tour and having the opportunity to pass on their knowledge and experiences. “If you do your research and homework, there’s no reason you can’t make it,” said Wendy. Wendy and Mark are graduates of Farm Beginnings (www.farmbeginnings.org) and recipients of a no-interest livestock loan made available through the program. For more information about the Lange’s farm, visit www.landstewardshipproject.org/fb/profiles/lange.htm.

During the workshop, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin will share his business planning expertise and passion for farming with participants. During his career, he has been instrumental in launching many businesses, including Peace Coffee (www.peacecoffee.com).  Regi lives in Northfield, Minn., with his family and grows edible beans and vegetables on rented farmland.  Currently, he is working with the Land Stewardship Project to assess the potential for launching a training program for Latino/as in rural Minnesota who are interested in farming.

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EDITORS: This release is available at www.landstewardshipproject.org.