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Beginning Farmer Program for MN, WI & IA Accepting Applications for 2022-2023 Course

Farm Beginnings Marks a Quarter Century of Training Ag’s Next Generation

June 10, 2022

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LEWISTON, Minn. — One of the most successful beginning farmer training programs in the country is now accepting applications for its 2022-2023 course session serving the Minnesota, western Wisconsin and northern Iowa region. The Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Beginnings initiative is a year-long training program that focuses on the goal-setting, marketing and financial skills needed to establish a successful farm business. Beginning and prospective farmers are invited to apply to the course. The 2022-2023 session will be a hybrid, taking place mostly online via Zoom, but also including some in-person sessions in the Twin Cities, Minn., area. The course will run from November 2022 through March 2023, with some additional educational opportunities to take place later in 2023. The deadline for applications is Sept. 1. For more details and to apply, see farmbeginnings.org or contact LSP’s Annelie Livingston-Anderson (annelie@landstewardshipproject.org, 612-400-6350) or Pilar Ingram (pingram@landstewardshipproject.org, 612-400-6349).

The Farm Beginnings course creates a space for students to name their vision, acquire the tools and skills needed to make it happen, and become part of a community of support to help them succeed. Since it was launched in the late 1990s, over 1,000 participants have graduated from Fam Beginnings in the Minnesota-Wisconsin-Iowa region, and many of those graduates are involved in farming enterprises such as vegetables, grass-based livestock, organic grains, Community Supported Agriculture and specialty crops.

Farm Beginnings has served as the model for similar beginning farmer training programs across the country. For LSP’s 2022-2023 Farm Beginnings class, applicants from Minnesota, western Wisconsin and northern Iowa will be given priority because the organization is best able to provide resources and connections in this region. If prospective applicants are located elsewhere, they are encouraged to contact the Farm Beginnings Collaborative at farmbeginningscollaborative.org for details on course offerings in other regions.

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Farm Beginnings graduates Cella Langer and Emmet Fisher (shown with their son, Otis) of Oxheart Farm in Hager City, Wis.
Category: News Releases
Tags: beginning farmers • Farm Beginnings

Contact

Farm Beginnings organizers: Annelie Livingston-Anderson (e-mail, 612-400-6350); Pilar Ingram (e-mail, 612-400-6349)

Photo Available

For a digital photo of a Farm Beginnings graduate, contact LSP’s Brian DeVore via e-mail or at 612-816-9342

Upcoming Events

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August 2025

Friday August 8

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
Friday August 8
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
10470 190th St, Park Rapids, MN 56470, USA

Roots and Rotation is a summer field day series happening across Minnesota. These field days will discuss the use of livestock for soil health goals in different agricultural systems. 
 
Learn about the benefits of integrating livestock onto cropland and how to make it work on your operation. Hear from experienced farmers and Extension educators specializing in crops, livestock, and soil health. These events are for producers looking to elevate their cropland soil health and increase their forage resources. 

For more information and to register, see the Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association website.

4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
Friday August 8
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
22955 570th Ave, Austin, MN 55912, USA

Members of the Land Stewardship Project’s Austin Area Soil Health Hub are hosting a sunflower social on Tom and Kim Finnegan’s farm Friday, Aug. 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This event will be open to all area farmers. Meet members of this peer-to-peer farmer group, see the beautiful sunflower fields, and learn about diversification.  

Farming should include a trusted network that ensures we are all successful. How could having a network of farmers that provide support, resources, and comradery impact your farm? 

On Aug. 8, gather with area farmers who are invested in soil health and sustainable practices, and are committed to learning from each other. Join us for an evening on the Finnegan farm for a hay ride around the sunflower fields and to learn more about their diversified farm. There will be a supper and lots of time to connect with farmers in the area.

RSVP here. 

Thursday August 14

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSA-COPAL Ice Cream Social/Reunión de Helados!
Thursday August 14
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSA-COPAL Ice Cream Social/Reunión de Helados!
Sauk River Park, 206 5th Ave NE, Melrose, MN 56352, USA

Land Stewardship Action (the Land Stewardship Project’s partner organization) and COPAL (Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action) invite you to an ice cream social at Sauk River Park in Melrose on Thursday, August 14. There will be sweet treats and opportunities to connect with those in your community, many of whom you might not know yet. This is a time to come together over our shared vision for a better future rooted in community, diversity, fairness, health, and democracy.

If you’re able, please register ahead of time through the link below so we can get an idea of numbers. Feel free to pass the invite on to others in the community as well — the more the merrier!

You can register here. 
 
For more information, contact Land Stewardship Action’s Emily Minge at eminge@landstewardshipproject.org.

Friday August 15

9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Managed Grazing & Soil Health Field Day: Rush City
Friday August 15
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Managed Grazing & Soil Health Field Day: Rush City
10815 555th St, Rush City, MN 55069, USA

Join the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition at Jon Steven’s Maple Grove Farm for a field day focused on managed grazing and other methods to build the health of soils. Connect with other farmers and learn from the leaders in Minnesota on soil health. Featured speakers: Tom Cotter, Brady Wulf, Myron Sylling, and Joe Ailts. Free lunch by Maxwell’s Southern BBQ. Details are here.

Saturday August 16

12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Soil Health Master Class: Morris
Saturday August 16
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Soil Health Master Class: Morris
Old No 1 Bar & Grill, 412 Atlantic Ave, Morris, MN 56267, USA

Details are here.

View Full Calendar

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