Farm Beginnings Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the dates for this year’s course? Visit the Farm Beginnings course page for class dates.

• Who should participate in Farm Beginnings? People considering: full-time farming, farming part-time while continuing other employment, changing careers to start farming, developing an existing agricultural hobby into a more serious business activity, or re-evaluating an existing farm business.

• Am I ready for Farm Beginnings? To figure out if the class is a good match for you at this time, talk to a Farm Beginnings facilitator.

• Are scholarships available and how do I apply for them? A limited number of scholarships are available. Scholarship applications are a part of the class application which can be found here.

• How much is the deposit? A refundable $50 deposit with each application will hold a place in the class (optional).

• Do I have to pay all at once? No, we have payment plans available.

• Do you have to be interested in organic agriculture to take the course? No. The Farm Beginnings class is a resource for a wide range of farmers. While many of the farmer-educators employ organic and other stewardship practices, we know that each farmer needs to make the right management decisions for their land and quality of life. We focus on helping participants make the right choices for attaining their goals.

• Do you have to be a beginning farmer to take the course? No. This class has been just as useful to established farmers as it has been to aspiring farmers. The decision-making process and planning tools we share are useful regardless of your level of farming experience.

• Do you need to own land to take the class? No. Participants of Farm Beginnings vary greatly in their access to land.

• What are the components of the class? Farm Beginnings classes begin in the fall of each year and meet throughout the winter. Class participants learn goal setting, financial planning, whole farm planning, marketing and low-cost sustainable farming techniques. Established farmers and other professionals such as lenders and agricultural business instructors present, providing community resources, networks and contacts for those interested in farming.

Upcoming Events

October 2023

Friday September 29 – Sunday October 1

Upper Minnesota River Meander Art Crawl

Friday September 29 – Sunday October 1

Upper Minnesota River Meander Art Crawl

The award-winningMeander Art Crawlis a free self-guided tour of artist studios featuring 40 local artists from the Upper Minnesota River Valley. We encourage visitors to visit artists in their own environment who celebrate a lifestyle that represents the small, handmade, personal, and local culture of the area.This event has more than 30 individual studios in and near the western Minnesota communities of Ortonville, Appleton, Madison, Milan, Dawson, Montevideo, and Granite Falls.

Tuesday October 3

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Optimizing No-Till Methods for a Direct-to-Market Organic Vegetable Farm
Tuesday October 3
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Optimizing No-Till Methods for a Direct-to-Market Organic Vegetable Farm
No-till farming methods are increasingly part of the dialogue in conventional crop farming, but the techniques employed at large scales are not practical or accessible for small vegetable growers. Join Land Stewardship Project members Whitewater Gardens Farm as they explore three of the more common vegetable no-till methods to identify the most sustainable approach in terms of soil health, labor investment, and crop health and yield on our farm.

The field day will be at 17485 Calico Hill Road, Altura, MN. For more information, call 507-993-5504 or e-mail londietz@aol.com.
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Organic Dairy Pasture Walk
Tuesday October 3
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Organic Dairy Pasture Walk
The NW Wisconsin Graziers Network, River Country RC&D, and UW-Madison Extension invite you to an organic dairy pasture walk hosted by Turnip Rock Farm and Cosmic Wheel Creamery four miles south of Amery in Polk County on Tuesday, October 3, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This educational event will emphasize seasonal calving organic dairying with on-farm cheese making and direct marketing with an on-farm store, and vegetable production.

The host farm is home to Land Stewardship Project members Josh Bryceson and Rama Hoffpauir and family. They raise grass fed mixed breed high component dairy cows, (10), pastured pork production (20), and extensive vegetable garden production. Their locally processed cheese is marketed directly to customers and the whey is fed to their pigs. The operation consists of about 80 acres (60 acres rotated pastures and 3 acres in vegetable production) on gently rolling loamy soils.

A soil health discussion lead by Extension staff will highlight the challenges of forage production in this year’s dry conditions. A farmstead creamery with seasonal spring calving and once a day milking, a home built milking parlor facility, grass fed beef, and pastured pork will be included on the farm tour. We will discuss stockpiling pasture, marketing techniques, and many othertopics along with answering any and all questions from pasture walk participants.

Josh and Rama have developed a diversified direct marketing program. Everything is direct-marketed through 150 member veggie CSA, online stores, restaurants, farmer’s markets, and a new on-farm store and other strategies to support direct sales to customers. Ask questions and learn all about this diversified approach.

The farm is located at 260 95th Street, Clear Lake, WI, and south of Amery in central Polk County. From Hwy 46 south of Amery 3 miles, take a left turn (east) onto 35^thavenue , go east 1½ miles, then turn right onto 95^thStreet and go south about a mile to farm. From the south, take Hwy 46 north to 20^thAvenue, turn right (east) and go about 1½miles and then turn north onto 95^thstreet then go north about half mile to farm on the right. Watch for the signs.

For more information, contact Josh at 715-239-5127,http://www.turniprock.com/, Chris Johnson, with River Country RC&D at 715-579-0793, Becky Brathal, UW-Madison Extension Regional Crops Educator, at 651-302-6520, or Lynn Johnson at 715-225-9882 with NW Graziers.

Saturday October 7 – Monday October 9

Women Food & Ag Network Conference

Saturday October 7 – Monday October 9

Women Food & Ag Network Conference

The Women, Food, and Agriculture Network will convene with members this fall for its first in-person conference since the pandemic began. This will be a time of reunion, celebration, community learning, and retreat, as WFAN nourishes its rootsandgathers its communityonce again. For more information, see the conference web page.

Wednesday October 11

12:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Carbon Intensity, Kernza, & Water Quality Field Day
Wednesday October 11
12:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Carbon Intensity, Kernza, & Water Quality Field Day
Join the Land Stewardship Project and Clean River Partners at White Barn Acres in Kellogg, Minn., Oct. 11 for a Carbon Intensity, Kernza, and Water Quality field day to learn about emerging profit opportunities in farming. You’ll hear about: Continuum Ag, a regenerative ag company providing farmers with carbon intensity scoring and agronomy services; the new perennial dual use forage/grain crop, Kernza, its emerging markets, and how it benefits both soil health and water quality; and how local farmers have worked with the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP).

Registration is required and available here. Please reach out to Alan Kraus, Conservation Program Manager for Clean River Partners, with any questions at alan@cleanriverpartners.org.

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Contact: Annelie Livingston-Anderson, Farm Beginnings facilitator, e-mail

Contact:
Annelie Livingston-Anderson, Farm Beginnings facilitator, e-mail