NORTHFIELD, Minn. — A “Finding Farmland: Strategies and Tools for Accessing Affordable Land” workshop will be held Saturday, March 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Northfield Public Library (210 Washington St.). There is no charge for this Land Stewardship Project (LSP) event. Please RSVP by Tuesday, March 26, by contacting LSP’s Karen Stettler at 507-523-3366 or stettler@landstewardshipproject.org.

This workshop* is designed with the understanding that accessing land is one of the most complex financial decisions a farmer will make. If you are a new or aspiring farmer, this workshop will help you approach your land access journey with confidence. You’ll engage in participatory goal-setting and financial planning exercises using the LSP “Farmland Access Financial Decision-Making Tool.” You’ll hear directly from farmers about the creative land access methods they have used to secure land tenure. Finally, you’ll be equipped with additional resources and programs to help you plan for, find and afford farmland.

“The corporate profitability model used by agribusiness has done significant damage to our land and rural communities,” said Stettler, who works with LSP’s Farm Beginnings Program, which, over the past two decades, has trained more than 900 beginning farmers. “That’s why LSP members are working to build a food and farming system centered on people’s needs as well as stewardship of the land and rural communities. That means getting more farmers on the land, equipped with the best skills, tools and networks to be successful and profitable long term.”

For more information about LSP’s suite of beginning farmer education, training and networking resources go to: www.farmbeginnings.org.

*This workshop is partially funded by the Otto Bremer Foundation and USDA Risk Management Agency under award number RM18RMEPP522CO40.

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