The deadline to apply for the Land Stewardship Project’s 2020-2021 Farm Beginnings class is Tuesday, Sept. 15! This year-long training program focuses on the goal setting, marketing, and financial skills needed to establish a successful farm business. Classes will take place in an online setting November through March, with on-farm educational events to follow later in 2021. The class cost is $1,000, which covers up to two individuals per farm.
Farm Beginnings has always been and will continue to be:
- Farmer-led: Class participants will hear from regional farmers about their farms and how they’ve implemented goal setting, marketing, and financial management practices.
- Community based: Applicants from Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northern Iowa will be given priority because the Land Stewardship Project is best able to provide resources and connections in this region. If you are located elsewhere, check out the Farm Beginnings Collaborative website to see if there is an organization near you offering Farm Beginnings.
- Focused on sustainable agriculture: All farmers are encouraged to create a farm plan that is economically, socially, and ecologically sustainable.
Farm Beginnings Course 2020-2021
- Dates: November 2020-March 2021
- Time: Multiple sessions, dates & times TBD
- Location: Online, applications can be found here.
More information and application materials can be found here or by contacting me at 612-217-0553 or via e-mail. Scholarships are available, as well as a Minnesota Beginning Farmer Tax Credit for the cost of the class (Minnesota residents).
What’s new this year:
- Online meetings instead of in-person.
- More, shorter sessions instead of nine full-day sessions (some or all of those sessions will be weekday evenings instead of primarily on Saturdays). Due to a reduction in in-class time, there will most likely be an increase in self-led work-time outside of sessions.
- Tuition will drop from $1,500 per farm to $1,000 per farm.
- Increased scholarships based on documented financial need.
- Final application deadline shifted from Sept. 1 to Sept. 15.
- Start date shifted from late October to late November 2020.
Farm Beginnings Organizer Annelie Livingston-Anderson is co-owner of Good Turn Farm in Stockholm, Wis.