Land Stewardship Project

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Farm Beginnings Class

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2025-2026 Farm Beginnings Class

Applications are now closed for the 2025-2026 Farm Beginnings class.

You may contact LSP to be included on the email list for the next cohort by emailing Annelie Livingston-Anderson at Annelie@landstewardshipproject.org .

The class will run from December 2025 through March 2026. The 2025-2026 class will be hybrid with the majority of the class taking place virtually via Zoom and some in-person sessions in the Twin Cities, Minn., area. The cost of the class is $1,000, which covers up to two participants per farm. Partial scholarships are available and you can indicate your interest when you apply.

FB Class Schedule 2025-2026

Fresh Voices Podcast Series

Interested in hearing directly from the next generation of innovative farmers? Check out the Land Stewardship Project’s Ear to the Ground “Fresh Voices” podcast series.

Meet Some of Our Grads

To read more about what Farm Beginnings grads are up to and how their class experience is helping them grapple with the challenges of farming, see our profile series.

Is Farm Beginnings a Good Fit for You?

Consolidated agribusiness and out-of-control corporate power in our economic and political system has made it difficult to get started in agriculture. Because of these imbalances of power, beginning farmers face a wide range of individual and societal barriers. Right now, beginning farmers do not have a fair chance to develop a vibrant, profitable business. The generational wealth gap, discrimination against BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) farmers, and a system that privileges producers raising a handful of commodity crops has kept too many farmers out of agriculture and off the land. 

Farming should be a viable option for anyone who wishes to make a living on the land. Family farms can thrive and contribute a critical service to our society by protecting natural resources, creating thriving communities, and producing healthy food. A just agricultural system includes reparations for past harm and land loss so that we can support a more diverse community of farmers. 

Farm Beginnings Course: A Community of Support

The Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings initiative creates thriving small and mid-sized farms by providing a place for people to name their vision and acquire the tools and instruction they need to make it happen. It also provides a community of support to help them succeed over the long term.  

The Farm Beginnings class is a 12-month training session that helps beginning farmers clarify their goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan, and start building their operation. The course uses a mix of farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, and an extensive farmer network. Farm Beginnings focuses on the business management skills of farming. We do not go in depth on specific how-to’s of growing and raising crops or livestock. 

Farm Beginnings is designed for new and prospective farmers who want to plan a profitable farm business. Students do not need to currently own or lease land, but some farming or production experience is helpful to get the most out of the class. 

In this class, participants will: 

  • Establish quality of life goals and clarify their values.
  • Learn about whole farm planning, marketing and financing.
  • Write a farm business proposal.
  • Learn from some of the most innovative and skilled farmers operating in the Midwest.
  • Learn alongside a classroom of your peers.
  • Access an extensive network of farmers through the Farmer Network.
  • See sustainable farming practices in action on active farms.

Farm Beginnings Collaborative  

The Land Stewardship Project is a founding member of the Farm Beginnings Collaborative, a national alliance of 15 organizations that offer Farm Beginnings training programs. For our LSP Farm Beginnings class, applicants from Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northern Iowa will be given priority because LSP is best able to provide resources and connections in this area. If you are located elsewhere, check out the Farm Beginnings Collaborative website to see if there is an organization near you offering a Farm Beginnings course.   

Farm Beginnings Collaborative Guiding Principles 

• Farmer Led 

Farm Beginnings is a farmer-led training program for new and beginning farmers. It was started by experienced farmers, and farmers participate at all levels as steering committee members, classroom presenters, on-farm presenters, and on-farm mentors. We believe that the leadership of farmers of color is vital to the sustainable agriculture movement.  

• Community Based 

Farm Beginnings offers new and beginning farmers a means to establish strong relationships with local farmers, businesses, resources, and consumers within a community network that supports and strengthens the local food and farming system. This means that the Farm Beginnings Collaborative is looking for interested organizations that are committed to a specific region and building long- term relationships with farmers and other resource people in their region. 

• Racial Equity

We recognize the organizations that are part of the Farm Beginnings Collaborative are predominately white-led and are in different stages of centering racial equity in their work. We hold ourselves and each other accountable to collaboratively commit to this work. The Farm Beginnings Collaborative acknowledges the historical and ongoing racial inequities and oppression towards farmers and communities of color. We commit to furthering our own understanding and supporting the farmers we interact with to do the same. We commit to using the power and influence we have across our organizations to build more inclusive and equitable agricultural systems and implement changes that make it possible for more farmers of color to be successful.  

• Rooted in Sustainable Farming

Farm Beginnings programs support sustainable farming by promoting farming practices that are ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, and achievable for new and beginning farmers.

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Contact:

• Annelie Livingston-Anderson, LSP Farm Beginnings organizer, 612-400-6350, e-mail

  • For Farmers & Landowners
    • Farmland Clearinghouse
    • New Farmers
      • Farm Beginnings Class
      • Journeyperson Course
      • Farm Dreams
      • Accessing Farmland
      • Farmland Clearinghouse
      • Beginning/Retiring Farmer Tax Credit
      • Beginning Farmer Profiles
      • Fresh Voices Podcast Series
    • Retiring Farmers & Landowners
      • Farmland Clearinghouse
      • Farm Transition Course 2026
      • Conservation Leases
      • Beginning/Retiring Farmer Tax Credit
      • Land Transition Tools
      • Transition Stories
    • Soil Health
      • Cover Crops
      • Grazing
      • No-till
      • Microbiology
      • Kernza
      • Soil Builders’ Network
      • Soil Builders’ E-Letters
      • Soil Health Steering Committee Members
      • Ear Dirt Soil Health Podcast Series
    • Cropping Systems Calculator
    • Conservation Leases
  • Join, Donate, or Renew
  • Building People Power

Upcoming Events

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September 2025

Thursday September 11

9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Soil Health & Small Grains Field Day
Thursday September 11
9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Soil Health & Small Grains Field Day
23005 Lewiston Blvd, Hampton, MN 55031, USA

Join us for an in-field learning experience focused on soil health and small grains. This hands-on event is designed for conservation professionals in the morning, and farmers in the afternoon for those looking to expand their knowledge of assessing soil health, managing a third crop, and soil productivity principles. You are welcome to attend both sessions. Farmers will have discussions with experts in small grains, soil health, and more— with lunch included. Hear from local farmers, including Andy Linder, Ed McNamara, Mike Lindquist, and Chuck Clanton. The event flier is available here.

For more information and to register, click here.

Friday September 12 – Saturday September 13

Forage Council Grazing School
Friday September 12 – Saturday September 13
Forage Council Grazing School

The Forage Council Grazing School will cover the why, what, how, and who of grazing, taking grazing to the next level. This is a two-day event. Lunch provided both days, along with a Friday evening meal at the Community Center in Verndale.

For details and to register, click here.

Friday September 12

9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Can Farmers Make a Profit? Field Day & Seminar
Friday September 12
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Can Farmers Make a Profit? Field Day & Seminar
Carpenter Community Center, 508 William St, Carpenter, IA 50426, USA

This event will feature discussions about raising non-GMO and organic corn and soybeans, as well as cover crops. There will be a soil pit demonstration and a discussion about the pros and cons of tillage. A field plot tour is included. Lunch is provided. Presenters include Tom Cotter and Gilbert Hostetler. To reserve a spot, call or text Mervin Beachy at 641-381-0054. For details, check out this flier.

Tuesday September 16

9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Chicken Processing Workshop
Tuesday September 16
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Chicken Processing Workshop
14882 255th Ave, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085, USA

Join the SFA to learn how to process your own chickens at home. At this workshop, participants will actually be processing 35-40 chickens from start to finish, and they will learn how to kill, scald, pluck, and eviscerate the chickens. Each attendee will have the opportunity to perform the complete process with instructor help on several birds. 

Details are here. 

Wednesday September 17

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Grazing for Invasive Species Management in Oak Savannas
Wednesday September 17
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Grazing for Invasive Species Management in Oak Savannas
Myre-Big Island State Park, 19499 780th Ave, Albert Lea, MN 56007, USA

For details on this workshop, click here.

View Full Calendar

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