farm beginnings

Farm Beginnings

A program of Land Stewardship Project

What Is Farm Beginnings? Provides education,

support and equity-building opportunities for beginning farmers

Started in 1997

Western and Southeastern Minnesota - recently expanded to Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska

Who is Farm Beginnings?

Established farmers and community members

Land Stewardship Project staff and members

Organizational partners

What Sets Farm Beginnings Apart

Farmer-to-farmer networking

Coaching and planning for your whole farm

Opportunities for no-interest Livestock Loans

Presents opportunities for successful farming alternatives

Who Are Beginning Farmers?Women and Men

Teachers

Policemen

Part-time Farmers

Secretaries

High School Students

2nd Generation Farm Families

Accountants

Doctors

Crop Seed Specialists

Mechanics

University Students...

Farm Beginnings Provides…

Whole Farm Planning

Business Planning & Coaching

Connecting to Resources

On-Farm Education

One-on-One Mentoring

Farm Tours

Peer Groups

Where Have We Come?

Of the people who go through Farm Beginnings… 90% participate in mentoring 20% apply and receive low-interest livestock loans 60% successfully start farming

What Have We Learned? Farm Beginnings Structure

Class Participants

Larger Sustainable Ag Community

Impacts for General Public/Consumers

Lifestyle/Quality of Life Issues

Belief and Proof that it Can and Does Work!

Where Are We Going?

Robin MooreEasy BloomsFarm Beginnings 2000-01

Expand training and support network for increasingly diverse pool of farmers, farm practices and businesses.

Broaden collaboration, support and training within beginning farmer education network.

Develop training program to share Farm Beginnings with other audiences.

Where are we now?IllinoisDeborah Cavanaugh-GrantUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignDepartment of Natural Resources & Environmental SciencesAgroecology/Sustainable Agriculture ProgramP.O. Box 410Greenview, IL 62642217/968-5512cvnghgrn@uiuc.edu

MissouriDebi KellyFarm BeginningsUniversity of Missouri3 Whitten Hall, Columbia, MO 65211800-433-3704 (Missouri Only); 573-882-1905 (In Columbia) kellyd@umsystem.edu

NebraskaJim PetersonUniversity of Nebraska402-274-4755