Through the Years
Explore Our History
FARRMS was Founded
2000
The Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resources Management and Sustainability (FARRMS) was founded in February 2000 by Annie Kirschenmann as the nonprofit educational arm of the organic certification company, International Certification Services (ICS). Created to meet the specific educational needs of organic producers and processors, FARRMS also aimed to promote sustainable rural development in the Medina community and beyond. The organization received its 501(c)(3) designation in July of the same year.
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Original Mission: The purpose of the Foundation is to provide educational outreach, research, and information regarding sustainable agriculture and rural resources.
Growing the Organization
FARRMS first major accomplishment was the construction of an office building in Medina, North Dakota. In partnership with the ND Department of Agriculture, FARRMS hosted an Australian Farmer Tour as the first visitors to tour the new building.
2003
Five Year Planning
2004-2006
A five year plan was developed during strategic planning sessions. Operations were expanded by hiring the first grant writer/project manager and creating the first website. Increase in funding generated new educational programs and financial resources for farmers.
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Funding included:
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$300 in donations generated from mailing 250 letters to the Medina community.
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UND public scholarship program to conduct needs assessment surveys.
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Farmers Union Marketing and Processing Foundation grant.
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Bremer Foundation Organizational Effectiveness Grant implemented a five year work plan and educational forums.
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SARE grant for Farm Beginnings Organic Farming 101 educational seminars.
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Received funding for direct grants, loans, and scholarships for organic farmers, establishing the Transition Loan Program.
New programs included:​
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New Opportunities in Marketing and Production of Local and Organic Foods was the title of the second quarterly forum held in response to the findings in needs assessment surveys. The first forum received the 2006 Exemplary Public Scholarship Award from UND’s Center for Community Engagement.
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The Transition Loan Program offered low-interest loans to farmers and ranchers transitioning land to organic production to cover specific transition costs. Loan recipients were also paired with an organic mentor to provide support during their transition and were given scholarships to participate in FARRMS’ Farm Beginnings Organic Farming 101 course and the Farm Business Management program.
Farm Beginnings Organic Farming 101 was the region's first comprehensive course for farmers moving into organic production. The idea for the course originated within FARRMS, with discussions dating back to the organization's beginnings in 2001. The course was adapted from the Farm Beginnings program. It maintained the Farm Beginnings focus on marketing while emphasizing the transition into organic and how to become certified.
First year of Farm Beginnings
2007-2008
Modern Classroom
Funding from the SARE grant was used to establish a functioning classroom with computers in the Medina building.
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Transition Loan Program
In the spring of 2007, FARRMS awarded its first Transition Loan to a farm family that was transitioning into organic farming. They raised a variety of livestock in a grass-based system. The loan was used for fencing supplies and to dig a water line for the livestock.
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Farm Beginnings Organic Farming 101
18 students attend the first year of Farm Beginnings in Medina, North Dakota. The course included 10 sessions, meeting for 4 ½ hours each Sunday (totaling 45 classroom hours), covering topics such as farm management, holistic management, financial planning, transitioning, and marketing.
FARRMS increased its staff by hiring its first executive director, Marcy Svenningsen, an Administrative Assistant, and a Marketing and Outreach Coordinator.
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In December of 2010, the organization offered a one-day session of sustainable ag courses called FARRMS’ Sustainable U. The goal was to provide farmers knowledge on furthering their businesses and improving their bottom line by using what nature offers. The day ended with a social and silent auction. Additional educational opportunities were offered including, a workshop that taught 51 farmers about no-till farming, and an organic field day in Carpio, North Dakota. The classroom was also used to offer community computer classes.
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The first FARRMS logo was trademarked and the organization established “Learn, Grow, Live” as an identity campaign.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
2009-2010
Joining the Collaborative
2011-2012
The Land Stewardship Project, a nonprofit out of Minnesota, invited FARRMS to join the Farm Beginnings Collaborative (FBC). FBC is a national alliance promoting the farmer-led, community-based Farm Beginnings training model for sustainable agriculture. Its long-term goal is to expand farmer-to-farmer training to increase the number of farmers producing food for local and regional food systems.
FARRMS established a new internship program designed to equip beginning farmers and ranchers with essential skills for successful farm operation. This immersive experience involved interns living and working full-time on a host farm for an entire growing season. Throughout the season, they received ongoing instruction and gained in-depth skills specific to the host farmer's operation. The program also included participation in class sessions covering topics such as soil science, fertility, irrigation, weed management, and introductory business and marketing, as well as tours of other intern host farms. Since 2018, FARRMS has hosted 62 interns in the program.
Sustainable Ag Internship
2013
Updated Vision and Goals
2015
FARRMS is the center of sustainable agriculture and local food systems education. Our education and outreach programs establish strong links between people, good food, working farms and thriving rural communities with appreciation and respect for the environment, society and fair trade. The resulting local foods systems are safe, profitable and maintainable for generations to come.
Ken Meter from the Crossroads Resource Center was hired to conduct local and food economy studies in nine western and seven northern counties in North Dakota. These areas were showing a lower return to agriculture compared to other regions impacted by the ag economy. With the results of those studies, FARRMS hosted two summits to inform attendees about Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), farmers markets, and direct farm sales from local food producers.
FARRMS restructured the organization due to diversification and growth of programs and relocated its business office to the newly renovated Rural Innovation Center in Tuttle, North Dakota. With the move, FARRMS hoped the school would become an educational center for local foods in North Dakota.
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Photo from AgWeek Article by Jenny Schlecht & Katie Pinke
Moving to Tuttle
2017
Partnering with Growing Together
2017
In partnership with the Immigrant Development Center, North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota Extension, FARRMS was awarded a USDA Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program (BFRD) grant. The grant supported Growing Together Community Gardens in developing a "Farm Beginnings" training program, Farmer Learning Circles and Farmer Exploration Classes. The goal was to explore the development of vocational programs for new Americans that were interested in pursuing agriculture as a career. Growing Together has six gardens across Fargo where they produce, not only fresh food, but they cultivate skills, community and leadership among the new Americans who work in them.
Current Executive Director, Stephanie Blumhagen was hired. She provides organizational direction and staff leadership. She builds partnerships, fundraises, and keeps FARRMS growing and thriving. She has two decades of experience in nonprofit management and grant writing, has master’s degrees in Public Administration and Environmental Studies and is an alumni of the NDSU Rural Leadership ND program. A fourth generation farmer, Stephanie completed Farm Beginnings in 2014 and launched Meadowlark Granary, a home bakery and mill using the wheat grown on her family’s farm near Drake. She lives in Bottineau with her husband Robear and enjoys cooking, making music, and bicycling.
The New Era of FARRMS
2018
Farmers Market Internship Program
2019-2021
FARRMS established an internship program focused on enhancing the capacity and visibility of North Dakota farmers markets. FARRMS placed 12 interns at 7 North Dakota farmers markets in 2020 and 2021. These interns participated in weekly classes on farmers market marketing strategies and supported market managers with advertising, social media management, and daily operations. They also collected customer data and conducted surveys at each market.
Farmer Calendar
2022
Leaving Tuttle
2020
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, FARRMS moved to primarily virtual programming. This allowed them to reach more farmers and increase educational programs by offering virtual webinars including new marketing webinars. In 2022, FARRMS transitions to a fully remote workplace
The FARRMS team often hears farmer stories, witnesses their growth, enjoys the fruits of their harvests, and is consistently inspired by their creativity and passion. The 2023 FARRMS Farmer Calendar was born in late 2022 out of the desire to share this inspiration with households across North Dakota.
A limited quantity of 500 calendars was distributed in the first year due to the uncertainty of how successful the project would be. After three successful years, the printing quantity has more than doubled and the process has been streamlined so supply is distributed as soon as the calendars arrive.
While FARRMS hosts multiple farm tours every year for Sustainable Ag Interns and Farm Beginnings students, 2023 saw the first farm tours designed for the public to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. The first two tours included a two-stop Minot field day and four stop farm tour south of Fargo. Both tours included local catering that incorporated locally grown or produced ingredients in their menus.
Public Farm Tours
2023
Partnering in the NC-RFBC
2023
FARRMS becomes a partner of the North Central Regional Food Business Center (NC-RFBC) and works closely with regional councils around the state. Center activities include technical assistance to create new value chain connections, expanding supply and demand to and from new and existing markets, improving viability and increasing market value of products, and boosting regional food systems in response to supply chain weaknesses.
Strategic Planning
2024
New Mission Statement: We develop a system of educational, social, and economic connections to empower farmers to build sustainable, profitable enterprises.
New Vision: Thriving, sustainable North Dakota communities.
Staff and board collaboratively analyzed FARRMS programs, considering insights from the NC-RFBC 2023 Community Input Meetings, the 2023 ND Local Food Producer Survey, SAGES focus groups, and ongoing farmer dialogues. This comprehensive review, including an in-person staff and board retreat, informed the updating of the mission, vision, and goals to ensure continued, effective support for sustainable small-scale farmers in North Dakota.
Piloting New Programs
2024
In 2024, the organization saw new growth and took on new projects. These projects included:
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The Food System Internship Program was created to replace the Sustainable Agriculture internship, offering interns a more comprehensive understanding of how the food system functions. Three interns were placed at local farms and organizations within the local food system. Specifically, in Bismarck, they worked with Burleigh County Public Health, and in the Fargo area, they collaborated with the Red River Harvest Cooperative and the Manna Food Cooperative.
A new Mentorship Program was piloted with four mentor/mentee pairs. These pairs were formed across the state and met throughout the summer to provide mutual support. Group sessions were held via Zoom, and individual farm tours were organized to further facilitate peer support.
Sustainable Agriculture Guidance, Education, and Support (SAGES) focus groups with the aim of enhancing FARRMS' understanding of local producers' needs and fostering collaborative solutions. This initiative contributes to the long-term sustainability and growth of North Dakota's local farms and food businesses.