Farm Beginnings
Bring Your Farm Dreams to Life
Farm Beginnings® is a farmer-led, community based, business course for sustainable agriculture.
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Enhanced Community Building We're committed to fostering stronger connections among participants and mentors. Expand your network by engaging with like-minded individuals who share your passion for sustainable farming.
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Accelerated Timeline In 2024, we've condensed the course duration and focused the material in the early winter months. Classes will run from January 4 to March 28. You'll have more time to prepare for the upcoming growing season and make the most of your valuable winter months.
What's New for 2024
Key Dates & Details
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Online Classes: The heart of the program runs from January 4 to March 28. These interactive, weekly sessions will be held on Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:00 pm CST, via Zoom.
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Registration: The registration window is open NOW through December 16.
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Tuition: Tuition is $500 per farm, and family members or business partners from the same farm can attend together at this single tuition rate. Each team member is required to pay the $25 registration fee.
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Scholarships and Payment Plans: Your financial situation should never be a barrier to your dreams. We offer scholarships and flexible payment plans to ensure that everyone has access to this incredible opportunity. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Farm Beginnings is more than a business course.
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Classes are led by local farmers who understand that farming is not just a business, it’s a way of life.
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We’ll help you craft a farm plan designed to achieve the quality of life that you and your family want.
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You’ll be paired with a farmer mentor who understands the unique rewards and challenges of sustainable farming because they live them daily.
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We’ll connect you with educational and financial resources in your community to help keep you growing.
Learn More about Farm Beginnings
Farm Beginnings is for anyone who wants to start or grow a sustainable agriculture-based business.
The course is ideal for those farm journey is:
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Beginning (first 1-5 years)
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At a Place of Transition
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Ready to Scale Up
It’s a great opportunity to create a new farm plan or revise an existing plan. Many students say they get more out of the course after they’ve had a few years of farming experience.
Farmers, ranchers, and food business owners of all sizes will benefit from the course. However, most of our presenters and examples will come from small-scale farms and ranches. The marketing portion of the course is primarily about direct marketing local food and ag products, such as through farmers markets and CSAs. We will not discuss commodities marketing.
Farm Beginnings Class 2019
Farm Beginnings Class 2018
Farm Beginnings is a certified borrower training program for the USDA Farm Service Agency. If you are applying for a USDA FSA loan, and have been told you need to take a financial management course, Farm Beginnings is a great choice. Farm Beginnings graduates also get one year interest-free on FARRMS microloans.
What Can I Expect In This Course?
We model sustainability by balancing environment, society, and economics. When we say “sustainable agriculture” we mean farms that sustain and regenerate healthy soil, air, and water, build the well-being of communities, and earn profit over the long term.
In the course, we’ll discuss your vision and values, financial and business planning, sustainable farming practices, marketing to connect with your customers, farm food safety, and much more. Farm Beginnings not only provides education but equips you with the tools to launch and sustain a farm enterprise for years to come.
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Classes include guest speakers who are local farmers and ranchers and lots of time for questions and discussion.
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You will use the FARRMS Learning Portal to see your schedule and homework, submit assignments, and access our digital learning library.
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Each lesson will help you create a section of your Whole Farm Plan. This will be your road map for implementing your business and is helpful when applying for loans and grants.
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We will mail your textbook to you. (Whole Farm Management from Start-Up to Sustainability, edited by Garry Stephenson, Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems, Oregon State University).
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You’ll be paired with an experienced Farmer Mentor who will share their own real-life farming experience. During scheduled Zoom Mentor sessions, you and your mentor will discuss the topics you’ve learned in class and you will get feedback on your Whole Farm Plan.
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Farm Beginnings students will also get significantly reduced registration for a local sustainable farming conference.
Topics Covered in the Course
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What is Sustainable Agriculture?
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Sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line
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Local Food Systems and Food Sovereignty
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Ag History
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Racial Inequity in Agriculture
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Soil health
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Managing natural resources for healthy farm ecosystems
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Mission, Vision, and Values
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Finding your Why
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Identifying your values
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Creating your Holistic Goal
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Business and Financial Planning
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Budgeting basics
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Record keeping
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Holistic Financial Planning
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Legal Business Structures
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Risk Management and Insurance
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Building your Support Network
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Defining Roles in your Team
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Identifying your Resource Base
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Finding Mentors and Peer Support
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Local advisors: USDA FSA, USDA NRCS, local economic development centers
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Financing your Farm Business
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Marketing
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Telling Your Story
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Who is Your Customer? Identifying market channels
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Online marketing
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Scaling up
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Farm Food Safety
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Organic Certification
Registration and Scholarship Details
If you have any questions, please contact FARRMS Program Manger, Felicity Merritt at fmerritt@farrms.org or (701) 412 - 2658
Pay $25 Registration Fee:
Meet Some Farm Beginnings Alumni
Jen Skoog
Family Roots Farm
Christine, ND
Jen believes good food starts with how it's grown. She markets meat, eggs, and produce at Red River Market and through Red River Harvest Coop.
Lori Martin
Roving Donkey Farm
Bismarck, ND
Lori operates a family vegetable farm and CSA. She markets to restaurants and schools in Bismarck.
Adam & Apryl Mawby
gardendwellers FARM and RANCH
Dunseith, ND
Adam and Apryl use regenerative practices to raise and market pastured lamb and chicken. They also market fresh and dried herbs.
Ross and Amber Lockhart
Heart and Soil Farm
Grandin, ND
Ross and Amber grow a diversified mix of fruits and vegetables in the heart of the Red River Valley using sustainable, organic practices
Glen Philbrick
Hiddendale Farm
Turtle Lake, ND
Glen markets organic vegetable and flower seed and raises dairy cows.
Simeon Bakunda
Fargo, ND
Simeon grows African greens (amaranth), sweet potatoes, and his own eggplant, at the New Roots Incubator farm in Moorhead, MN.
Derek and Claire Lowstuter
Folly Hill Farm and Black Bison Organics
Bismarck, ND
Derek and Claire raise ducks and market duck eggs. They also market organic, plant-based fertilizer.
Stephanie Blumhagen
Meadowlark Granary
Bottineau, ND
Stephanie mills whole wheat flour and markets whole grain bread and baking mixes.
Kathleen Johnson
Bizon Ridge Berries
Fargo, ND
Kathleen is part of the leadership team at Growing Together Community gardens and is passionate about growing berries and farm education.