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Applications are open until December 20, 2024!

Apply now for FREE through October 30th. A $25 application fee will be charged after that date.

Farm Beginnings

Where Community is Central to Learning

Farm Beginnings is more than a business course. 

FARRMS' 12-week course delivers community-based sustainable agriculture education, guided by local farmers who view farming as a holistic lifestyle. Farmers will receive guidance in crafting a whole farm plan and will be connected to essential resources for farm success. With community at the core, this program is deeply rooted in collaborative, farmer-led learning, ensuring that every lesson is practical, relevant, and community-focused.

A whole farm plan encompasses various components including a business plan, soil health and natural resource management plan, food safety plan, and marketing plan, all essential for the successful operation and sustainability of the farm. Each lesson throughout this course will help you create a section of your whole farm plan. 

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Who can take Farm Beginnings?

What to Expect

Course Benefits

Costs & Scholarships

Meet the Instructors!

Facilitator

Jake Callander

Jake is from the suburbs of Minnesota, moving to Fargo, ND to complete his degree in Agricultural Systems Management. Before launching his own small-scale produce farm and vermicomposting operation in Hillsboro, ND, in 2020, Jake actively sought knowledge through FARRMS' programs. The Sustainable Ag Internship provided hands-on experience, Farm Dreams helped solidify his farm vision, and Farm Beginnings equipped him with business planning expertise. In late 2023, his dedication and passion to grower education landed him the role of Farmer Educator at FARRMS.

Holistic Management Presenter

Cree Bradley

Cree has served in a variety of positions with a local food and farming focus in Colorado and throughout the Midwest. Over a 20-year period, she has organized programs with the Sustainable Farming Association, Institute for a Sustainable Future, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and the Land Stewardship Project.

Farmer

Jen Skoog

An accountant by trade, Jen Skoog discovered a love for farming at the age of 35 when she moved out of Fargo to an 80 acre property near Christine, ND. Jen currently owns Family Roots Farm, a diversified haven with everything from chickens and lamb to fresh produce, honey and preserves. She is a Farm Beginnings Graduate who thrives on bringing financial expertise and a passion for agriculture together to both manage her own farm and assist others.

Interested in participating in 2025?

Applications are open NOW!

For me, having a garden for my family wasn’t enough. I wanted to farm so I can feed my community. FARRMS helped me bring my farm dreams to life and has helped me make my farm what it is today.

SO USEFUL. Feel very prepared. Definitely bring Cree back for future years. She's amazing and incredibly thorough.

I enjoyed Jake! He was very knowledgeable and resourceful. He was creative and encouraging. I’m grateful to have been in his class. I enjoyed hearing from other farm owners. Listening to them was insightful. Thank you!

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