Farm Beginnings

Farm Beginnings® is a year-long program for aspiring and beginning farmers that is designed to help participants launch or grow their farm business. The course is focused on sustainable agriculture and is led by Vermont-based service providers and farmers. The 2022/2023 Farm Beginnings cohort will begin in mid-October 2022. Read below for more details, including schedule, topics covered, and more.

Applications are closed for the 2022/23 cohort. Please contact Aaron at 802-434-7180 or [email protected] with any questions. Thank you to all who applied!

 

What to Expect

This is a hybrid virtual and in-person program. From October through March, participants will meet for eight online learning modules, including video lectures, assignments, and live virtual meetings. In the summer, participants will transition from the classroom into the fields to work one-on-one with an experienced farmer mentor and attend a series of on-farm workshops.

The course starts in the fall with a series of in-depth business-planning modules taught by farmers and service providers who will offer first-hand knowledge on topics such as goal-setting, land access, farm financing, recordkeeping, and marketing. Participants will increase their knowledge on all aspects of farm management, improve their decision-making ability, and develop a business plan for their farm or future farm. The course is also designed to build connections and relationships among the aspiring and beginning farmers in each cohort.

In the summer, participants will transition from the classroom into the fields to work one-on-one with an experienced farmer mentor and attend a series of on-farm workshops.

Farm Beginnings is a great option for both aspiring farmers who have farm experience and a goal of starting their own farm business and beginning farmers who are in their first few years of running their own business and looking to enhance their skill sets. Participation in Farm Beginnings is a first step toward participation in the NOFA-VT Journey Farmer program.  

 

Program Objectives

  • Establish quality of life goals and identify your farm values, vision, and goals
  • Assess your resources, skills, and markets and how these fit into a profitable farm business 
  • Write a farm business plan, including a financial and marketing plan
  • Learn critical farm management and record-keeping skills
  • Meet and learn from innovative, local farming practitioners in class and at on-farm workshops 
  • Develop your farm business and production skills by working one-on-one with a farmer mentor  
  • Learn how to access resources and programs at NOFA-VT and throughout Vermont that can help bring your farm vision to fruition

"I could farm all day long, but the business side of things was challenging. So knowing that the Farm Beginnings program would provide me with a group of people that were working towards similar goals...[it] was nice for me to map it all out in my head like, okay, this is how it's gonna happen, and we're gonna get it done."

-Kylie Cook of Sunday Bell Farm, 2020-21 Farm Beginnings participant

 

Program Details
Program Offerings
  • 8 farm business planning online modules October through March
  • On-farm workshops held during the growing season
  • One-on-one mentorship from an experienced farmer
  • Course materials: printed copy and online access
  • Discounts on NOFA-VT educational offerings including Winter Conference and On-Farm Workshops
  • Farm Business Plan template
  • Relationship building with a cohort of beginning farmers in Vermont
Schedule

See the detailed calendar for exact dates and times (subject to change).

October - March

Vermont farmers and farm service providers will lead eight online modules. The structure includes both lectures and interactive activities. Online modules are each two weeks long and include a two-hour live virtual session on Wednesday evenings, 4:30-6:30 pm.  Live sessions include time for connecting with the cohort and Q&A with presenters. Participants are encouraged to attend live, however, all sessions are recorded. Throughout the course of the program, participants will develop their own Farm Plan and have an opportunity to receive feedback. Modules listed below with brief descriptions.

Kick-Off Session: Introduction & Orientation Meet the cohort and orient to the structure, materials and curriculum for the Farm Beginnings program.

Module 1: Whole Farm Planning (Part 1) Create a holistic goal statement for your farm business 

Module 2: Whole Farm Planning (Part 2) Learn strategies for using your holistic goal to make decisions. Additional decision making and business analysis tools discussed. Discussion of sales channels will be included.

Module 3: Land Access & Business Structure Understand options for land access and tools to employ when accessing land. Will cover leases, land transfer, and conservation easements.

Module 4: Farm Financial Management & Record Keeping Learn about three basic financial statements and tools for recordkeeping on the farm. Build out these statements for your farm business.​

Module 5: Enterprise Analysis & Budgeting Learn tools for determining which enterprises to focus on and create budgets for individual enterprises.​

Module 6: Marketing (Part 1) Take a broad look at the market landscape in VT and learn about conducting market research.​

Module 7: Marketing (Part 2) Build your marketing plan and learn about marketing tactics, strategies and tools to tell your farm story and sell your products.​

Module 8: Taxes & Farm Financing Learn from an ag lender about options for financing your farm business.

Farm Plan Show & Tell Participants will each have time to share their Farm Plans and get feedback from the rest of the class.​

*Free registration is also available to the NOFA-VT Winter Conference.

 

March - November: 

Participants work one-on-one with a farmer mentor and participate in on-farm education geared specifically toward Farm Beginnings. This typically consists of two-three farm tours on Vermont farms with the Farm Beginnings class. In addition, free and discounted registration is available for all NOFA-VT On-Farm Workshops.

Cost

This program costs $500 per farm.

Tuition payments: Tuition is due in full by October 16th. We can also work with you to create a payment plan that meets your financial needs.  Contact Aaron at [email protected] for more information. 

Refund Policy: If you are unable to attend Farm Beginnings, refunds are available until the day before the first class. After the first class, refunds are not available, except under extenuating circumstances. 

Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available for the 2022-2023 NOFA-VT Farm Beginnings cohort. Scholarships will be awarded based on financial need. NOFA-VT will provide a full scholarship to anyone who identifies as BIPOC. We can also work with participants to create a payment plan that meets your financial needs. Apply below. Contact Aaron at [email protected]  or 802-434-7180 for more information on scholarships,

APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP

Per Class Registration: Registration for individual classes is available to past Journey Farmers and past Farm Beginnings participants. Each module costs $25 for NOFA-VT members and $30 for non-members.  To register for an individual module, please email Aaron at [email protected].

Application Instructions

Applications are due on or before Monday, September 12th, 2022. One additional person working on the same business plan, such as a business partner, a family member, or life partner, may take the course with you. Only one application per farm business is required. 

Application Timeline: Applications are reviewed in late September, and applicants will be notified of a decision by the first week of October. 

For every applicant that is not offered a spot in this year's Farm Beginnings cohort, the Farmer Services team will put together specific recommendations for next steps and offer business coaching services to help you prepare to participate in a future cohort.

Application Criteria: The main goal in selecting participants is to ensure applicants are at a good stage to take advantage of this program to launch their farm business or develop a newly launched business. We are looking for applicants to show a commitment to farming in at least one of the following ways:

  • Clear farm plans/vision with specific enterprises and markets in mind
  • At least one year of financial and/or production records
  • Past experience working on farms, stewarding land, and/or producing agricultural products
  • Business already started or goal of launching within 1-2 years

 

Apply

Contact Aaron at 802-434-7180 with any questions or to be mailed a paper application.

History of Farm Beginnings

The curriculum for Farm Beginnings was developed in 1996 by the Minnesota-based Land Stewardship Project and a group of farmers who recognized the need for more cohort-based learning opportunities that would support beginning farmers in developing their core skills. A Farm Beginnings Collaborative evolved so that the curriculum could be shared widely and create opportunities for shared learning among service providers. It is now a nationally recognized curriculum that helps create new strong farm businesses. NOFA-VT is the fourteenth organization to join the collaborative.

Hundreds of farmers have participated in Farm Beginnings classes with 80% of graduates still farming. In addition,  61% of graduates increased the amount of land they had in sustainable production,  82% of graduates sold more than eighty percent of their production within a 200-mile radius of their farm, and 51% of graduates met or exceeded their goals for family income from products produced on their farm.

“This is my second year growing cut flowers and I’ve been able to make flower farming my main source of income. I’m pretty proud of that!”

- Jenny Monfore of Old Time Flowers, 2021-22 Farm Beginnings participant

Read her story
Jenny Monfore on her porch surrounded by bouquets from Old Time Flowers

Applications are currently closed.