The Greater Lansing Food Bank (GLFB) in Michigan seeks a full-time Program Manager for Lansing Roots to start ASAP (March/April, 2013). The Lansing Roots Program Manager will be responsible for all aspects of the Lansing Roots program, including managing the farm site, managing staff, grant and funding reporting, and ensuring the long term success of the program. This position is both hands-on in the field and in the office supporting individuals starting their own farm businesses. The GLFB is looking for an energetic and outgoing person to help grow our new program.

This is a GREAT opportunity!

Program Description
The GLFB has secured funding from the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to kickstart a new program, Lansing Roots. Lansing Roots is a farm business incubator that aims to assist low-income, historically underserved or beginning farmers in starting their own small-scale farm business. Our first cohort of farmers will begin in Spring 2013. Please visit for more information on Lansing Roots, including our FAQ’s.

For more information and to find out how to apply click “read more”, do not apply to beginningfarmers.org. Read more »

Network with other Beginning Farmer Trainees and Trainers in a free “farminar” on Tues., March 26, 2013 at 7 pm (Central Time)

Beginners, learn how to be an excellent employee and learn the most on the job this summer. Farmer employers, hear how farmers make time for a better learning experience for employees.

To participate, just go to: http://www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar/

Julia Slocum, of Lacewing Acres in Ames, is starting her first year of raising vegetables on her own. Previously, she spent two years working on farms in the Midwest to explore her interests and learn new skills. Jill Beebout, of Blue Gate Farm near Chariton, has employed seasonal workers for seven years. She has hired a range of people, from teenagers working their first job to people interested in eventually starting their own farms.

This web-based seminar is a 90-minute, interactive, online learning opportunity offered by Practical Farmers of Iowa.

More than 66 previously recorded farminars are available in their archive at http://www.practicalfarmers.org/events/farminars.html

Announcing Michael Fields Whole Farm Workshops in Wisconsin, 2013 

There are two upcoming workshops: “Farm Preservation in Estate Planning” on March 15 and “Financial Management Tools for Farmers, and anyone who dreams of being a farmer” on April 26.

Click “read more” for details and registration information.

Read more »

We’ve been fighting for beginning farmer programs in the Farm Bill for over two years now, and today might be our day to win, if we all make a call right now!Unless the Senate acts to fix the situation next week, 2013 is on track to be the worst setback for sustainable agriculture in years.

When Congress passed the Farm Bill extension on New Year’s Eve, they left dozens of critical sustainable agriculture programs unfunded! These include the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which funds countless training programs, Organic Cost-Share, and many more*.

On Monday March 11, 2013 the Senate will work on a overall budget for the rest of 2013 – and they have a chance to restore funding for these key programs.  But they’ve got to know from you that these issues matter.

Making a call takes only a minute – please call right now!

Please call your Senators using the Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121, and ask for their office.

An example message for your Senator is:

“I am calling to urge the Senator to support mandatory funding in the bill for the programs that were stranded in the farm bill extension, including the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. These programs are essential to beginning farmers like me in [enter your state here], and they must be funded. ”

To see a list of the programs that will be affected click “read more” Read more »

Help for Beginning Farmers as Tax Day Approaches, 2013

Tax time can be daunting for any business, and farming operations bring their own set of challenges—particularly for beginning farmers.

A new tip sheet from the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) can take away some of the mystery as April 15 approaches.

“Tips About Farmer Income Tax” stresses the importance of working with a tax professional who is experienced working with farmers. At the same time, it provides a brief overview of some important income-tax issues that farmers need to be aware of.

To learn more and access the tip sheet click “read more”

Read more »

Are you a beginning farmer looking for a mentor?  Are you a seasoned farmer interested in mentoring others?

The NOFA/Mass Beginning Farmer Mentoring Program pairs seasoned growers with people who have some farming experience but aren’t yet running their own farms. It is a 12-month commitment between mentor and mentee, supported by NOFA/Mass.  The NOFA/Mass Beginning Farmer Mentoring Program aims to help fill the education gap between apprentice and independent farmer. By pairing mentees with experienced growers who are not their employers, the program enables aspiring farmers to gain farming experiences, skills, and perspectives that they otherwise wouldn’t get in their day-to-day work.  Note that mentors are paid an honorarium of $200 for their time, and mentees receive $100 worth of educational vouchers to use at NOFA/Mass events.

The application deadline for both mentors and mentees is March 1, 2013.  To download an application or for more information, go to the Beginning Farmer Mentoring Program webpage.  If you have any other questions, please contact Suzy Konecky, the Beginning Farmer Program Coordinator at:suzy@nofamass.org.

Michigan State University Extension is offering an educational opportunity available for new farmers and those looking to become CSA or market garden.

It will be held on Tuesdays starting February 26 through March 19, 2013 at the Kalamazoo County  MSU Extension office  from 6:00 P.M- 8:30 P.M. at the Nazareth Complex  in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  The four-week series will include information about where to start, goal setting, creating a business plan, financial management, and legal stuff. From there we will look at CSA types, soil basics and veggie and fruit production. local foods, farm to institution requirements and food hubs will also be discussed. The cost of the workshop is $150 which includes all class materials, binder. You may register online for the So You Want to be a CSA? program at http://events.anr.msu.edu/csa13  or contact MSU Extension at 269-657-8213 for more information.

Organic Farm School program, Washington State, 2013

Located in Washington State, the Organic Farm School (OFS) trains aspiring farmers to run successful, ecological and community-focused farms and uses its eight-acre organic farm as a real-world example and outdoor classroom. During the full-time, 7.5-month residential program, students spend one third of their time attending weekly classes and field trainings, studying a university-developed farming and marketing curriculum, going on bi-weekly field trips and engaging in independent research projects, including the writing of a personal farm business plan. Students spend the balance of their time co-managing the OFS farm, which focuses on market-scale production of organic vegetables, seed crops and cover crops with berries, poultry, goats and bees incorporated as well. Through this balance of academic and experiential studies, students learn and experience all aspects of starting and running a small scale organic farm, from goal setting and business planning to planting, harvesting, and marketing. With this skill and knowledge base, graduates are able to minimize their risk and maximize their success as they enter the growing field of sustainable agricultural producers! Graduates can also earn college credit and a micro-certificate in Sustainable Farming through our partnership with Skagit Valley College.

For more information, please visit our website at http://greenbankfarm.biz/farm-school/.

Taylor Reid was recently featured on the Growing Farms Podcast from http://www.farmmarketingsolutions.com, talking about how and why www,beginningfarmers.org was developed, and providing advice for beginning farmers.

Also in this episode you can hear about the resources for beginning farmers from our friends at Farm Aid and from The National Young Farmers Coalition! You can listen to the podcast here:

More on the Growing Farms Podcast from John Suscovich – a young farmer and farmer promoter:

The best way to learn how to be a farmer is from other farmers. The most common way to do this is to spend one or more seasons working on a farm as an intern or apprentice. The experience you gain is invaluable, and will closely effect how you plan and execute your own farm, if you choose to start your own.

What you main not gain through that experience is the perspective of all the other farmers in the world. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak. What works for one person does not work for everyone. However, it can be difficult to get out and visit and spend time with other farmers as time, money, and geography can all be limiting factors.

It was in a search for a solution to the problem of limited scope that I started the Growing Farms Podcast. I am starting a farm of my own, FoodCyclist Farm (http://FoodCyclist.com), in Connecticut this year. Such an undertaking can be overwhelming, as anyone who has farmed before knows. I am not afraid to ask questions and seek advice. If I was going to be contacting all of these farmers anyways, I figured why not record it and share it with the world so they can learn with me?

I have interviewed farmers from all over the country, and with farming styles that range from part-time small scale vegetable CSA to full scale feedlot operations. I do these interviews to learn, grow, make new friends, and hopefully plan and execute a successful farm of my own.

I recently interviewed Taylor Reid of www.BeginningFarmers.org since his website has been a great source of information for me through the years. Taylor shares his story about how the website got started and shares some advice for beginning farmers.

I release new episodes of the podcast every Tuesday morning. All of the old episodes are available for download 24 hours a day, seven days a week on my website, http://FarmMarketingSolutions.com.  You can also get the episodes through iTunes, Stitcher, and Blackberry as well. I encourage you to listen, share with others, and send me feedback. I share the same goal with Taylor of helping other farmers and foodies with helpful information.

We just topped 5000 facebook followers. Thank you all for the interest, love, and support!

If you haven’t already joined, you can find us at: https://www.facebook.com/NewFarmers