Mark and Wendy Lange, and about 130 other farm families in Minnesota say they can because of the training received in the Farm Beginnings™ Program. The Lange’s said the program helped them decide if farming was a viable option for them and what enterprises to consider.
Designed for beginners and experienced farmers, Farm Beginnings™ is a nine-session program that gives participants the opportunity to set goals to insure a quality of life, and develop business plans to maintain profitability. Graduates of the course now farm more than 6,000 acres in Minnesota.
Much of the success of this program is credited to the farmer instructors, who have lived and succeeded in their farming operations. Continued training is available a mentor program that pairs participants with cooperating farmers to provide long-term support and advice.
If this isn’t enough, qualified persons who complete the course may be eligible for zero interest, revolving livestock loans through the Heifer International program. The course also satisfies the Gold Medal Management training required by USDA’s Beginning Farmer Loan Program.
Limited to 20 families, the deadline for registration is October 24th. The cost is $800.00, but scholarships are available. The program will begin November 5th in Syracuse, Nebraska.
To register contact Paul Rohrbaugh, 402-869-2396 or neusag@alltel.net ;James Peterson, 402-426-9455 or jpeterson2@unl.edu; Martin Kleinschmit, 402-254-6893 or martink@cfra.org; Steve Zimmers, 402-269-2301 or szimmers1@unl.edu.
The program is sponsored by the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, Center for Rural Affairs, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, and Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
