Farm Beginnings

• 8 farm business planning online modules October through March (Detailed schedule available here)
• In-Person Farm Plan Show & Tell session in March to culminate the eight modules (location TBA)
• 2-3 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

Participants are expected to attend all live sessions (2 hours each, every other Wednesday) and commit 2-4 hours of work on your own time for each module. In-person attendance is expected for the Farm Plan Show & Tell in March. In the summer, participants are expected to attend 2-3 on-farm gatherings. 

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. You can expect to spend 2-4 hours to complete individual work between the live sessions. 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 are listed below with brief descriptions and likely presenters (final presenters TBA). We will also welcome one-two additional farmers with experience relevant to each module to join for live sessions.

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 with Ryan Fitzbeauchamp of Evening Song Farm 

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. With Calley Hastings, Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program

Module 3: Land - Stewardship & Soils Understand options for land access and tools to employ when accessing land. Will cover leases, land transfer, and conservation easements. Presenters TBA

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.​ With Richard Wiswall, Cate Farm

Module 5: Enterprise Analysis & Budgeting Learn tools for determining which enterprises to focus on and create budgets for individual enterprises.​ With Bruce Hennessey, Maple Wind Farm

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

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.​ With Mieko Ozeki, Marketing Consultant

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

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.

Applications for 2024/2025 will open in mid August 2024 and close in mid September 2024. 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 due by September 16, 2024, 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 an appropriate stage to take advantage of this program to launch their farm business or develop a newly launched business.  A strong candidate is seeking support to refine their farm vision, apply whole-farm planning practices, overcome barriers they face, and has the time to fully utilize the resources of the program. Applications are reviewed holistically to understand applicants' passion and commitment to farming and strong applicants will show a commitment to agriculture in at least one of the following ways:

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

Applicants living in Vermont by the time the program begins in October 2024 are prioritized. Farm Beginnings is offered in several other states. If you are not residing in Vermont and you are interested in Farm Beginnings, check here to see if there is a Farm Beginnings program available near you.

Contact Megan Browning at 802-434-7184 with any questions or to be mailed a paper application.

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. 

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 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 Megan at [email protected]  or 802-434-7184 for more information on scholarships.

APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP

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.