INformation Packet |
F.A.Q's |
Apply Now! |
Stateline Farm Beginnings® is a yearlong program, with 100+ contact hours of class time, designed to help aspiring and beginning farmers plan and launch a sustainable farm business. Participants develop holistic farm and financial planning skills, explore emerging opportunities, and network with experienced regional farmers.
Be a part of a collaborative, group-learning space for creating lifelong friendships within a new farming network!
Be a part of a collaborative, group-learning space for creating lifelong friendships within a new farming network!
Three CoursesFarm Dreams Intensive
Winter sessions sow the seeds by shaping your dream farm into a functional farm proposal and a personalized learning plan. Designed to dig deep, this course explores the farm dream through a holistic and outcome-based lens, with a focus on enhanced quality of life and planned prosperity. Topics include:
⇢Take this course by itself or as a part of the complete Stateline Farm Beginnings® program Skill Building Practicum
Spend the Spring and Summer leveraging the classes, events, and workshops of the growing season to actively pursue the goals from your personalized learning plan.
Optional: Stateline Learning Connection
Farm Business Intensive
Prerequisite: Farm Dreams Intensive Fall sessions reap the rewards of the winter planning, propelling the farm plan into a business plan. This course emphasizes the foundations of business development and strengthening longterm viability, with a focus on profit over production. Topics include:
Most sessions feature a regional farmer or expert panel segment, where you’ll hear first-hand experiences of innovators and professionals. Presenters include: regional farmers, university professionals, accountants, attorneys, Extension educators, USDA program personnel, insurance providers, bankers, and more. Stateline Farm Beginnings® is open to anyone within the stateline area, including both rural and urban participants from Chicago, Rockford, Milwaukee, Madison, and everywhere in between. Each year there are a limited number of scholarships available for Stateline Farm Beginnings® (SFB). Member of the LGBTQ+, women, BIPOC, Immigrant, and US Military Veteran communities are strongly encourage to apply. Scholarship applications and instructions are in the Application Packet and reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply Now! Why Farm Beginnings® ?
The Farm Beginnings® model has emerged as an effective method of increasing the number of beginning farmers who are interested in building farm & food economies which are ecologically sustainable, equitable, and health-conscious. Stateline Farm Beginnings® (SFB) uses the Farm Beginnings® model and is a part of the Farm Beginnings Collaborative®. SFB has graduated nearly 300 sustainable farmers in the stateline region! Farm Beginnings® is approved as an educational provider through the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (USDA - FSA). Completion of this course fulfills the educational requirements for FSA loan applicants. |
Connect with one another and learn from regional farmers and experts with lessened commitment & cost of travel:
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Information Packet |
F.A.Q's |
Apply Now! |
Not ready to plant your farm dream?
Consider joining Upper Midwest CRAFT, our farmer training alliance
for access to farm news, learning opportunities, and community.
for access to farm news, learning opportunities, and community.
