“Farm Beginnings” now offered in Brookings

July 14th, 2009 by Mike Knutson

I’ve been impressed lately with how Deuel Area Development, Inc. has been using their blog to connect with the residents of Deuel County, SD. As you can see on their blog (www.deuelco.wordpress.com), they use it to provide updates on meetings, social events, and resources.

Today, I’m reposted one their posts (Thanks Briana) of a resource titled “Farm Beginnings now offered in Brookings” because I think it applies to people across the region. When you are done reading, I’d encourage you to look into the other cool stuff going on over in Deuel. And if you are in community/economic development work, I hope you consider using a blog as a way to connect with your constituents.

“Farm Beginnings” now offered in Brookings

Has it always been your dream to be a farmer, but you just aren’t sure how to get started? Well, an amazing opportunity is now available to help those dreams come true! Farm Beginnings, a farmer-led training and support program, will be available in Brookings this year.

Brought to you by Dakota Rural Action, Farm Beginnings is a program with a curriculum developed by a Minnesota-based Land Stewardship Project over a decade ago. Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, and New York are already taking advantage of the program, and now with the help of DRA, the curriculum has been adapted to fit the needs of South Dakota!

The Farm Beginnings curriculum expands far beyond the basic start-up steps to creating a new operation. Subjects covered by Farm Beginnings include:

Goal setting

Financial planning

Business plan creation

Alternative marketing

Innovative production techniques

All of the classes are taught by experienced, local farmers and agricultural professionals. If you are busy during the year, don’t worry. Farm Beginnings is not a time consuming project. From October 2009 to March 2012, classes are held twice a month in Brookings. On-farm education components are held from April to August, and participants may connect with other farmers for additional mentorship if desired.

If you are interested in this program and would like to learn more or fill out an application, contact:

Dakota Rural Action at (605) 697-5204 or heidiku@dakotarural.org.

The application deadline is August 31, 2009, so don’t wait! Class size is limited!

~Post written by Angela Kjenstad

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