Beginning Farmers
Beginning Farmers - Practical Tools for Successful Family Farming
New Farmer U Opens Registration for Upcoming Dates
Oct. 29 & 30, 2021 at Camp One Heartland, Willow River, MN
Registration is now open for the 2021 New Farmer U, a training offered by MOSES and Renewing the Countryside to increase beginning farmers' business skills and support their farming success. New Farmer U will take place on Oct. 29th and 30th at Camp One Heartland in Willow River, Minnesota. Language interpretation and scholarships are available.
The event includes workshops on topics such as wholesale markets, online marketing, recordkeeping, land access and financing, and income diversification. New Farmer U covers farm financial and business management for intermediate beginning farmers—3-6 years of farming experience—or anyone who is ready to plan for future success. See the full program schedule below.
Registration fee is $50
Includes supper & onsite lodging Friday night, Saturday breakfast & lunch, + all workshops
Space could be limited. Register for New Farmer U today to reserve your place!
Register
Add on the Fearless Farm Finances workshop: Arrive early on October 29th to join us for the Fearless Farm Finances workshop, based on the book and led by author Paul Dietmann of Compeer Financial. Registration is $25 and includes a free copy of the book. This workshop may also be attended as a standalone event.
Scholarships: Beginning farmers who need assistance accessing the training may apply for a $35 scholarship. The scholarship application closes on September 6. Visit MOSES' website for more information on the course and to register...
COVID-19 Guidelines: Masks will be required inside at all times, regardless of vaccination status, and we are in a facility that will provide us plenty of space for physical distancing. Given that this is an ever changing environment, we will be in touch with registrants by October 8th with any changes to programming due to COVID-19.
New Farmer U Schedule:
Friday, Oct. 29
12:30-4:30 p.m.
Optional Fearless Farm Finances workshop, $25, includes a copy of the book ($20 value)
6 p.m.
Welcome to New Farmer U
Dinner and bonfire
Saturday, Oct. 30
8:15 a.m. -4:30 p.m.
Breakfast, lunch, and three workshop sessions (topics below)
Farmer Panel
Established farmers discuss Growth, Profitability, Balance & Success: What do these benchmarks mean and how have you measured and achieved them?
Workshops
* indicates workshop will include preliminary work to give you more from the class
Developing Wholesale Markets and Institutional Sales
Join a panel of farmers and wholesale buyers to learn how they formed and maintained their relationships and what it takes to sell wholesale.
* Income Diversification: Reining it in
Use the farm’s balance sheet, enterprise budgets and cash flow projections to evaluate income streams, decide what’s working, what isn’t, and where things can be tightened up.
Presented by Paul Dietmann from Compeer Financial
Land Access and Financing
Land Access Navigators from Renewing the Countryside discuss land access and financing, and the steps to move from leased to purchased land.
Online Marketing
Your web assets should be your hardest working employee — Join Katie Myhre to learn how to choose the right online marketing channels that compliment your business plans, as well as how to best structure your online presence in a way that fits your schedule.
Farm Employment Law
Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons explains how to build legal resilience when it comes to your employees, interns, volunteers, or anyone else who helps out on the farm
* Whole Farm Recordkeeping
Drive your own record-keeping bus, instead of it driving you. Join David Van Eeckhout from The Good Acre to learn how to keep the records you need to run a successful farm business first, and then tailor them to meet the needs of certifiers or other third-parties.
Each participant will be able to attend 3 workshops and the farmer panel.
Lodging
Camp One Heartland offers 3 lodging options that are included with your registration.
1. Group rooms in the retreat center with private bathrooms for 4-6 people
2. Rustic, heated, cabins for 4-6 with shared shower facilities nearby
3. Tent camping (bring your own)
If you prefer not to share a lodging space, there are hotels nearby:
Moose Lake Lodge, Moose Lake (15-minute drive north)
Discounted NFU rate: $119.99/night plus taxes and fees
218-485-8885
Book by phone, mention New Farmer U when making reservations for discount.
America’s Quality Inn & Suites, Finlayson (15-minute drive south)
320-245-5284
Note: We can help subsidize the cost of a hotel. If you submit your receipt for a hotel, you can receive a $50 stipend, depending on demand.
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Learn more about upcoming conferences, workshops, field days and other events both online and in person on our Farming Resources thread HERE.
- Find information about Beginning Farmer Training Programs from across the country is available at
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Find tons of other useful farming resources HERE.