Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

Enrollment for the 2009-2010 Class of Central Illinois Farm Beginnings (CIFB) is closed. We will begin accepting applications for the 2010-2011 Class of CIFB in May 2010.

Central Illinois Farm Beginnings™ is a year-long program designed to help new and existing farmers plan and launch sustainable farm enterprises through seminars, working field days, and mentorships with experienced farmers.

Students spend the winter months engaged in goal setting and business planning, and learning from small business professionals, experienced farmers, distributors, and marketers. After completing the business planning portion of the program, students participate in working field days and are matched with a mentor farmer with experience in their area of interest.

Students spend the winter months doing goal setting and business planning, and learning from small business professionals, experienced farmers, distributors, and marketers. After completing the classroom portion, students participate in working field days and are matched with a mentor farmer with experience in their area of interest.

Central Illinois Farm Beginnings is made possible with support from the Illinois Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture grant program, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Liberty Prairie Foundation, the Lumpkin Family Foundation, University of Illinois Extension, North Pond Restaurant, and individual donors to The Land Connection.

Click on map to see where our farmer-graduates
are farming throughout the state of Illinois.

All Farm Beginnings® material was developed by the Land Stewardship Project based on the experiences of their farmer members. It is used by permission under license. Central Illinois Farm Beginnings® adapts these original materials based on the input of our steering committee, facilitators, evaluator, and trainees.