Farm Beginnings

Want to start a sustainable farm business?

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.

Registration is now open for our 2008-2009 program. Click here for more information.

"There is absolutely nothing like talking to the very people who have walked the path of sustainable farming. I learned so much hearing the success stories, and even the failures, from the wide variety of farmer that presented, onc class after another. Getting to know my fellow students was a treasure as well. I look forward to comparing notes with them in the years ahead. What a blessing and a bargain this course was. Farm Beginnings will likely save me thousands of dollars in mistakes!" -Bill Wilson, Central Illinois Farm Beginnings Graduate, 2006

Teresa Santiago (Teresa’s Fruit & Herbs) and Jon Cherniss (Blue Moon Farm) tell Farm Beginnings students about their marketing practices.

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.

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.