Have you spent this past year dreaming about a different tomorrow? Do you dream about harvesting fruits and vegetables in multi-colored patchwork of fields? Or tending your flock of sheep while practicing the art of fiber processing and dying? Or pasture-raising poultry with your trusty guardian dog? Or maybe you dream of converting a conventional row crop operation into a regeneratively coupled livestock and grain system.
Whatever your dream may be, Farm Dreams Workshop will help you assess your readiness and develop a plan to make your farm dream a reality!
Farm Dreams Workshop is a snapshot of a more involved program – Farm Beginnings.
Farm Dreams Workshop is a three session, six hour total, virtual crash course organized and facilitated by the three Illinois organizations who administer Farm Beginnings programs:
Food Works — Southern Illinois Farm Beginnings
The Land Connection — Beginning Farmer Support, Training, and Mentorship*
Angelic Organics Learning Center — Stateline Farm Beginnings
“I attended The Land Connection’s Farm Dreams class when I was still a sociologist, as I was just contemplating a major career shift into farming,” says Katie Kenney, former owner of Stone Court Farm in Mahomet, IL and current owner of Sheepnose Farm in Canton, CT. “That class was the first time I articulated out loud my plan to become a farmer in front of other people, and the kinds of guiding questions and discussions we had helped me move from a nebulous, interior, imagined idea of farming to something much more concrete–and therefore much more doable.”
2023 Farm Dreams
The online Farm Dreams workshop series will be held over three consecutive Tuesdays in October (10, 17, and 24) from 6-8 pm. Each session will include exercises and guided discussion to help aspiring farmers assess their skills and resources, and provide direction for next steps in building a farm business. Participants will be expected to complete some work independently prior to sessions to allow for the best use of our time online together. Registration to attend all three sessions costs $30 and limited scholarships are available
- October 10th | 6-8 p.m. | Online
Assessing Readiness | Identify your needs, clarify your values. - October 17th | 6-8 p.m. | Online
Building a Dream | Explore the varied paths to farming with insight from Illinois producers. - October 24th | 6-8 p.m. | Online
Creating a Path | Determine your next steps.
Everyone has dreams, and if farming is yours then this online workshop series is definitely a place to start turning your dreams into a reality.
This 3-part interactive online Farm Dreams workshop series is a collaborative effort of Angelic Organics Learning Center, Food Works, and The Land Connection and is made possible with generous support from the Routes to Farm Alliance. Routes to Farm is a collaborative effort to make resources available to farmers who are launching or growing their farm businesses.
