At The Land Connection, our Farmer Training programming serves all community members that have a hand in getting farm products from the farm to market and, finally to your home. We provide training and support services to farmers of all enterprises as well as cottage food and value-added producers, local food entrepreneurs, market managers, processors, buyers, distributors, and more.
Our reputation as a trusted source of farmer training and support in our region is built on our commitment to listening and responding to the needs of our farming community. This has led to a robust range of programmatic offerings. These include education on farm business planning, risk assessment and mitigation, exploring marketing challenges and opportunities, as well as regenerative agricultural methods and integration of conservation practices into large-scale operations. To provide a quality educational experience to our farming community, we use a holistic approach that relies on our farmer and food system partners to lead training and integrates peer networking to share knowledge across experts and novices in the field.
We also provide practical educational resources to put you in charge of your own learning. We’ve got tools and templates, video tutorials, self-guided courses, fact sheets, podcasts, and more. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel welcome to reach out to us (info@thelandconnection.org or 217-840-2128) and we will do our best to find the information you need.
If you are looking to attend a networking event, field day, webinar, conference, or other Farmer Training event, please visit our Farmer Training Events page.
If you are looking to explore resources for a more self-guided learning experiences, please visit our Resources page.
Partnerships
We depend upon strong partnerships to create collective impact. We regularly work with agricultural education stakeholders at all scales, including university extension, county soil and water conservation districts, government and nonprofit partners, producers, and community advocates.
PROGRAM SPONSORS
Our Farmer Training Program is officially sponsored by the following companies and organizations.
If your farm is a non-traditional agriculture operation marketing products to consumers or through local and regional food systems, Compeer Financial can help. Compeer Financial is a cooperative organization that provides member benefits, dedicated underwriting, fast turnaround, exceptional client service, technical expertise and training opportunities – benefits that production ag farmers have come to expect, but are hard to come by for non-traditional operations. Visit with lending officers Paul Dietmann and Sai Thao to learn more.
Farm Credit Illinois is a farmer-owned and directed agricultural cooperative serving 16,000 farmer, rural landowner, and agribusiness voting stockholder members in the southern 60 counties of Illinois. Dedicated to Helping Farm Families Succeed, FCI provides competitive and flexible financing, crop insurance expertise, and Rural 1st® country life lending.
Illinois Farm Bureau is a voluntary membership organization of citizens from all walks of life. They are working to improve the economic well-being of agriculture and enrich the quality of farm family life for Illinois. With help from their members, they work with local, state, and federal legislatures to help protect and develop better ways to farm.
