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 (cassidy@thelandconnection.org or 272-840-2128 x5) 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.
Albert Lea Seed offers knowledge and experience in seed and crop production, processing, and cultural practices that benefits any sized farm operation. They provide organic conventional non-GMO farmers with seed for corn, soybeans, pasture & forage, small grains, and cover crops.
American Organic is an independent, farmer-owned and operated seed and research company, serving communities all across the Midwest and beyond. They aim to offer a broad spectrum of Non-GMO and Certified Organic seed products and services under our American Organic brand with a focus on corn products in particular.
Compeer Financial is a member-owned, Farm Credit cooperative providing loans, leases, risk management, and other financial service throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. They offer specialized expertise and personalized service regardless of the size of the farm, the type of crop grown or the livestock raised.
Flanagan State Bank is family-owned bank and has been in business for over 100 years. They are committed to agriculture and to their local farmers in central Illinois. Their services give farm customers a competitive edge over their peers by emphasizing cash flow analysis in making loan decisions and improving their business.
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.
Local Foods Marketplace makes selling local, fresh food easier. Their comprehensive, flexible platform helps you to plan, sell, and distribute local food. Local Foods Marketplace supports producers and food hubs selling to consumers, restaurants, grocery stores, institutions, and CSAs. Check them out to maximize your sales and profitability!
MarketMaker is one of the most extensive interactive e-commerce platforms providing food marketing information to food entrepreneurs (agricultural producers, buyers, processors, wholesalers, food retailers, restaurants, and transporters) and their customers. This electronic farm directory/food marketing/educational tool providing information about products, availability, affiliations, attributes, certifications, and more.
Organic Valley believes that natural is better, which is why they’re always organic. Their cows average 50% more time on pasture than USDA Organic standards require. And with lots of acres to roam, they take more daily steps than most people! Organic Valley has happy cows and that means better milk.
Pipeline Foods is a global organization with a vision to accelerate the availability of non-GMO, organic, and regeneratively grown food. They are working to build a healthy, traceable, and sustainable system to protect the food that farmers carefully nurture through regenerative practices.
