"Farm Beginnings" Class Set for This Fall

LINCOLN, Neb. -- "Farm Beginnings," a program mostly taught by farmers that focuses on small, alternative farms that produce value-added products, will begin Nov. 22 in Syracuse.

The class will be taught in 10 sessions and is similar to a college course, said Gary Lesoing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator in Nemaha County.

"If you or someone you know would like to become involved in this type of farming, this may be what you are looking for," Lesoing said. "If you don't have the land or the resources to farm conventionally, this will provide you with some ideas and encouragement for developing a farm."

The first two classes involve goal setting and whole farm planning. They use a holistic management approach, Lesoing said.

Class participants also will tour successful farms that are practicing alternative farming practices. These may include an organic grain producer, a vegetable producer or someone that directly markets meat, he said.

The third and fourth sessions deal with financial management and assessing and developing a financial plan for your own enterprise and planning for profit.

The fifth session discusses building a business plan and financial options for getting started.

The sixth and seventh sessions focus on marketing, and the keys for successful marketing and developing a marketing plan. Different producers will share the different ways they are marketing their products.

The final three sessions will involve tying everything together that was learned throughout the class and presenting an individual plan. There also will be discussion on preparing for and securing funding from local banks and also information on available resources. The final class also discusses working with a mentor. This includes discussions on effective communication, generational diversity and conflict resolution.

"There are a few producers in southeast Nebraska and the surrounding region that have these types of operations and are making a living doing it," Lesoing said. "Others are doing these things to supplement their income or as a second career."

He said there are few farmers producing organic corn and soybeans. Many smaller cities in southeast Nebraska have Farmers' Markets, and there are also large and very successful ones in Lincoln, Omaha and St. Joseph, Mo. Kansas City has several farmers' markets, with one selling just organic produce, he said.

Several restaurants in the urban areas of Nebraska and surrounding states also are very interested in serving locally produced food, while the UNL Food Service also is purchasing as much produce and meat locally as is available.

"Farm Beginnings" was initiated in the mid 1990s by the Land Stewardship Project of Minnesota. A U.S. Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant brought the program to Nebraska, Missouri and Illinois in 2005.

The initial class held in Syracuse in 2005-2006, had 12 different ag businesses from across Nebraska complete the program.

While not geared for conventional farmers, conventional farmers could incorporate some of the principles of the program or develop part of their operation in this manner, Lesoing said.

For information about "Farm Beginnings" or other questions on alternative agriculture systems, contact Lesoing at the Nemaha County Extension Office, 1824 N St. in Auburn, at (402) 274-4755, glesoing2@unl.edu.