Application for OGS Farm Beginnings

Application For OGS Farm Beginnings®

Farmer Training

October 2017-September 2018

The Farm Beginnings® class is a 12-month training program that helps beginning farmers clarify their goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan and start building their operation. The course uses a mix of farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, an extensive farmer network and mentoring. Farm Beginnings® is designed for new and prospective farmers who want to plan a profitable farm business. Students do not need to currently own land, but some farming or production experience is required.

Please be sure to read the OGS Farm Beginnings website here, and the following document to understand the requirements to participate. This year-long training is a big commitment. Be sure you understand the in’s and out’s.

The course fee includes a total of 210+ hours of class time:

●  60 hours of class instruction**

●  24 hours of WNC CRAFT Farm Tours

●  14-20 hours of Field days farmer workshops at the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Incubator Farm

●  40+ hours of classes at the OGS Spring Conference and Harvest Conferences

●  8 hours at ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

●  10-15 hours of one-on-one mentoring with an advanced Mentor Farmer

Course Fee: $3000 per farm for up to 2 farm business partners.

●  If you are unable to pay the full course fee, do not be deterred! Scholarships and payment plans are available and we encourage you to apply. Learn more on our Tuition & Scholarships page.

**NOTE: Although the spring & summer portions of the Farm Beginnings curriculum include production-related workshops, please keep in mind that a bulk of the time commitment is classroom-based, with the content focusing primarily on the business side of farming. This class is not about teaching farming practices, but understanding farming in the context of business management.

Application deadline:

September 1st, 2017

How to apply: Send completed application via mail to the address, or email below. You will be notified regarding acceptance or denial via email after September 15th.

Mailing Address: Organic Growers School, P.O. Box 17804 Asheville, NC 28816

Email Address:

Space is limited. We would like to keep our participants to 20to allow more time for interactions between guest speakers and participants.

A.  Course Dates and Times—October ‘17 to September ‘18

LOCATION: All winter sessions are held at the Southern Appalachians Highlands Conservancy Incubator Farm on Mag Sluder Road in Alexander, NC.

Organic Growers School's Farm Beginnings Farmer Training Program, 2017-2018 Schedule

Color Key: / Agroecology / OGS Events / Other Events / Production
Dates (2017-2018): / Topics: / Hours
2017
Saturday, October 14 / Winter Session 1: Orientation, Syllabus/Calendar Review, Intro to Holistic Goal, Intro to Food Systems 101 / 7
Wednesday, October 25 / Winter Session 2: Holistic Management - Testing Decisions / 3
Wednesday, November 8 / Winter Session 3: Business Startup & Capitalization / 3
Saturday, November 18 / Winter Session 4: Intro to Food Systems 102 & Agroecology 101 & Soils / 7
Wednesday, November 29 / Winter Session 5: Financial Planning 101 / 3
Thursday, December 13 / Winter Session 6: Financial Planning 102 - Enterprise Planning / 3
2018
Wednesday, January 10 / Winter Session 7: Business Planning & Economy of Scale / 3
Saturday, January 20 / Winter Session 8: Agroecology 102 - Ecosystem Process #1 & #2 / 7
Winter Session 8: Financial Planning 103 - Cash Flow
Wednesday, January 31 / Winter Session 9: Land Management and Use / 7
Winter Session 9: Agroecology 103 - Ecosystem Process #3 & #4
Saturday, February 24 / ASAP's Business of Farming Conference / 8
Saturday, February 10 / Winter Session 10: Intro to Marketing
Wednesday, February 28 / Winter Session 11: Buyer Panel / 3
Friday, March 9 / OGS Spring Conference: Pre-Conference Workshops / 8
Saturday, March 10 / OGS Spring Conference: Beginning Farmer Track / 8
Sunday, March 11 / OGS Spring Conference: Beginning Farmer Track / 8
Wednesday, March 14 / Snow Day
Wednesday, March 28 / Winter Session 12: Growing Season Learning Plan / 3
April Date TBD / CRAFT Tour, Topic & Location TBD / 4
May Date TBD / CRAFT Tour, Topic & Location TBD / 4
June Date TBD / CRAFT Tour, Topic & Location TBD / 4
April-November Date TBD / SAHC Workshop Series - 7 or 8 two hour workshops throughout the summer & fall months / 14
July Date TBD / CRAFT Tour, Topic & Location TBD / 4
August Date TBD / CRAFT Tour, Topic & Location TBD / 4
September Date TBD / CRAFT Tour, Topic & Location TBD / 4
TBD April - September / Mentorship: One-on-one support from an advanced Mentor Farmer / 10
Friday, September 1 / Due Date for Farm Proposals
Friday, September 8 / OGS Harvest Conference: Pre-Conference Workshops / 8
Saturday, September 9 / OGS Harvest Conference / 8
Saturday, September 16 / Farm Proposal Presentations & Graduation Celebration / 8
Home Study Hours for Certification: / 50
Total # of Hours: / 210

B. ASAP Business of Farming Conference (February 24th, 2018): ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference is a day of learning and networking for farmers andthose seriously considering farming as a profession. Each year the conference offers business and marketing themed workshops, networking opportunities, and resources to help farmers grow their businesses. The conference also features meetings with wholesale buyers, professional consulting opportunities, business and agricultural exhibits.

C. OGS Spring Conference (March 9th-11th, 2018): OGS Spring Conference offers a wealth of organic focused practical education opportunities. Friday the 11th features full and half day workshops available for an additional fee. Admission to weekend workshops are included in Farm Beginnings fees. Over the course of three days participants can choose from over 100 different workshops. Students are encouraged to participate in the Beginning Farmer Track workshops, and other workshops that align with your farm plan.

D. CRAFT Farm Tours (April - September 2018): Farm Beginnings Participants are automatic members of WNC CRAFT. Students are able to attend 8+ farm tours hosted by CRAFT Farm Members. At each tour participants receive an overview of the general farm practices, as well as a focus on a specific farm production topic, followed by a group potluck. Topics change each year and cover practices like cover crops, vegetable production, livestock, production planning, and more. Schedule will be determined in March 2018. Farm tours are typically held on a Saturday or Sunday, 1-2 times per month.

E. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Incubator Farm Field Days (April - September 2018): Participants attend 6-7 Field days at our partner organization’s incubator farm, including topics such as BCS maintenance and repair, livestock load-out design and build, high tunnel fall transition, and more. Schedule to be determined. Field days are typically held on Sundays and Thursdays once per month.

F. OGS Harvest Conference (September TBD, 2018): Harvest Conference is a one day conference with a focus on fall & winter Growing, home cooking, fermentation, preservation, homestead skills, and self-reliance. It also offers pre-conference whole and half-day workshop intensives.

G. One-on-One Mentorship: (April-September 2018) The Mentorship program partners students with experienced regional farmers who help them develop practical and planning skills in the areas of production, marketing and business management, and connect them to the regional farming community. This mentorship will take place April through September during the student's’ year of attendance. Once an enterprise or specific skill area that students want to develop is identified, OGS staff will help the student select which farm or farmers will be the best match to fulfill their learning objectives. Farm Mentors and students will commit to 10-15 hours of a mix of on farm, phone, and email time specific to the needs of the participating parties.

H. Certificate of Completion (September 2018): In order to receive a certificate of completion, 80% of the above activities must be attended by each participant and all required parts of the Farm Plan portfolio completed by the end of the course in September 2018. Farm Beginnings® is an approved educational vendor with the USDA Farm Service Agency and completion of the program can help you qualify for farm loans.

Required parts of the Farm Plan Portfolio include:

❏  A holistic goal

❏  A timeline of one and five year plans

❏  Enterprise budget and personal budget

❏  Growing Season Learning Plan

❏  Farm Proposal

Primary Applicant Contact Information

Name(s): ______

Farm Name (if applicable):______

Address:______

City:______State: ______Zip______

County: ______

Email Address: ______

Phone: (in order of preference)

(1st choice) ______Home/Work/Cell (circle one)

(2nd choice) ______Home/Work/Cell (circle one)

May we call you at work? ▢ Yes ▢ No

How did you hear about Farm Beginnings®?

▢ Email
▢ Facebook/Social Media
▢ Website
▢ Print Ad
▢ Radio / ▢ Conference/event
▢ Word of mouth
▢ Poster
▢ Other: ______

Please list an emergency contact person & their phone number:

______

Do you have any allergies or other medical conditions that are important for us to know about?______

Will a family or business partner attend OGS FB with you? ▢ Yes ▢ No

**If YES, please have partner complete a Partner Application (enclosed):

Partner’s Name: ______

(If you need more space than provided, please attach additional sheets.)

Check all that apply to you:

❏  Emerging Farmer

❏  In-training Farmer

❏  Start-up Farmer

❏  Seasoned Farmer

❏  Currently farming trying to expand my farm enterprise

❏  Community gardener/urban farmer

❏  Interested in working in agriculture but not as a farm owner.

1. Do you currently own land where you will be/are farming? ▢ Yes ▢ No

2. Do you currently have access to land where you will be/are farming, includes leased land, family/friend’s land, or other arrangement? ▢ Yes ▢ No

3. Are you actively farming now? (For the purposes of this application, “farming” can include starting a farm, transitioning an existing farm from conventional to sustainable and/or working as a manager, employee or intern on someone else’s farm.) ▢ Yes ▢ No

4. Indicate which best describes your intended farming involvement in 5-10 years. Check all that apply:

❏  Full-time farming only
❏  Part-time (with off farm work)
❏  Full time (with off farm work)
❏  Farm worker/Apprentice / ❏  Farm manager
❏  Farmland owner
❏  Other: ______

5. How will this agricultural training fit into your future life plans?

6. Why are you interested in Farm Beginnings®? Explain your passion and capacity for farming. How did you come to this dream? How long have you been interested in farming?

7. What kind of knowledge and skills do you hope to achieve by attending Farm Beginnings®?

8. Indicate the areas you are specifically interested in working on during the Farm Beginnings® training. Check all that apply:

❏  Financial planning
❏  Exposure to sustainable agricultural practices
❏  Business start up and management
❏  Networking with other farmers
❏  Marketing
❏  Quality of life issues / ❏  Legal issues and regulations
❏  Lowering production costs
❏  Profit and loss projections
❏  Land Access options
❏  Access to lending and capital
❏  Production Skills
❏  Enterprise development

Other (please list) ______

9. Please indicate your highest level of education:

❏  Some high school
❏  High school diploma
❏  Some college
❏  Bachelor’s degree / ❏  Graduate /Professional Degree
❏  Technical school degree
❏  School of Life degree

10. Please describe your prior farming experience. Please include any formal agricultural training, any agricultural jobs, apprenticeships, or workshops attended, or other agricultural experience you have had. Name any farms or gardens where you have worked. If you have no farming experience, please describe any experience you have related to gardening or raising animals.

11. Briefly describe any non-ag experience or formal training that you believe will apply to starting and running a farm business (ie; management, accounting, supervising employees, market managing, chef, carpentry, physical labor, etc).

12. What do you see as your biggest obstacle in starting your own farm operation?

13. What farming enterprise(s) are you considering? Check all that apply:

❏  Agritourism
❏  Cattle (meat)
❏  Dairy
❏  Education
❏  Flowers
❏  Fruits
❏  Forest products / ❏  Goats
❏  Grains
❏  Hogs
❏  Honey
❏  Medicinal herbs
❏  Mushrooms / ❏  Poultry (eggs)
❏  Poultry (meat)
❏  Sheep (meat)
❏  Sheep (fiber)
❏  Therapeutic farm
❏  Vegetables

Other (please list) ______

14. After completing the Farm Beginnings© program, when do you hope to be farming?

⃞ Already farming

⃞ Within 1 year

⃞ 2-3 years

⃞ 4-5 years

⃞ More than 5 years

15. In your own words what do you imagine will be different in your life after a year of Farm Beginnings®?

16. Please share any questions, concerns or comments you have about the Farm Beginnings® program.

17. Please list one personal and one professional reference. (Name, phone, and email only.)

Partner Applicant Contact Information:

Name(s): ______

Farm Name (if applicable): ______

Address:______

City:______State: ______Zip______

County: ______

Email Address: ______

Phone: (in order of preference)

(1st choice) ______Home/Work/Cell (circle one)

(2nd choice) ______Home/Work/Cell (circle one)

May we call you at work? ▢ Yes ▢ No

How did you hear about Farm Beginnings®?

▢ Email
▢ Facebook
▢ Website
▢ Print Ad
▢ Radio / ▢ Conference/event
▢ Word of mouth
▢ Poster
▢ Other: ______

Please list an emergency contact person & their phone number:

______

Do you have any allergies or other medical conditions that are important for us to know about?______

Partner’s Name: ______

(If you need more space than provided, please attach additional sheets.)

Check all that apply to you:

❏  Emerging Farmer

❏  In-training Farmer

❏  Start-up Farmer

❏  Seasoned Farmer

❏  Currently farming trying to expand my farm enterprise

❏  Community gardener/urban farmer

❏  Interested in working in agriculture but not as a farm owner.