Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant

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Keeping a Farm a Farm Farmer Training Programs

• Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant
• Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture Extension
• Specialist, University of Illinois Extension
• Co-Facilitator, Central Illinois Farm Beginnings
  Co-Facilitator

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Cultivating New Farmers
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Tools that Farmers Need to be Successful

• Goal Setting and Whole Farm Planning
• Business Planning
• Mentoring
• Workshops
• On-Farm visits
• Networking
• Community Support

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A Tri-State Expansion Educator Training using
the Farm Beginnings Model (ENC04-083)

• NCR SARE Professional Development Grant
• Develop a pilot train-the-trainer program to
  expand the Farm Beginnings course model beyond
  Minnesota
• Coordinator
• Catherine Twohig, Land Stewardship Project
• Grant Award
• 74,856

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NCR SARE PDP - A Tri-State Expansion Educator
Training using the Farm Beginnings Model

• Short-term Outcomes
• Community awareness and support of beginning
  farmers
• Knowing where a pilot site sits on the readiness
  scale
• A grasp of how to transfer the Farm Beginnings
  Model
• Better-informed beginning farmers due to the
  course
• A tangible faith by educators across the board in
  a future for sustainable farming.

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NCR SARE PDP - A Tri-State Expansion Educator
Training using the Farm Beginnings Model

• Intermediate Outcomes
• 60 trained community educators versed in
  beginning farmer needs
• Networks build upon beginning farmer needs
• Three successfully-launched farmer training
  programs with on-farm mentoring pairs

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NCR SARE PDP - A Tri-State Expansion Educator
Training using the Farm Beginnings Model

• Intermediate Outcomes
• At least 30 farm families pursuing financially
  viable farm enterprises among the three pilot
  states
• Educators engaged both with beginning farmer
  students and with their peers in replicating the
  program in other regions of their states
• Training tools to make it possible.

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NCR SARE PDP - A Tri-State Expansion Educator
Training using the Farm Beginnings Model

• Outcomes/Outputs (2007 Report)
• Four Farm Beginnings courses launched in 2005/06
  in three different states (IL, MO, NE)
• 54 families and approximately 80 individuals
  participated in these four courses
• Third year programming continues for two IL sites
• Interest and steering committee involvement
  generated by Nebraska from educators in South
  Dakota and Iowa (Program started in South Dakota
  in 2007-2008)

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NCR SARE PDP - A Tri-State Expansion Educator
Training using the Farm Beginnings Model

• Outcomes/Outputs (2007 Report)
• All sites reported increased collaboration and
  development of broad-based community
  involvement including local farmers, business
  people, state and agency staff, non-profit staff
  and university extension
• Educators involved in this program and who
  participated in the training and tri-state grant
  reported that the involvement in this grant and
  program increased their professional development

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NCR SARE PDP - A Tri-State Expansion Educator
Training using the Farm Beginnings Model

• Outcomes/Outputs (2007 Report)
• Speaker and presentation requests increased
  beyond MN Farm Beginnings to additional sites and
  successful programs

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NCR SARE PDP - A Tri-State Expansion Educator
Training using the Farm Beginnings Model

• Outcomes/Outputs (2007 Report)
• Ripple effects created through additional media
  coverage, name recognition, and graduates of
  multiple programs.
• Farm Beginnings training protocols, including
  Community Assessment workbook and Facilitator
  handbook developed, revised, and completed
• Farm Beginnings programs networked to share best
  practices

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What Is Farm Beginnings?

• A community-based initiative developed by the
  Land Stewardship Project that takes a
  farmer-to-farmer approach toward preparing a new
  generation of farmers.
• Provides education, support and equity-building
  opportunities for beginning and transitioning
  farmers.

http//www.landstewardshipproject.org
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Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Two locations Two Approaches
• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings
• Stateline Farm Beginnings
• www.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org

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Farm Beginnings- Preparing a New Generation of
Farmers

• Provides essential information and firsthand
  knowledge
• Helps participants develop a solid business plan
• Connection to a support network and other like
  minded farmers

Henry Brockman, Kris and Marty Travis and Brad
Genung discussing marketing strategies with this
years Central Illinois Farm Beginnings class.
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It is all brought to life in the final chapter of
the course.On-Farm Education

• One-on-Mentoring

AND
Farm Tours and Skill Sessions
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Characteristics of Successful Farmers

• Passionate
• Written Goal/ Business Plan
• Continuous Education/Training/Experience
• Create Networks/ Support Systems
• Creative
• Open-minded
• Calculated Risk Taker

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Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant University of Illinois
Extension Extension Specialist, Small Farm and
Sustainable Agriculture SARE Coordinator P.O. Box
410 Greenview, IL 62642 217-968-5512 cvnghgrn_at_uiuc
.edu www.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm