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Course Information

Classes
On-farm Education

Classes

2010-2011
We are pleased to announce the class dates for the Land Stewardship Project’s 2010-2011 Farm Beginnings course. By participating in Farm Beginnings, you will have the opportunity to develop goals that reflect your values, while also connecting with and learning from some of the area’s most innovative and successful farmers, local entrepreneurs and other beginning farmers. The classes run from the end of October 2010 through March 2011, followed by the on-farm education component, including farm tours and skills sessions. Classes are being held in two locations. Please indicate which class location you will be attending.

Winona, MN
Location to be determined
Saturday, November 6, 2010 — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, November 20, 2010 — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday, December 2, 2010 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 16, 2010 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, January 13, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 27, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 10, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 3, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12, 2011 — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 17, 2011 (SNOW DATE)

St. Joseph, MN
Location to be determined
Saturday, October 30, 2010 — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, November 13, 2010 — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 — 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 —10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 (SNOW DATE)

The course includes:

  • 39 hours of seminar time, much of it with established farmers.
  • Plus 12 on-farm education events, including farm tours and skills sessions on working farms. Times and dates TBA.
  • Course books, binders and other materials.
  • Connection to a network of established sustainable farmers interested in helping you succeed.
  • A membership to Land Stewardship Project for one year.
  • Application for a Livestock Loan for those successfully completing Farm Beginnings.

Course Fee: $1,500 (Flexible payment plan and partial scholarships available.)

Application Deadline: Wednesday, September 1, 2010

To download a course application, click here.
Download the scholarship application and worksheet by clicking here.

For more information or to have application materials mailed to you, contact:

Karen Benson
Land Stewardship Project
P.O. Box 130
Lewiston, MN 55952
Phone: 507-523-3366         
E-mail: lspse@landstewardshipproject.org

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On-farm Education

Participants spend the spring and summer attending on-farm education sessions. They have the opportunity to tour a wide variety of farms that encompass many different systems of farming. View a sample farm tour schedule.

Farm Tours

Tours are arranged to visit a variety of farms during the course… April- August. The purpose is to see many different operations, look at the systems each farm family has implemented, ask questions about production methods, farming techniques and be exposed to creative problem solving. The tours will consist of a tour of the farm, an overview from the farmers and a time for discussion and questions.

Skills Sessions

The Skills Sessions were piloted in 2005-2006 and often accompanied a farm tour with a focus on specific hands-on learning. Some examples from the 2005-2006 year were preparing winter CSA shares, weeding techniques on an organic vegetable farms, fence building, calf care, prepping for and attending farmers markets.

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