Farm Beginnings Field Day on Milan
Farm Postponed Until March 3

CONTACT: Amy Bacigalupo, 320-269-2105
PHOTO AVAILABLE: For a digital photo of the Langes, contact Brian DeVore at 612-729-6294 or bdevore@landstewardshipproject.org
AUDIO AVAILABLE: To download a 14-second MP3 audio file of Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin click here. To download a 50-second MP3 file, click here. For a Spanish version of the MP3 audio file, click here.

2/23/07
MILAN, Minn.—A farm tour and workshop on farm management scheduled for Feb. 24 has been postponed until Saturday, March 3. The tour will be held at Dry Weather Creek Farm near Milan from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the first of a series of on-farm events sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project's Farm Beginnings program targeted at non-English speaking families interested in farming. The presentations at this first farm tour will be given in Spanish.The tour/workshop is free of charge and lunch will be provided. Space is limited, and transportation may be available upon request. For more information and to sign up for the farm tour, call Amy Bacigalupo at 320-269-2105 or e-mail:amyb@landstewardshipproject.org.

This first on-farm educational event will feature Mark and Wendy Lange, owners and operators of Dry Weather Creek Farm. The farming workshop will be led by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, who has extensive farming and business management experience. Reginaldo is an immigrant himself, originally from Guatemala.  The tour will provide the basics of how to raise meat and dairy goats and the workshop will focus on the realities of planning a farm business. Four years ago Mark and Wendy Lange started farming together on Mark’s family farm.  They see opportunity in raising goats and are working with neighbors, including Latino families, to mentor others in farming.

The Langes are excited about hosting this tour and having the opportunity to pass on their knowledge and experiences. “If you do your research and homework, there’s no reason you can’t make it,” said Wendy. Wendy and Mark are graduates of Farm Beginnings® and recipients of a no-interest livestock loan made available through the program. For more information about the Langes’ farm, visit www.landstewardshipproject.org/fb/profiles/lange.htm.

During the workshop, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin will share his business planning expertise and passion for farming with participants. During his career, he has been instrumental in launching many businesses, including Peace Coffee (www.peacecoffee.com).  Regi lives in Northfield, Minn., with his family and grows edible beans and vegetables on rented farmland.

-30-