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| Jen |
Posted - Feb 29 2008 : 2:52:17 PM
NEWS FROM THE SMALL FARMS PROGRAM AT CORNELL
TOPIC: New & Beginning Farmers Can Reap Rewards from Online Course
DATE: For immediate release, February 27, 2008
CONTACT: Erica Frenay, 607-539-3246 or ejf5@cornell.edu
WORD FILE: www.smallfarms.cornell.edu
Aspiring, new and diversifying farmers now have the opportunity to receive
farm enterprise start-up training online. The NY Beginning Farmer Project,
a collaborative effort of the Cornell Small Farms Program and Cooperative
Extension educators, has developed a 9-week online course. The course is
designed to benefit participants from a diversity of backgrounds, from
those just exploring a new idea to those seeking to diversify or expand
existing farm operations.
Cornell Cooperative Extension offices have long offered high-quality
courses for beginning farmers, designed to help participants build a
foundation for their business plan. But many aspiring farmers live in
urban areas or counties where demand isn’t high enough for such courses to
be offered. Educators have 0. that new farmers tend to be relatively
internet-savvy, yet while they can easily google their way to mountains of
farming information, few online sources exist to guide decision-making and
new farm planning. The NY Beginning Farmer Project seized this opening to
create a new learning opportunity for aspiring, new and diversifying
farmers.
Course content is drawn from a stand-alone, publicly accessible website at
http://beginningfarmers.cce.cornell.edu, while the course (and all its
activities, forums, and homework assignments) is housed in a virtual
“classroom” that can only be entered by registered participants. The
lesson plan is similar to other new farmer trainings and curricula,
starting with an assessment of goals and resources, moving through
marketing, enterprise selection, and environmental stewardship practices,
and ending with taking a hard look at profit potential and business
planning. Along the way, participants interact with each other through
discussion forums, post questions for the instructors, collect resources
relevant to each lesson, and complete activities like helping a fictional
new farmer make decisions about his business.
Jefferson County CCE Educator Molly Ames, along with Franklin County
Educator Jessica Prosper, will be teaching the next run of the online
course starting the third week of March 2008. The beauty of online courses
is that you can do them from the comfort of your own home, at whatever
time of day suits your schedule. So sit down at the computer, grab a cup
of coffee, and get ready to start making your farm dreams a reality.
Course Outline& Specifics:
• Nine weeks starting the week of Wednesday March 19, 2008 with
introductions and orientation to the on-line course structure, then 7
units covering the basics of building a business plan. Final week ends May
21st with a quiz and review.
• What’s covered: Goals, Skills & Resources, Marketing, Evaluating Land,
Equipment, and Facilities, Choosing an Enterprise, Land Stewardship,
Profitability, Regulations, Taxes and Legal Issues.
• Discussion and Feedback through online forums, email and phone support.
• Opportunities to interact with agricultural entrepreneurs from around
the state, to get feedback and offer input on other ideas and issues
encountered in the exciting markets of today’s changing food and
agriculture systems.
Course size is limited so call soon to reserve a spot. Cost is $200 with
$50 due at registration. You will receive a Letter of Successful Course
Completion that can be included in your business plan documenting your
course work.
To register, call Kristen at 315-788-8450 and ask to be registered for the
On-Line New Farmer Training.
The NY Beginning Farmer Project was funded by the NY Farm Viability
Institute and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
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Cornell Small Farms Program
135C Plant Science Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-9227
FAX 607-255-0599
Small Farms Program
www.smallfarms.cornell.edu
135C Plant Science Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-9227
Anu Rangarajan, Director, ar47@cornell.edu
Joanna Green, Extension Associate, jg16@cornell.edu
Erica Frenay, Beginning Farmers Project, ejf5@cornell.edu
Fay Benson, Small/Organic Dairy Specialist,afb3@cornell.edu
Jen
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #9
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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