1. Home
2. Conferences
3. 2011 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference

Exploring the Small Farm Dream: Is Starting an Agricultural Business Right for You?

John Berry

Summary

This session will describe the Pennsylvania experiences over 24 months when initiating a formal state-wide curriculum targeted at meeting the unique risk management needs of new farmers. “Exploring the Small Farm Dream: Is Starting an Agricultural Business Right for You?” is a course in decision-making and farm planning that has been field-tested by a variety of farmers, organizations and agencies in the Northeast and beyond. This course is typically delivered through a series of four, 3 hour workshops. This session will include: discussion of new farmers, their needs and their interests; overview of “Explorer” and how it can fit into existing programs and services. Consider joining this conference offering if you: currently work with new farmers; are developing programs to serve this constituency in the future; already offer a course such as Tilling the Soil and find it does not meet the needs of your new farmer clients; want to use a field-tested curriculum and not “reinvent the wheel”; and or want to join a network of educators that work with beginning farmers to share information and best practices.

Details

---