Conferences
Strengthening Beginning Farmer Education Through Community College Partnerships
Ashlee Westerhold
Summary
Beginning farmers and ranchers face increasing barriers to entering agriculture, including access to land, capital, and essential business management skills. In response, our program developed and delivered a series of beginning farmer and rancher trainings in partnership with community colleges across Kansas. These trainings were designed to meet aspiring and early-career producers where they are—geographically, educationally, and professionally.
This presentation will highlight the structure, content, and outcomes of these collaborative trainings. Core topics included farm financial management, land access strategies, FSA programs, transition planning, and risk management. Community college partners played a critical role in outreach, facilities, and local context, enabling the program to reach a broad audience, including first-generation farmers, returning family members, and individuals transitioning into agriculture from other careers.
Evaluation results demonstrate participants’ clear intentions to make meaningful changes to their operations as a result of the trainings. Post-event evaluations indicate increased confidence in business decision-making and land access planning, as well as an interest in pursuing next steps through technical assistance. Notably, the program has documented audience members enrolling in the Kansas Land Link Program following these conferences, creating additional pathways for land access and transition opportunities.
Attendees will learn how cross-sector partnerships strengthened program delivery, increased participation, and supported long-term engagement with technical assistance services. This session will be valuable for extension professionals interested in scalable, community-based approaches to beginning farmer and rancher education. By sharing Kansas’s model, this presentation aims to support the development of effective training strategies that strengthen the next generation.
Details
| Conference | 2026 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
| Presentation Type | 30-Minute Concurrent |