Ten beginning farmers have been selected to participate in the National Farmers Union’s new Beginning Farmer Institute. Applicants who will participate in the inaugural institute are from Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Ohio, Montana, Connecticut; and Colorado.  According to NFU President Roger Johnson, – the Beginning Farmer Institute will provide these participants with a better working knowledge of the tools available to help them succeed.

Institute participants will learn about financial planning, farm management, and farmer-owned cooperatives. In addition, they will help determine the agenda based on what they have identified as important on their farm. Topics include marketing, understanding USDA programs, renewable energy, recording keeping or understanding the local food system.

Johnson says – we see farming as both a way of life and a business. Farming is a career and a profession that demands the most of people. Farmers are entrepreneurs, conservationists, mechanics, managers, and the muscle it takes to operate a farm around the clock, month after month. They literally grow our nation’s food, fuel, and fiber from the ground up. The program is sponsored in part by Farm Credit, United Soybean Board, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, and the NFU Foundation.