Farm Beginnings gives aspiring and early-stage farmers a year to work through the business side of agriculture, from finances and marketing to long-term planning and connections within the farm community. The Organic Growers School program combines online instruction with mentoring, farm visits, and regional networking to help participants shape a farm idea into a more workable business.
Organic Growers School is accepting applications for its 2026-27 Farm Beginnings program. The primarily online course focuses on holistic farm planning, business and financial literacy, marketing, and connections within the agricultural community. Participants also work individually with farmer mentors, where production questions become a larger part of the training.
Applications are due September 28.
What Is Farm Beginnings?
Nicole DelCogliano, director of programs and human resources for Organic Growers School, said participants need some exposure to farming. However, many have not yet launched a business or are operating one that is still very young.
The program does not assume that participants already know exactly what they will grow, raise or sell. Instead, Farm Beginnings helps them determine what kind of farm they want to build and whether that plan can work as a business.
Successful Farmers Share How the Business Works
DelCogliano said one strength of Farm Beginnings is that experienced farmers talk candidly about the business side of agriculture.”Farming is a complicated and exhilarating profession,” she said, adding that few programs bring successful farmers into the classroom to “actually DISH on how they make the financials and business side of farming work.”
Those conversations give participants a chance to hear about decisions that rarely appear in production manuals — how farmers price products, manage cash flow, choose markets, and build an operation intentionally rather than simply producing something and hoping to sell it.
DelCogliano said the relationships participants build also matter.”Taking Farm Beginnings lets you connect with other growers who also want to be successful and build an intentional business,” she said. “That entrance into the farm community is invaluable to long-term success farming.” She added, “This class is worth the time and investment!”
Farmers Build Their Own Farm Plan
Participants may arrive with only part of the business figured out. During the program, they work through how the farm could operate, where the income might come from, and what needs to happen before they put more money into the idea.
That approach is especially useful for people who may know they want to farm but have not yet settled on the scale, market, or mix of enterprises that will make up the business.
Mentors Bring Production Experience Into the Farm Beginnings Program
The core Farm Beginnings course is online, but participants also receive 15 hours of one-on-one time with a farmer mentor, according to Organic Growers School.
That is where much of the production-specific learning comes into play.
A vegetable grower may have very different questions from someone interested in livestock, flowers, or another enterprise. Working individually with an experienced farmer gives participants a place to explore those questions without requiring the entire class to follow the same production curriculum.
Farmer mentors can also share lessons that are difficult to learn from a spreadsheet or business-planning exercise. They have dealt with labor shortages, equipment decisions, difficult markets, production failures, and the other realities that emerge once a farm is operating.
Farm Tours and Regional Connections Add Another Layer
Participants also receive a one-year membership in the WNC CRAFT Farmer Network, which connects beginning and established farmers through farm tours and peer-to-peer learning, according to Organic Growers School.
Farm Beginnings includes field days with regional partners, as well as admission to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference and the Organic Growers School Spring Conference.
Those experiences give participants opportunities to see working farms, meet other growers and begin developing relationships within the regional agricultural community.
DelCogliano said making those connections is an important part of Farm Beginnings. Farming may take place on individual properties, but successful farmers rarely operate entirely on their own. Extension agents, other growers, buyers, lenders, farming organizations, and mentors can all become part of the network surrounding a farm business.
Tuition Is $3,500 Per Farm.
Tuition for Farm Beginnings is $3,500 per farm, covering up to two farm partners, according to Organic Growers School.
The organization offers payment plans that allow participants to divide the cost into installments. Limited scholarships are also available.
Organic Growers School says it awards scholarships based in part on financial need, farm business plans, and involvement in the local agricultural community. Anyone requesting a scholarship must submit the request with the Farm Beginnings application.
If two farm partners live together and share household finances, both must provide financial information when requesting scholarship assistance.
Training Can Count Toward FSA Loan Experience
Farm Beginnings may provide another benefit to participants who eventually want to purchase farmland.
Organic Growers School says the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency recognizes Farm Beginnings as an approved education program.
Graduates may use completion of the program to satisfy one year of the farm-management experience required for certain FSA farm ownership loans, according to Organic Growers School.
That does not guarantee loan approval. Applicants still must meet the other requirements of the applicable FSA lending program.
However, the experience credit could be particularly useful for someone moving from farm employment, leased ground, or an early-stage operation toward eventual farm ownership.
Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson Serve Different Farmers
Organic Growers School offers several programs for farmers at different stages.
Farm Beginnings is geared toward people preparing to launch a farm business or working through its earliest years.
DelCogliano said Journeyperson, another Organic Growers School program, is intended for more advanced beginning farmers, generally those with about three to seven years of experience.
Organic Growers School also offers Farm Dreams for people who are still exploring whether farming is the right direction for them.
Together, the programs provide different entry points depending on how far someone has progressed toward making farming a business.
Free Information Session Set for September 16
Farmers who want to hear more before applying can attend a free online information session.
Farmers who are still weighing the program can hear more directly from Organic Growers School during a free Zoom session from 7 to 8 p.m. on September 16. The session will give them a chance to ask questions before the September 28 application deadline.
The application deadline follows on September 28.
Why the Regional Connections Matter
For Appalachian Highlands farmers, Farm Beginnings’ regional focus may be particularly useful.
Participants are not building a farm business in isolation. They can meet farmers and farming organizations working across Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia and hear firsthand what has worked — and what has not — in the region.
For Appalachian Highlands farmers, part of the value of Farm Beginnings may come from the people they meet along the way.
WNC CRAFT farm tours, conferences, and other program activities put participants in contact with growers who are already operating businesses in Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia. Someone considering direct sales, wholesale markets, or a particular farm enterprise can hear how those choices have worked for nearby farmers.
DelCogliano said those relationships can keep mattering after the program ends. “That entrance into the farm community is invaluable to long-term success farming,” she said.
Applications Due September 28
Applications for the 2026-27 Farm Beginnings program are due September 28, according to Organic Growers School.
Prospective participants can find the application, tuition information, scholarship details, and program requirements on the Organic Growers School Farm Beginnings website.
AHF Education at a Glance
Farm Beginnings is a yearlong training program for people preparing to start a farm business or working through its earliest stages.
The primarily online program focuses on farm-business planning, financial literacy, marketing, holistic planning, and connections within the agricultural community. Participants also receive 15 hours of one-on-one work with a farmer mentor, where production-specific questions can receive more individual attention.
Tuition is $3,500 per farm for up to two farm partners. Payment plans and limited scholarships are available.
A free online information session will be held on September 16 from 7 to 8 p.m. Applications are due September 28.
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