COCKEYSVILLE, Md. — The Beginner Farmer Training Program offers a year-long immersive training experience that combines a comprehensive classroom curriculum with hands-on learning at Chesapeake region farms that employ practices that are profitable, protect land and water and build healthy communities.
We offer three training levels, designed to meet the specific needs of beginning farmers at different stages in their careers. This is a region-wide program, open to beginning farmers in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware — including the Delmarva Peninsula — and Washington, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. We offer farmer-to-farmer training opportunities throughout the Chesapeake region and classroom requirements may be completed in-person or online.
We offer training in diverse operation types, including vegetables, fruit, cut flowers, herbs and livestock at urban, peri-urban and rural farm settings. The program is also designed with built-in scheduling flexibility to allow new farmers to further their training while maintaining their own farms or other work.
All three levels of the program are FREE and trainees receive a host of additional benefits:
- Free admission to our popular winter conference
- Free admission to our year-round field days at innovative farms
- Access to a supportive network of new and experienced farmers
- FHCASA membership
The final submission deadline is Oct. 15.
Detailed program information and instructions on how to apply are on our website. Questions? Please contact Sarah Sohn, BFTP Director, at sarah@futureharvestcasa.org.
— Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture