SANFORD, N.C. – N.C. Cooperative Extension- Lee County Center is proud to partner with counties in the surrounding region to offer a weekend option for Small Farm Bootcamp! The program is designed to teach technical and business skills to new and beginning farmers, as well as those who are ag-curious or have land and want to know what they could produce. This is also an excellent opportunity for members of the local farming community to network with each other, and learn more about the resources that are available to them.
The program is offered over the course of eight Saturdays, from January 21 to March 11, starting at 10 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. The core, required classes are: the Local Food System, Soil Health, Food Safety and Handling, and “Bringing It All Together” for farm business planning. Optional add-on classes include: Vegetable Production, Small Fruit Production, Tree Nut Production, and Season Extension. Each class includes a lecture, notes, a catered lunch and an optional field trip to a regional producer related to the week’s topic. The final class will be held at and includes a tour of the Sandhills AGInnovation Center in Ellerbe, N.C. The cost is $40 for the core classes, and $15 for each add-on class. All other classes will be held at the McSwain Center, 2420 Tramway Road, Sanford, NC 27332.
To learn more and to register, visit: https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/new-and-beginning-farms-in-lee/.
–Amanda Wilkins, NC Cooperative Extension – Lee County Center