ATTENTION WOMEN FARMERS...GREAT OPPORTUNITY There are still some openings for this class which trains beginning women farmers (or women entering a new management role on a farm) in an effective farm management approach. Starting next Tuesday in Lancaster! Distance learning option for those who cannot attend in person. Small and Beginner Farmers of New Hampshire (SBFNH) recently announced that applications are still being accepted for the sixth year of Holistic Management International’s Beginning Farmers & Ranchers Program: Women in the Northeast funded by a grant from the USDA/NIFA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program. It is a collaboration between SBFNH and UNH Extension. Across the Northeast and Texas, over 500 women have graduated from the training, which has recently been approved as a Farm Service Agency Borrower Training. This innovative program instructs participants on using a holistic approach to decision-making on their farms. Participants from all across New Hampshire will meet for ten sessions on topics such as goal setting, financial, business, and marketing plans, land and infrastructure planning, soil fertility, and planned grazing. The final three sessions are located on farms to allow for hands-on learning. According to participant Christine Doherty Pressman of Jaffrey, NH, The Holistic Management class taught me the skills needed to organize not just my farm plans, but also my family finances and improve my time management skills. All in all, the Holistic Management course was one of the valuable farming courses I have ever taken. Participants are provided with a mentor and are connected with a network of other beginning women farmers throughout the Northeast for additional support. Participants from previous classes continue to meet after graduation to stay connected, enjoy the camaraderie created by the training and expand their learning. The course costs $150-500 on a sliding scale, but scholarship money is available to ensure no one is turned away for monetary reasons. Applications for the sixth year of this program are being accepted until the class is full and are available by contacting Kate Kerman, New Hampshire State Coordinator at [email protected] . The sessions will begin on January 20th. The location for these trainings is at the UNH extension office in Lancaster. For those who cannot attend in person, there is a distance learning option. To read an article in ACRES USA about the results women have experienced from this training go to: bit.ly/1qxtBhl
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 00:53:05 +0000