The Small Farm Start Up School is back for Fall 2025 and is now taking registrations for a new cohort starting October 7. This 8-week course will provide the coaching and resources beginners need to know to start farming. If you have ever dreamed of starting your own farm, this is your chance to learn what it will take.
Registration cost covers one family unit. Classes are mostly virtual on Tuesdays from 6pm-8pm until November 25th. There will be two in person components, Farm tours on the first day and a Farmer discussion panel on the last day.
This course will guide you through creating a farm business plan, which is required to fulfill the educational component and be eligible for FSA loans and startup capital.
Sign up to save your spot now at https://FarmSchool.eventbrite.com
PRICE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
- Registration for up to two people per farm
- Two textbooks for farm financial planning and marketing
- Web access to all resources and course material
- Business plan guidance
- Farm tours/Farmer panels
- Networking with peers and experts Lots of great handouts and links
- Evidence-based, unbiased information
TOPICS COVERED (Subject to change)
- Taking Stock: What Do I Have and What Do I Want to Do?
- Financial Planning and Business Plans
- Soil, Water, Air, Climate
Past graduates of Small Farm Startup School harvesting from their incubator plot - Buildings, Equipment, Infrastructure Needs
- Aquaculture and Aquaponics
- Fruits, Vegetables, and Alternative Crops
- Animal Care, Management and Marketing
- Legal, Regulatory, Sales and Marketing, E-commerce
Incubator Farm
Completion of the Small Farm Startup School makes you eligible for our Beginning Farmer Incubator Program, a low-risk, low-cost, hand-on way to gain more experience farming before you go off on your own. You will be able to receive a small plot of land in Manatee or Sarasota County along with tools and supplies to grow your first season of crops.
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