FARM FRESH — The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food’s winter Beginning Farmer Classes start Jan. 11, 2022. (U of A System Division of Ag photo by Matt Rainwaters)
By John Lovett
U of A System Division of Agriculture
The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food will present a new round of Beginning Farmer Classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 11 to March 1.
The 2022 Beginning Farmer Classes have been redesigned to highlight the practices of successful farmers and offer learning activities with information from local service providers and regional farmers.
“Even if you’ve taken the course before, you can expect new knowledge and insights,” said Heather Friedrich, program manager for the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food.
CAFF was created to help increase the number of farms and farmers in Arkansas. The goals of the center are centered on supporting a regional food system by connecting to established farms and training the next generation of farmers. CAFF is a center of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Each course costs $10 and will be presented via Zoom. Class times are 6-8:30 p.m. except the first session, “Farming as a Profession,” which will be 7-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 11.
To register, visit https://farmandfoodsystem.uada.edu/classes/.
Class dates and courses include:
Jan. 11, Farming as a Profession — Learn about farming as a profession from successful farmers.
Jan. 13, Soil Health — What is soil health? Why is it important? And how to get it.
Jan. 18, Sustainable Crop Production I —Crops and Nutrients: Crop needs, practices for soil fertility and soil testing.
Jan. 20, Sustainable Crop Production II — Planning and Rotation: Crop families, rotations and how to plan your production.
Jan. 25, Recordkeeping for Success — Effective recordkeeping for production and business.
Jan. 27, Farm Finances 101 — Learn about the primary financial sheets for a farm business, why farms need them, and the basics for using them.
Feb. 1, Sustainable Crop Production III — Insects, weeds, and disease. Learn prevention and management.
Feb. 3, Post-Harvest Handling — Learn post-harvest handling and food safety, packing and cooling.
Feb. 8, Exploring Markets — Explore options like farm stands, CSAs, farmers markets and wholesale.
Feb. 10, Social Media Marketing — Promote your farm business with these social media tips.
Feb. 15, Protect Your Farm — Learn more about your farm business structure and liability.
Feb. 18, Access to Credit — Discover how to access financing and credit options for your small farm.
Feb. 22, Fighting for Food Justice — How do we create food and agriculture systems that are diverse, equitable and inclusive?
March 1, Planning Your Farm Business — Plan your sustainable farm business. Learn tools and methods.
To learn more about the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, visit https://farmandfoodsystem.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter @caff_ar.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at @ArkAgResearch.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
