With
the weather becoming warmer and planting underway, what better time for a
Certified Farm Seekers update? Since its last blog post back in August, the
Certified Farm Seekers program has gained a considerable amount of momentum in
its goal of matching farm seekers with farm owners. Over 50 interested farm
seekers have submitted applications and are in various stages of completing the
requirements of a resume, business plan, and on-farm experience. These efforts
to produce quality farm seekers have directly resulted in many promising land
transition conversations between farm owners and CFS participants.
A
productive trip was taken in March to Virginia Tech to meet with the future of
agriculture-the Agricultural Technology students. Three separate classes learned more about the
CFS program and started work on the Introduction to Whole Farm Planning module,
which is a short series of worksheets that allows farm seekers to organize
their farming goals and plans. Many students really reflected the intent of the
program-to provide a way for dedicated farmers, who do not have easy access to
land, to find farming opportunities in Virginia.
Although
the program is primarily self-guided, workshops are currently being conducted
across the state, in order to give participants a chance
to complete the requirements with a staff member present. The Bedford County
Young Farmers Committee recently hosted such a workshop at their May monthly
meeting.
Bedford
County Young Farmers Chairperson, W.P. Johnson, noted, “The group really
enjoyed the presentation and was amazed at the opportunities available. Business
planning with expert review allows us to ensure our ability to approach land
owners professionally and financial institutions with confidence. This is an
equation for success for young and beginning farmers. I feel that the Certified
Farm Seekers Program is an invaluable tool that is underutilized by young
agriculturalists.”
If you
are interested in holding a CFS workshop or learning more about the program,
contact:
Stefanie Kitchen
(804) 290-1030
Ron Saacke
(804) 514-4202
Kevin Schmidt
(804) 786-1346
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