Welcome to the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project! 

Starting a farm is difficult, and succeeding beyond the first few years may be even more so.   Beginning farmers and ranchers nation-wide face unique challenges to achieve their farm goals and aspirations.  The Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project is a new, collaborative effort that reaches across Virginia to improve educational opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers to establish and sustain viable agricultural operations.  Unique to this project is its community-based participatory framework where a coalition of organizations collaboratively supports beginning farmers and ranchers through whole farm planning outreach and education, online resources and tools, and farmer-to-farmer mentoring.  

Developing farmer mentor and social networking opportunities are also key project aims to help farmers gain vital skills, information, technical assistance, and business capacity for long-term agricultural viability.  See Virginia Tech News Release.

 

Growing Farmers Through Mentoring!

 Former Farm Mentor Coordinator, Kelli Scott, talks about the Mentor Network. Kelli is now employed by Virginia Cooperative Extension, working in Montgomery County with Agricultural and Natural Resource clients. 

Coalition Media Releases

Virginia Tech helps cultivate new farmers

Current Developments Newsletter - November/December

Newsletters

• Spring 2013
• December 2012
• Summer 2012
• Spring 2012 

Survey Report

Thank you for participating in our survey!  

   

  2012 report with embedded instrument

 

 

 

 

 

 Learn more

   

If you want to stay informed about our project activities using social media, follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our listserv.  

If you have comments or questions, please contact Kim Niewolny by email or at (540) 231-5784.

 

The Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project is sponsored through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) of the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Award # 2010-49400-21720.