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    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project
    Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project

Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project

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.  

Using a self- assessment approach, educational topics center on whole farm planning in such focus areas as business planning and financial management, land acquisition and tenure, l marketing, sustainable farming practices, and farm safety and health.   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.

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.

Survey-Round Two

Thank you for participating in the 2nd round of our survey.  An updated survey report will be available soon!


Current Project Activity

 

  • 2012 Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Survey
  • 2011 Survey Report (Final Report), and Focus Groups
  • Coalition Growth:  25 Participating Organizations
  • Website and Social Media Launch
  • Virginia Whole Farm Planning Curriculum (5 Modules)
  • Statewide Whole Farm Planning Programs for 2012-2013
  • Farm Mentoring, lead by Kelli Scott and C. J. Isbell

 


Farmlink YouTube Video

Opportunities

 

Coalition Member Events

        >>more events

  

Farmer Spotlights

    Megan Seibel

Megan Seibel

Mountain View Farm and Vineyard is nestled along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the rolling hills of scenic Southwest Virginia.>>more

Service Provider Spotlight

    Amber Vallotton

Amber Vallotton

Amber is the Horticultural Extension agent for Rockingham County... >>more

Beginning Farmer Listserv

To join our Listserv click here.


    Find us on Facebook

Contact Info

 


    United States Department of Agriculture
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.