Women-owned and operated farms are on the rise, with New Hampshire one of the states leading the way. The Small and Beginner Farmers of New Hampshire (SBFNH) is holding a “Whole Farm Planning Course for Beginning Women Farmers” to encourage this much-needed growth. From Kate Kerman, SBFNH:
I am accepting applications for the Beginning Women FarmersWhole Farm Planning course. This is our third and final year of a grant that provides a ten-week course for 15 NH women farmers who have been farming for 10 years or less. NOTE: This will most likely be the last year that this course is offered completely free. It is valued at $1,500. This year our meetings will take place in eastern New Hampshire, location not yet determined but somewhere east of Concord and Manchester and not as far as Portsmouth.
The course seems to work best for women who have started farming, have access to the land they are working with, and have gotten through atleast one season, so are to the point where they understand the need for planning. It is not a course on production specifics, rather it is about creating a goal, learning ways to make effective decisions, financial planning, and approaches to planned grazing and soil improvement.
Applications are due November 15. The class sessions are spread between January 14th and early June and include on-farm visits.
For more information, contact: Kate Kerman, (603) 876-4562 or [email protected].