Farm Beginnings Class is Open for Registration External Inbox Updates

The Kansas Rural Center is pleased to announce the 2026 Farm Beginnings class is open for registration, with classes beginning on January 15, 2026.

Farm Beginnings is Kansas Rural Center’s farmer-led training program created to help guide beginning farmers and ranchers on their journeys to establishing sustainable and economically sound farm and ranch businesses.  The course guides students through step-by-step business plan development, concluding with peer presentations for feedback and encouragement.

The 8-session Farm Beginnings class runs from January 15 – March 7 and is focused on whole-farm business planning and clarifying students’ values and goals. Classes are hybrid, offered both in person and online, and generally held on Thursday evenings from 6–8 p.m., with some out-of-class reading and planning requested. There will be one in-person meeting in a central location for participants for the final class session. KRC focuses the Farm Beginnings course on being farmer-led and community-based, prioritizing racial equity, and emphasizing sustainable agriculture. Students do not need to currently own or lease land, but some farming or production experience is helpful to get the most out of the class.

“Many beginning farmers and ranchers are excellent at producing great agricultural products but often struggle with some of the other business aspects of their farm operations,” reflected Ryan Goertzen-Regier, Program and Administrative Manager at the Kansas Rural Center.  “You have to be proficient at many things to be successful as a farmer, and our program is designed with a well-rounded curriculum to fill in those gaps, providing the support and education they need to launch a business that is profitable and economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable.”

A PDF of the full course schedule can be viewed and downloaded at https://www.kansasruralcenter.org/farmbeginnings.  Coursework is largely based on the book Whole Farm Management: From Start-Up to Sustainability, created by the Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems at Oregon State University and edited by Garry Stephenson.  The book, other materials, and any in-person meals are provided as part of the course fees.

Registration for the upcoming class is $300, and new in 2026 Farm Beginnings participants are eligible to have the entire course fee refunded to them upon completion of the course.  Refunds will be processed if students attend at least 6 of 8 classes, complete 100% of course session evaluations, and present their farm business plan at the end of the class.  For questions about course fees or financial hardship considerations please contact Ryan Goertzen-Regier at [email protected]