by Marie Ann Tipton Farmers are skilled at growing food, but knowing how to choose the right market for a product can be a real challenge. Luckily, there are a lot different types of markets farmers can access locally. At the February Field School, we had a series...
The January Field School session was all about how to farm financially and getting started on the right foot. Starting to farm can be difficult. The future can seem gloomy when taking a look at start-up costs, loan and financial assistance applications, and figuring...
Committed to outdoor youth empowerment for 20 years Conservation Camp, 4th graders, 1995
Thanks to Leah Matson at AccelNow who profiled new farm entrepreneurs, including Katie, at their online blog. Katie Bashor is the Farm Operation Manager at River Creek Farm, a five-acre farm in Limestone, TN owned by Jamie Dove and Elise Clair. In addition to being a...
A letter from the Executive Director (above picture from Mountain Masala Curry Fundraiser): What does it mean to be LOCAL? It may be a buzz word, but “Local” still means a great deal; it means everything to those who depend on their land for their living. For our...
The Field School annual calendar of workshops for beginning farmers has just been released and application forms are available at www.arcd.org/index2.php/field-school. The Field School is a 10-session series (November 2016 through August 2017) that provides you with...
Field School session #8: Food Processing and Safety By Shae Keane On June 16th, the Field School’s beginning farmers gathered yet again for a workshop that some commented was the most valuable of all workshops thus far: Farm-to-Consumer Food Safety. Thanks to two...
Field School Session #6: Marketing & Branding Your Farm Camille Cody, Jonesborough, writes this post about April's session of the Field School. Camille is Farm Manager at Serenity Knoll Farm. She is responsible for a 5-acre hilltop diverse vegetable operation...
After 9 months of classes and farm visits, the pilot year of the Field School is entering it’s final month. 25 students, ranging in age from 27 to 73 have gone on this journey with the Appalachian RC&D Council, exploring topics like financial and business...
Shae Keane of Johnson City, TN, has volunteered to blog while going through the Field School program. Here is her post "Out of the Classroom and Onto the Farm" about the 5th session held Saturday March 19th at Rural Resources, Greeneville. Crop Production...