Scholarships for Farmer Participants

Transitioning and newly certified farmers, who manage dairy and field crop enterprises, are invited to participate in the Tools for Transition Project. As a qualified participant, you will enroll in the MnSCU Farm Business Management (FBM) education program and receive a scholarship worth up to 90 percent of FBM tuition fees annually. FBM participants meet in small groups and one on-one with farm business management instructors to develop accurate business records, financial statements (eg. cash flows, balance sheets, risk analysis) and annual farm business analyses. These statements can be used to monitor financial performance during transition, map progress toward financial goals and, most importantly, make informed business decisions.

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In addition to FBM tuition scholarships, the Tools for Transition Project will offer an annual workshop for participating farmers and farm business management instructors in connection with the annual Minnesota Organic Conference that is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. We will use this workshop to share insights on the opportunities and challenges associated with organic production and to pilot educational materials designed to help other farmers during the transition process. Attendance will be optional, and we will reimburse you for travel expenses to this workshop and offer a reduced registration fee for the Minnesota Organic Conference should you wish to attend. It’s a great way to connect with other transitioning and newly certified farmers!

You will also have an opportunity to voluntarily participate in:

• Transition surveys
• Interviews about your transition experiences
• Business planning groups

To learn more about the FBM program and scholarship, contact Meg Moynihan, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 651-201-6616, meg.moynihan@state.mn.us.