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Training Farm Program

• What You Can Expect From New Entry on the Training Farm
• What New Entry Will Expect From You on the Training Farm
• Training Farm Fees
• Extra Fees

After completing the Farm Business Planning Course and developing a farm business plan and crop plan, you can start farming! You are responsible for farmland rental, and for purchasing seeds, fertilizers, and other materials, and are required to attend the Spring/Summer Field Series. New Entry will give you additional technical assistance as needed, through one-on-one technical assistance sessions.

You will be eligible to rent land (up to 1 acre) on one of our training farms in Dracut or Sutton. In 2009, one acre cost $625 for the entire season. Training farm sites are equipped with production hoophouses (unheated greenhouses), storage sheds, access to irrigation, small equipment (trimmers, rototillers), produce wash stations, electric fencing, and general farm tools and supplies. New Entry owns tractors and also provides custom tractor services to farmers for a fee. After three years on a training site, you will be assisted to transition to your own independent farm site.

If you choose to farm elsewhere, we will help you to locate and evaluate other farmland. What you grow on the land is yours. You may choose to sell some of it through the World PEAS Cooperative, sell at farmers markets or to other people, or bring it home to eat!

For more information on how to start farming, contact McKenzie Boekholder at 978-654-6745, mboekholder@comteam.org.

See our Farmer Manual to read about agreements established between farmers and New Entry prior to beginning of the training farm program.