Farm School

What is the CAFF Farm School?

The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food (CAFF) Farm School is a 9-month program that combines hands-on specialty crop farming with classes in production, business, and legal issues. This comprehensive approach is specifically designed for beginning farmers of fruit, vegetables, flowers, and herbs interested in selling to local and regional markets. Students gain an in-depth understanding of sustainable farming production systems and the business applications needed to succeed. The Farm School prepares farmers to become specialty crop entrepreneurs, contributing to local and regional foodsheds in Arkansas.

What will you learn?

Students will participate in production, business, and legal classroom instruction and receive hands-on field activities. Sustainable production and business practices will be explored, in-depth, while conventional practices will be discussed.

Students will learn about:

• Foundations of sustainable agriculture concepts and applications
• Skills for commercial vegetable and fruit crop production
• The business and legal needs, including farm financing
• Market identification and marketing essentials
• How to utilize area programs, resources, and networking opportunities

Who is the Farm School for?

Applicants to the CAFF Farm School program should be passionate about growing food and making a difference in their communities, but no formal farming experience is needed to apply.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and currently reside in the United States.

Farming is a physically demanding job and as such Farm School students will be expected to:

• bend, kneel, squat, sit, and stand for repeated or extended time periods of time

• walk over farm obstacles and maneuver through uneven terrain

• move from a squat to a standing position unaided

• repeatedly lift and carry 20-50 lb

Environmental risk includes exposure to:

• ticks, chiggars and other insects;

• dust and pollen;

• pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides;

• high temperature, humidity and winds;

• high UV exposure.

Farm School students will participate in classroom instruction and attend hands-on field training throughout the year. Farming requires hard work and dedication, but the results are more than rewarding.

Program Details

LOCATION:

This program is located at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 1005 Meade, Fayetteville AR, 72704.

START DATE, COURSE LENGTH & HOURS:

CAFF Farm School is from mid-February through mid-November and meets Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 16 hours per week.

CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION:

The curriculum for the Farm School was developed to provide foundational knowledge and experience in issues that are key to farmer success. The curriculum includes classroom instruction in farm production, business, and legal knowledge, with additional hands-on farming experiential learning. Classroom and field instruction is led by experienced educators. Many guest instructors will provide additional information and expertise on topical information. These include experienced farmers, U of A System scientists, and local resource providers.

Farm production training includes crop production on a half-acre intensive market garden scale and a five-acre tractor scale model, greenhouses, high tunnels, and perennial fruit. All production practices are firmly rooted in sustainable and regenerative systems. The class curriculum integrates farm business and legal knowledge. Curriculum topics include soil health and sustainable management, harvest methods, food safety, biodiversity, record-keeping, financial management, managing legal risk, accessing local resources, and business and market planning. Students spend time outside of the class developing their own crop plans and business plan to use on their future farms.

CLASS STRUCTURE:

The program uses a cohort model with students learning and farming in small groups. Each cohort of up to 15 students goes through the program together. This class size allows for in-depth instruction, small group interaction, and strong classroom bonds.

Cost:

The cost is $3000/person.

Be sure to look at the Scholarships page of this site to see if you qualify for assistance.