University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a seven-session online course for aspiring farmers starting March 29. The class meets twice per week through April 22, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Individual consultations will be scheduled April 26 and April 29.

"So You Want to Farm in Maine?" is designed for those wanting to start or expand to a profitable farm operation. Topics include starting a land-based business, business planning and record-keeping, marketing and available resources. Instructors include UMaine Extension educators and guest experts. Successful course completion qualifies participants for USDA Farm Service Agency Borrower Training credit.

The sliding-scale fee is $50–$150 per person; registration is limited to 40 participants. Register on the program webpage. The required text, Building a Sustainable Business by SARE, is available for free download. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Freeman, 207.353.5550; melissa.freeman@maine.edu.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension: 

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine's land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension helps support, sustain and grow the food-based economy. It is the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System, where policy, research, production, processing, commerce, nutrition, and food security and safety are integral and interrelated. UMaine Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H.

 
About the University of Maine:

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state's land grant, sea grant and space grant university. It is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. As Maine's flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is the state's only public research university and among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast. It attracts students from all 50 states and more than 75 countries. UMaine currently enrolls 11,741 undergraduate and graduate students who have opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research with world-class scholars. UMaine offers more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn master's, doctoral or professional science master's degrees, as well as graduate certificates. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide to conserve energy, recycle and adhere to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine, visit umaine.edu.