Beginning Farmer

Sessions are organized by date below. To learn more about a specific session, click on the session title.

Session details for 2026 will be added soon

Recordings from previous year's presentations are organized below. To watch the video of a specific session, click on the video image.

Upcoming Sessions

Below you will find the videos from previous year sessions related to farm business management and beginning farmers.

Session Recordings

  • Planning for Climate Change on your Farm

    Published on February 28, 2025

    Think through climate-related risks on your farm and learn how to make a plan to prepare for heavy rains, wind, drought, heat or floods. CCA credits offered.

  • Selling Farm Fresh Meat in Michigan

    Published on February 27, 2025

    This session will provide an introduction to selling fresh meat in Michigan help farmers understand the major decision points and regulatory concerns involved in deciding to get hogs, sheep, goats and cattle processed and sold as meat in Michigan.

  • Successfully Secure NRCS EQIP Contracts for Farmers

    Published on February 26, 2025

    Step-by-step support to help farmers understand the scope of the EQIP program, and how to best advocate for themselves and their farm when interacting with their local field office.

  • How Can Loans Help Your Farm Business Grow?

    Published on February 26, 2025

    What benefits do loans really provide my farm business? How do I begin preparing to apply for a loan? What is a lender looking for when they review my loan request? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this session.

  • MSU Agrability Program

    Published on February 25, 2025

    Learn more about the Michigan AgrAbility Project. This statewide program helps farmers with a disability or injury continue farming.

  • Bring Your Own Soil to Determine Soil Texture

    Published on February 25, 2025

    Soil health is vital to grow healthy crops but can be challenging aspect of farming. Soil tests help to know how many nutrients are in the soil and what to add, but soil texture is also critical for good soil management.

  • How to Protect Your Operation

    Published on February 24, 2025

    Learn how to identify and manage financial risks within your organization while reviewing robust cybersecurity measures to protect operations.

  • Commercial Hydroponic Production: Essential Information for Equipment Purchases

    Published on March 1, 2024

    Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) can be a profitable and fulfilling business pursuit for farmers looking to diversify their income streams. Learn the fundamentals of CEA equipment and how to reach profitability faster.

  • Farm Budgets: Growing Your Farm into a Business (2024)

    Published on February 28, 2024

    How important is a business mindset and farm profits to your opportunities for growth and success? Join as we discuss how attention to details and effective planning can help your farm continue its growth into a successful business.

  • Soil Health for Beginners: Caring for Your Farm from the Ground Up

    Published on February 27, 2024

    Soil health is a critical part of farming. If you are new to farming or new to the land, this is a perfect time to make a long-term plan. Discover approaches to learn about your soil and how to support better crop production.

  • Beyond the Farmers Market: Evaluating Direct Market Channel Opportunities

    Published on February 23, 2024

    Where are you selling, or planning to sell your products? How do you make these decisions? We’ll talk about perceptions, realities, pros and cons of farmers markets, farm markets, CSAs, restaurant sales, institutional markets and more!

  • Lo que la Extension de MSU puede hacer por usted

    Published on February 22, 2024

    Extension tiene presencia en todo el estado, pero se la considera uno de los secretos mejor guardados de Michigan. ¿Qué es Extension y qué puede hacer por usted? Conozca una breve historia de Extensión Cooperativa y los recursos disponibles a través de MSU Extension.

  • What MSU Extension Can Do For You!

    Published on February 22, 2024

    Extension has a presence across the state, yet it’s been called one of the best kept secrets in Michigan. What is Extension and what can it do for you? Learn a brief history of Cooperative Extension and the resources available through MSU Extension.

  • The Rotation Effect

    Published on February 22, 2024

    You can’t beat the rotation effect according to research, but some farmers try. This session will talk about why rotation is important to the productivity of cropping systems and explore when a continuous crop could be used.

  • Beginning Fruit

    Published on February 21, 2024

    Nothing compares to farm fresh fruit, but growing fruit can be a little more complicated than one would initially think. This session will cover the basics of fruit production and dispel some common myths that viral videos might have led you to believe

  • Enterprise Budgeting for Beginning Farm Decision-makers

    Published on February 21, 2024

    Further develop management skills in agriculture production systems by focusing on enterprise budgets and cost of production, including cost of production, economic profit, and understanding enterprise budgets in production agriculture.

  • Brainstorming farm goals… & how to make them happen!

    Published on February 21, 2024

    Join this interactive workshop to brainstorm goals for your farm, evaluate those goals as SMART goals and/or HEART goals, and think through how to make your goals into a timeline, vision board or reminder to inspire you every day to follow your intention.

  • The Three Fs of Farmland: Finding it, Funding it, and the Future of it.

    Published on February 20, 2024

    Land access is often the biggest challenge for beginning farmers. Learn tools to find farmland, fund it, and to keep it farmland for future generations.

  • Organic Farming, Certified or Not!

    Published on February 20, 2024

    Learn how to integrate organic practices into your farming system. The decision to seek certification depends on your markets and drive. Learn about the values and challenges imposed by organic certification vs. following organic practices.

  • Building the Right Succession Plan for Your Farm

    Published on March 16, 2023

    Farming is a complex business, and succession planning can be a daunting proposition. Luckily, there are many tools and techniques available for transferring the farm’s assets, operations, and management to the next generation. In this presentation, Corey Clark discusses how farmers can customize a plan that utilizes these tools and techniques to meet the unique needs of their family business.