About the Site:
Beginningfarmers.org is an effort to develop a comprehensive and up to date compilation of information resources for new, experienced, and potential farmers, as well as educators, activists, and policy makers interested in the development of new farm enterprises.
Through our core resource pages and frequent blog postings, we hope to provide a robust and constantly growing forum for sharing information and ideas about starting new farms, as well as other content related to sustainable agriculture and food systems.
Beginning Farmers seeks to offer content useful to those interested in a broad range of agricultural practices, but places special emphasis on resources for small farms, organic farming, direct marketing, and building local food systems.
This effort is part of an outreach and research project conducted by Taylor Reid and Jim Bingen in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Studies at Michigan State University.
We encourage you to suggest content, ask questions, and participate in discussions by adding comments to the posts, or by contacting us directly at beginningfarmers@gmail.com.
Taylor Reid
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This website was made possible through funding from The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station’s NE 1012 Multi-State Research Project: ‘Sustaining Local Food Systems in a Globalizing Environment: Forces, Responses, Impacts’; And through a North-Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NC-SARE) Graduate Student Grant: ‘Making a Life Back on the Land: Learning, Values and Practices of First Generation Farmers in Michigan’.
About Us:
Taylor Reid is a Doctoral candidate in Community, Food, and Agriculture at Michigan State University. His dissertation focuses on the values and learning processes of first-generation farmers. His other research interests include organic standards, the history of organic agriculture, the social implications of biofuel production, and the politics of food safety regulations. Taylor is Chair of the Michigan Food and Farming Systems‘ Agricultural Stewardship Committee, and sits on the ANSI Sustainable Agriculture Practice Standard Development Committee.
Jim Bingen
Jim Bingen is a Professor in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Studies at Michigan State University. With a background in Political Science, Jim’s domestic research focuses on organic agriculture and rural development policy. He is affiliated with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and is a core faculty member of the Institute for Food and Agricultural Standards as well as the MSU African Studies Center.
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