U of I program to help farmers turn over new leaf

Rick Weinzierl, U of I crop sciences professor hopes “to cultivate a new generation” of fruit and vegetable growers through training and education.

Kay Shipman

Published: Sep 7, 2012

Plant a seed, grow a new specialty grower.

Rick Weinzierl, University of Illinois crop sciences professor, said he hopes “to cultivate a new generation” of fruit and vegetable growers through training and education.

Recently, Weinzierl and a U of I team received $632,000 through USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. Starting in December, the U of I will launch a three-year program in Northern, Central, and Southern Illinois.

In a one-year course, students will meet for monthly day-long sessions of classroom work and hands-on demonstrations.

Farmers who have farmed for 10 or fewer years comprise the target audience. However, the program also is open to corn and soybean farmers interested in diversifying with fruits and vegetables, according to Weinzierl.

“We will cover key ideas, provide info about the most important first steps, and guide participants to the best resources -- some of which we’ll need to develop -- for their continued education,” Weinzierl told FarmWeek.

“It’s meant to be a jump-start to beginning the process of learning to grow fruits and vegetables so new growers have a better chance of weathering the first few years and becoming successful,” he continued.

The training will be linked with U of I farm research centers in St. Charles, Urbana, and Dixon Springs. Weinzierl envisioned participants being able to try out ideas either at one of the research farms or on other land, but he admitted the program’s ability to provide access to land and expert supervision will be limited.

A parallel training/education program geared to seasonal workers will be offered through the Illinois Migrant Council.

The sessions will cover a variety of topics, and instructors will do their best to prepare students for the unexpected, according to Weinzierl.

Students will learn to monitor soil moisture and about optimal irrigation methods. They will study pest monitoring and integrated pest management. They also will develop business plans that cover fluctuating market prices as well as other factors
.
Finances and land availability also will be discussed. Weinzierl hopes to link participants with interested landowners by working with the Land Connection, an educational nonprofit entity.

Information about the program and applications are available online at {www.newillinoisfarmers.org/new_generation_app.php} or by calling Weinzierl at 217-244-2126 or emailing him
weinzier@illinois.edu.

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