Farming:  It's an appealing vocational attraction for many people seeking an independent rural lifestyle.  Many are called - students right out of school, people returning to their "roots", those wanting a lifestyle change, early retirees from the military or other vocations.  Many skills are required to start a successful farm - passion, clear goals, production knowledge, financial and marketing know-how, and more! 

Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings works to get more successful farmers on the land and organized for an enterprise in which family farmers can succeed and flourish.  

The Farm Beginnings course is a 12 month training that helps beginning farmers clarify their goals and strengths, establish a strong farm plan, and start building their operation.  The course uses a mix of farmer-led classroom sessions (9 total), optional on-farm field sessions, and an extensive farmer support network.

Farm Beginnings is offered in Ashland, WI at the Great Lakes Visitors Center, as well as Watertown, MN and La Crosse, WI.   Exact dates, times and locations of a 2014 Farm Beginnings course in your region, as well as the application, are available at http://landstewardshipproject.org/morefarmers/farmbeginningsclass
For additional information, contact Cree Bradley at 218.834.0846 or creeb@landstewardshipproject.org.  

Native to Europe and Northern Asia, black currants are the alternate host to a rust disease affecting five-needle pines--in North America called White Pine Blister Rust.  As the "lumber barons" of the late 19th and early 20th centuries sought to protect their timber interests from Maine to Minnesota, they lobbied their influence for the passage of laws prohibiting the cultivation of black currants.  Inside of a generation, the fruit fell from the ethnic cuisines of newly minted American citizens who had immigrated from countries in Eastern and Northern Europe where black currants are prevalent.  By the late 20th Century, the virgin White Pine forests were gone along with the lumber barons; European fruit-plant breeders were successfully developing new varieties of black currants immune to five-needle pine rust; States were rescinding their laws prohibiting the cultivation of currants; and many Americans were interested to rediscover the traditions and cultures of their ancestors.

Black currants are predominately utilized as a processing fruit for beverages, jams, jellies and other fruit products.  In Europe it is a common inclusion  in the "rainbow" of fruit flavor offerings. In today's economy, many fruits for process are increasingly picked by machine.  At HIGHLAND VALLEY FARM we have a machine that will pick blueberries for process markets.  The same machine can also harvest currants.

Our initial planting of black currants at HVF was a response to a request from White Winter Winery in Iron River, WI,  which now uses the fruit in its Black Mead table wine, Black Harbor spirits, and Northwoods Naturals Black Spritz carbonated juice beverage. Black currants have since become a staple in our households--black currant jam has become Janet's favorite.  We are expanding production and are now able to offer black currants to our retail and pick-your-own customers as well.