By Morgan Watts
North Carolina Cooperative Extension

North Carolina Farm School is coming back to the southern Piedmont in 2021. That may seem like a long time away, but now is the time to apply and get things together logistically to attend. The 2021 Southern Piedmont Farm School will be based here in Rowan County; bi-weekly classroom sessions will be held at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Rowan County Center from 6-9 p.m. on the following dates: Feb. 2, 16; March 2, 16; April 6, 20; May 4, 18. The monthly field days will be from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and held either in Rowan or the surrounding counties; those dates are Feb. 25, March 25, April 15, May 13 and June 10. Lunch will be provided for the field days.

The classroom session will cover marketing, budgeting, finance, risk management and a business plan framework. You will also get one-on-one site visits with university business specialists based around your goals and mentoring for your area of interest. Farm visits are a great way to ask questions to other farmers and see firsthand what other farmers are doing. The field days are always a great hit. Farm School is a community dedicated to your success. N.C. Farm School is for beginning farmers or farmers who are looking to transition to another enterprise. Whether you want to do something with plants or animals, N.C. Farm School will have resources for you.

If N.C. Farm School sounds like it would be a good fit for you, you can register online and find out more information at https://ncfarmschool.ces.ncsu.edu/. Cost is $399 per person or $599 per pair. If you have any questions, contact your local Extension office.

Program delivery will be subject to county, state, and N.C. State Extension guidelines for safety concerning COVID.

N.C. Cooperative Extension, Rowan County Center is located at 2727-A Old Concord Road in Salisbury. Contact the office at 704-216-8970 or Extension agent Morgan Watts at amwatts@ncsu.edu .

Morgan Watts is a Rowan County Cooperative Extension agent.