BEGINNING FARMER EDUCATIONAL EVENT SERIES
A series of educational events including farm tours, classes, and discussion groups for aspiring and beginning farmers.
FARM TOURS, CLASSES, AND DISCUSSIONS
As part of Oregon Farm Corps' Farmer Training Programs we coordinate a series of educational events including farm tours, classes, and discussion groups for aspiring and beginning farmers including the Apprentices at our partner Host Farms and partner farmer training programs participants (partner programs include CAMPO,Headwaters Incubator Program, RVRFF, and more). The event series generally runs between April and October each year, lining up with a majority of our Apprenticeship position start and end dates.
The Event Series is designed as an introduction to sustainable and regenerative farming production concepts and practices as well as food system and equity topics. If you have questions about whether or not the event series is a good fit for you, please reach out to training@oregonfarmcorps.org.
Are you a good fit for BFEES?
You currently work or volunteer on a farm and are interested in supplementing your hands on experience with an in depth introduction to sustainable farm production concepts and practices
You have recent farming/ranching experience, intend to continue pursuing a career in farming/ranching, and want to further develop your knowledge and network in the field of sustainable agriculture
You are living on land that you want to farm or homestead, but need a foundational introduction to sustainable farm production concepts and practices you could implement
2026 Schedules:
*Region specific schedules will be shared with enrolled participants.
Some events are in-person and some are held virtually via Zoom. The in-person events take place mostly in our three locations in Oregon: The Portland, Rogue Valley, and Willamette Valley chapters. Those in-person events are within approximately a 1.5-hour drive of Host Farm sites in each area. Events are generally in afternoons, approximately 3-4 per month April through October.
Because of heat and high AQI levels in the Oregon summer months exacerbated by climate change, most in-person events will be held in spring and fall.
The full series includes:
Online classes and discussions focused on foundational sustainable agriculture concepts, skills, and the food system, with topics including Decolonizing Agriculture, Soil Health, Farmworker Justice and Disease Management.
7-11 in-person farm tours and discussions which showcase practical skills and individual farmers’ stories and provide insight into diverse production and marketing systems.
For those outside of Portland, Rogue Valley, and the Willamette Valley areas, we offer an Online-Only Event Series package.
OFC strives to make all educational events inclusive and welcoming to people from all backgrounds and identities. Classes, tours, and discussions are led by Oregon Farm Corps staff, agricultural professionals, and experienced farmers.
Event Package Options and Fees:
Online-Only: $150
In-person Portland, Rogue Valley, or Willamette Valley Package: $350
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
WEEKEND Gatherings:
We also run weekend gatherings, with two planned for 2026 in May and June. Weekend gatherings consist of in-depth workshops and farm tours exploring core agricultural principles, as well as networking, discussion, and camping at a farm site. These weekends are great opportunities for Apprentices outside of our regional chapter locations to see additional farm operations and socialize with other beginning farmers. We prioritize serving Apprentices and Regenerative Farming Fellows withweekend gatherings, and may open these up to additional participants as space allows.
BEGINNING FARMER EDUCATIONAL EVENT SERIES APPLICATIONS for 2026 are open until March 22nd.
If you have a program that may be interested in partnering with the Beginning Farmer Educational Event Series please email training@oregonfarmcorps.org