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(03/28/25) BATON ROUGE, La. — On March 11, 22 students took part in the first class of the Grow Louisiana Beginning Farmer Training Program at the Hill Farm Teaching Facility on the LSU campus. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Transition to Organic Partnership Program, as it focuses on teaching new farmers how to grow a sustainable and profitable organic farm.
The program, led by LSU AgCenter extension associate Isabella Frank and horticulture professor Carl Motsenbocker, will take place throughout 2025. The training is divided into three parts: spring, summer and fall sessions. In total, there will be sixteen classes, each focused on different aspects of owning and operating a farm.
On the first day of the program, participants were given a tour of the Hill Farm facility, including the different research projects that are ongoing on the farm. They were shown how the AgCenter is learning to grow crops in a sustainable manner. It also allowed the students to ask questions to get a head start on best farming management practices.
For the organizers, this first session was a great way to start the year and see how to best help the students.
“The first session was a perfect kickoff to the yearlong program. The best part is getting to put faces to names and learn about the farmers’ interests and backgrounds,” Frank said. “This cohort has a lot of determination and curiosity, which will only maximize the entire group’s learning.”
After the tour, students were given a short orientation on what topics would be covered, and they were told about the different activities that they will be part of. These include multiple farm tours and social nights that will allow for these burgeoning farmers to make connections and network.
The socializing aspect of the program is one of the most significant aspects for Frank, as this could be a lifeline for a participant’s future farm business.
“Our past Grow Louisiana participants have indicated the networking is one of the most important aspects of getting established,” Frank said. “You learn more from having a community of people experiencing the same challenges as you as well as mentors to talk to.”
For more information, Grow Louisiana organizers can be reached at cmotsenbocker@agcenter.lsu.edu or 225-578-1036.
Isabella Frank speaks to participants of the Grow Louisiana Beginning Farmer Training Program as she gives them a tour of Hill Farm on March 11. Photo by Anthony Bailey/LSU AgCenter
Jacob Tullos, a program assistant, shows a mushroom that LSU students were experimenting with at the Hill Farm facility. Photo by Anthony Bailey/LSU AgCenter
A participant in the program shows the class her current farm setup as a part of orientation day. Photo by Anthony Bailey/LSU AgCenter
