Emerging Farmer Learning Series

Dive into business operations, legal, financing, and more learnings tailored to farm businesses.

Not only must farmers juggle soil health, growing seasons, and pests, but they must also manage many facets of running a business. This free, 7-week webinar series explores key business skills for Michigan growers.

Join us each week to hear from subject matter experts, from value chain coordination to financial fluency. As part of Michigan’s Emerging Farmers project, this series is facilitated by the Michigan Good Food Fund and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

These virtual sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 12-1:30pm, March 4-April 15, 2026. Each 90-minute session will be led by an experienced subject matter expert from across the state. Attendees will be able to connect with other participants in breakout rooms where they will share their experiences and new solutions. These sessions will be hosted live for interactive discussions and recorded for later viewing.

Register here

Emerging Farmers Learning Series Schedule:

Business Model: How to Scale for Growth
March 4, 2026, 12pm-1:30pm
Featured Speaker: Millie Chu, Founder & CEO, Global Entrepreneurship Business Lab

Value Chain Coordination: Other Sales Avenues
March 11, 2026, 12pm-1:30pm
Featured Speaker: Paul Green, Sales Manager, Marrow Detroit Provisions

Customer Insights and Marketing
March 18, 2026. 12pm-1:30pm
Featured Speaker: Erika Tebbens, Director of Impact, Pruebe la diferencia local

HR: Hiring and Keeping Employees
March 25, 2026 12pm-1:30pm
Featured Speaker: Carolina Puerta-Estevez, Founder, Human Resources Bilingual International Services

Legal: Intro to Farm Business Law and Liability Insurance
April 1, 2026. 12pm-1:30pm
Featured Speaker: Carolyn Johnson, Associate Attorney, LightStone Law

Financial Fluency: How to read the numbers
April 8, 2026, 12pm-1:30pm
Featured Speaker: Andy Larson, Farm Program Manager, Food Finance Institute of the Universities of Wisconsin System

Wrap Up and Celebration: Peer to Peer with a Farmer
April 15, 2026, 12pm-1:30pm
Featured Speaker: Alex Ball, Owner & Farm Manager, Acres de la Ciudad Vieja

As part of the Michigan’s Emerging Farmers project, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems is proud to partner with the Michigan Good Food Fund on facilitating this learning opportunity for Michigan farmers. This series aims to build knowledge on business basics as requested by participants in the Michigan Good Food Fund’s Seed Award program. 

Questions? Please reach out to Jazmin Bolan-Williamson at bolanwil@msu.edu 

About the Michigan Good Food Fund 

Michigan Good Food Fund invests in food and farm entrepreneurs across the state, offering flexible financing and tailored business assistance to grow a more resilient, inclusive local food system. We meet entrepreneurs where they are, connect them with what they need, and build long-term relationships that help their businesses thrive. As we work toward a more resilient, inclusive food industry, we focus on entrepreneurs whose access to power and capital has been historically limited because of their race, ethnicity, and/or gender. Our efforts are guided by the shared vision of our Stakeholder Board, a diverse group of entrepreneurs, farmers, funders, and policymakers with deep roots in Michigan.

About Michigan’s Emerging Farmers 

Our statewide program aims to create pathways to growth and economic opportunity for all of Michigan’s agricultural producers, including small- to mid-sized farmers. This project is funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, in a cooperative agreement with members of the Centro de Sistemas Alimentarios Regionales de la Universidad Estatal de Michigan, Extensión de la Universidad Estatal de Michigany Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS).

This work is supported by the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Initiative program, project award no. 2023-70417-39233, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.