Big River Farms Programs

Hands-on and classroom training in organic farming.

Growing Farmers. Growing Food.

Big River Farms helps participants learn to cultivate crops for organic production and develop the basics for launching a farming business or community program. The Grower Training Program is three years of growing farm and business skills. The Incubator Program offers growers an opportunity to access land, resources, and transition their farm business to the next phase. Big River Farms is intentionally designed to support immigrant, limited resource, and historically underserved individuals.

NOW ENROLLING FOR 2025

ENROLLMENT CLOSES NOVEMBER 8TH, 2024

Grower Training Program

The program operates year-round, with classroom learning in the winter and land-based training and in-field workshops during the growing season. Winter classes are held in the Twin Cities to learn and plan for the growing season ahead. Starting in March, the training program transitions to Big River Farms, located 30 miles from the Twin Cities in Marine on St. Croix, where trainees can put what they’ve learned in class into practice at the farm. Throughout the season, skill sessions, in-field classes, and field trips to other farms are key in demonstrating practical vegetable production. After completing the year-long Grower Training Program, trainees receive a Big River Farms Grower Training Certificate and can apply for a plot at Big River Farms for the following season. This program is designed to serve immigrant, limited-resource, and historically underserved individuals. 

Farm Incubator Program 

The Big River Farms Incubator Program supports emerging farmers by providing affordable land access, farm infrastructure, business development and training resources. To participate in the Incubator program participants will either need to complete the Big River Farms Grower Training Program or have equivalent farming experience working on other farms or farming on their own for 2-4 years in Minnesota or a similar growing climate. It is designed to serve immigrant, limited resource, and historically underserved individuals.

To get applications in another language, contact:

May Lee (Hmong) 651-504-8101
Emilio Vaca (Spanish) 651-433-3676
Nura Ahmed (Arabic) 651-354-5082
Moses Momanyi (Swahili) 763-691-4409

We Value Nutritious Food
Working with our community partners, The Food Group buys, gleans, grows, and processes fresh produce.

Food Bank
or Food Shelf?
The Food Group is a food bank that supplies other hunger relief agencies with fresh produce, frozen meat, grocery staples, and other household necessities. Food shelves distribute free food to individuals and families in their local communities.

The Food Group believes in food equity. They believe in culturally specific foods. They believe in meeting people where they are at. And most of all, they believe in dignity.

The Food Group volunteer and donor

Did You Know?
Over 20% of Black households and 19% of Latinx households report food insecurity, compared to 10% of white households.

Interested in Farmer Education?

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The Food Group

We’re a nonprofit working at the intersection of equity and access to fresh, sustainable foods. From farming to distribution, we provide fresh food across MN and WI.

The Food Group is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. EIN 41-1246504 Contributions are tax-deductible to the full amount provided by the law.

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