The 2020 Farm Tune-Up Workshop was held February 3rd, 10th, & 24th, 2020. Thank you to our participants and speakers, and to our host John A. Logan College.  

Curious when the next Farm Tune-Up workshop will be held? Email info@fwsoil.org to request more information.  

​About the 2020 Farm Tune-Up Workshop Series
Tune Up your Small Farm's marketing, finances, and long-term planning at three sessions aimed at helping you thrive.

How can small farms thrive over the long haul? Food Works’ Farm Tune-Up workshop series for small farm entrepreneurs helps farmers answer this question as they tackle marketing, finances, and long-term planning. Food Works’ Farm Tune-up Series is designed to meet the needs of small farmers with more than 2 years of experience. 

“Southern Illinois farmers growing berries, fruits, vegetables, herbs, bedding plants, poultry, beef, or pork are ready after a few years to update their business plans, expand, prune unprofitable activities, add enterprises, or involve other farm partners,” said Jennifer Paulson, Executive Director. “At these workshops, farmers will target their tune-up to their most pressing challenges, learn about tools to get the job done, and grow their network of mentors and allies to take their farm into its next decade.”

Participants engage with experienced farmers who have grown sustainable farms. Hard-won lessons are shared. Experts weigh in on issues involving finance, insurance and legal obligations. 

Day 1 - Feb. 3rd: Develop a Strategic Action Plan to Tune Up Your Farm with Cree Bradley. The tools of Holistic Planning help farmers create a plan to meet their personal, family, farm needs and quality of life goals. Cree Bradley is a Minnesota farmer and farmer trainer who has applied these tools in her own life for personal and farm success.

Cree has served in a variety of positions with sustainable food and farming work. Over a 17-year period, she has organized programs with the Sustainable Farming Association, Institute for a Sustainable Future, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and the Land Stewardship Project. She has also served in contracted roles providing Holistic Management trainings in IL, WI, SD, NC, WV, and MN, and with the MN Department of Agriculture’s Farm Core program, providing case management flood recovery support for farmers.

Since 2008, Cree has been involved in beginning and advanced beginning farmer training, providing leadership in the development and facilitation of Lake Superior Farm Beginnings® (2008-2013) and providing ongoing curriculum development support to the Land Stewardship Project (2013-Current).

Cree transitioned from an employee of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP, 2013-2016) to a contract role with LSP in order to better facilitate a broader personal calling to do more outreach with Holistic Management training and to provide more focused one-on-one support with farmers through her Worksong Services (est. March 2016). In her now contracted position with Land Stewardship Project, Cree continues to assist in the development of LSPs Farm Beginnings® and journeyperson courses, providing Holistic Management training to participants on topics of Holistic Financial Planning, land health through ecosystem processes and land observation/monitoring, and visioning around quality of life and balancing personal, family and farm needs.

Cree’s interest in Holistic Management stems from reading Aldo Leopold in high school. More than 20 years later, she and her husband apply holistic principles to their farm, a vegetable operation of 14 years, with maple syrup, transplants, laying hens, and Lake Superior commercial fishing enterprises.

Day 2 - Feb. 10th - You've got a strategic plan - a direction for farm and personal success - Now you get the tools to bring it to life. Legal, financial and insurance tools are the meat of the day. If you are building a sustainable farm though- don't you want it to sustain others too? We start with a deep look at how farmers have addressed the issue of growing the farm to support the next generation.


Day 3 - Feb. 24th - You've got a plan and the tools to manifest it, now you need to get a system that connects you to your customers.This day is all about relationships. The day begins with Possibilities in Cooperatives and Food Hubs with Sean Park, IL Institute for Rural Affairs, Western Illinois University. Then we will explore market expansion models with Liz DeRuntz from the Little Egypt Alliance of Farmers and look at aggregating local food for the St. Louis market with Preston Walker from Eathere STL- and that's just the start! You'll dig deep into increasing the effectiveness of your brand and marketing, and explore trends and tools for 2020 with Tom Harness of Harness Digital marketing. Bring your questions and your vision. Plan for a fantastic 2020.

Scholarships and a limited number of stipends were available to offset childcare costs for families.  Email us at info@fwsoil.org to inquire.  

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