Farming Fundamentals Course Gets You TAEP Money

Farming Fundamentals Course Gets You TAEP Money

Farming Fundamentals Course Gets You TAEP Money

Beginning Farmer + Classes = TAEP $$$

Farming Fundamentals is a program provided by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The goal of the program is to help beginning farmers in Tennessee have a successful start. In addition to providing information, the Farming Fundamentals course is also a necessary step to obtain TAEP funding for your farm. After completing this program, participants will have fulfilled the education requirements to receive TAEP money (50% cost share) through the Beginning Farmer Option. Not sure how TAEP can help you? Jump to the TAEP section below.

What You’ll Learn in Farming Fundamentals

The Farming Fundamentals course consists of 12 hours of content videos with quizzes. Required topics are:

  • Introduction
  • Financial Statements
  • Taxes
  • Farming Foundations
  • Business Actions

In addition to the 5 required topics, participants must choose 3 of the following modules:

  • Livestock Basics
  • Specialty Crops
  • Value Added
  • Crops

This program is self-paced. To learn more and register for the course, visit https://arec.tennessee.edu/extension/farming-fundamentals/

What is TAEP?

How can TAEP funds help you? TAEP stands for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program. In 2021, they started a Beginning Farmer Option. Qualified Beginning Farmers (farming for less than five years) are eligible for a 50% cost share on a variety of programs including:

  • Purchasing livestock
  • Building permanent working structures
  • Purchasing hay equipment
  • Purchasing livestock equipment
  • Implementing herd health practices
  • Row crop solutions.

To find out more about TAEP, visit https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/farms/taep.html.