Resources for the farmer wannabe include:

• farmbeginnings.org: A program of the Land Stewardship Project, Farm Beginnings is a hands-on course in farming that has proven so popular and effective that it is considered a regional model.

• mosesorganic.org: When the farming gets puzzling, the puzzled call MOSES, the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, for its farming mentor program. In its third year, the program has matched 30 mentees (mostly in Wisconsin, but some in Minnesota) with farmers who know what the heck they're talking about.

• thegreenhorns.net: Greenhorns is a national network with a mission "to promote, recruit and support young farmers in America."

KRISTIN TILLOTSON