About White Oaks School Farm
White Oaks School Farm (WOSF) is a non-profit educational farm in the St. Croix River Valley. Designed to honor and continue Minnesota's rich history of independent farming, WOSF is the newest addition to White Oaks Farms, a modern agrihood with a 115-acre working organic farm and White Oaks Savanna, an architecture-driven community with 30 unique homes nestled into 200 acres of restored prairie.
Micro farming, cold climate growing and other enterprises
WOSF will provide hands-on training for people who want to own or work in today's most important farming enterprises, including micro farming, organic regenerative farming, bio-intensive farming, cold climate growing, urban farming, flower farming and market gardening. Our workshops and small events will launch in 2027, and our first cohort of independent farmers will begin their training in 2028.
Certified by Market Gardener Institute
WOSF is affiliated with the internationally-renowned Market Gardener Institute (MGI) in Quebec, Canada. Founded by Jean-Martin “JM” Fortier, an expert in small-scale, bio-intensive growing techniques, MGI provides knowledge and training for independent farmers to promote human-scale, organic regenerative agriculture to create sustainable and resilient food systems. JM has been instrumental in the development of WOSF, which has licensed the MGI curriculum and will be the first MGI-certified School Farm in the U.S.
Future-proofing Minnesota's independent farmers
We’re building White Oaks School Farm because we believe that independent farming is part of the solution to one of Minnesota's most critical issues—the loss of farms and farmland. According to the early 2026 USDA report, Minnesota lost 1,300 farms and 100,000 acres of farmland between 2024 and 2025 due to global trade volatility, low commodity prices, increased operating costs and other issues. Today, we have only 64,000 farms in Minnesota, which is why we’re dedicated to growing a new generation of independent farmers. By training adults of all ages in regenerative organic farming, bio-intensive farming, cold weather farming and other sustainable practices, we can help turn their passions into profitable businesses and create an exciting new chapter in Minnesota’s farming history.
interested in learning more about White Oaks SCHOOL FARM?
We welcome serious inquiries from prospective students, donors and partners. Please send us a note and we’ll respond within 24-48 hours.