SLIPPERY ROCK — Anyone thinking about becoming a farmer may get information through a workshop March 11 at Slippery Rock University.

SRU and the nonprofit Pennsylvania Farm Link will host the "New and Beginning Farming Workshop" to provide advice on crops, the business management and marketing aspect of starting a farm.

The workshop at the University Union emphasizes that start-ups are not dependent on a person's age, former occupation or size of land, according to the Farm Link Web site.

A resource fair will also enable participants to obtain information about loans.

The workshop will be from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Room 207, sponsored by Farm Link and SRU's Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Research.

Cost is $30 per person, $50 for a couple and $25 for students with ID. Call the Pennsylvania Farm Link at 717-664-7077 or e-mail pafarmlink@dejazzd.com.

The workshop will include farmers discussing strategies they used to get started, working on farms, leasing land and locating a suitable plot for purchase. They will also provide tips on starting a farmer's market or roadside stand.

The Macoskey Center promotes environmental awareness through education, demonstration, and continued support of academic research.

NEW CASTLE — A free workshop to help farmers prepare for passing on their farm will be hosted on March 10 at the Lawrence County Cooperative Extension Office in the New Castle courthouse.A knowledgeable farm attorney and an experienced family professional will be present at the event, which is being hosted by Pennsylvania Farm Link and Penn State Cooperative Extension.Farmers looking to transfer their farm to the next generation or to locating another farmer are encouraged to attend. Beginning farmers are also encouraged to attend to learn more about the process.The workshop will conclude with examples of how local farmers transferred their farm to the next generation.Registration is required no later than March 8 and can be made by calling Pennsylvania Farm Link at 717-664-7077.