Class Schedule
2020 Farm Beginnings Class Schedule-
| SESSION | DATE | CLASS OVERVIEW |
| Session 1: Whole Farm Planning 101 | Jan. 11th | Key messages: Introduction to Course, DRA – Profitability/Sustainability – Triple Bottom Line Social/Environmental/Financial – Holistic Goal –Quality of Life/Forms of Production/Future Resource Base – Ecosystem Processes – Holistic Management –Leveraging Tools/Testing Guidelines/Whole Under Management – Group Activity—Enterprise Brainstorming |
| Session 2: Whole Farm Planning 201 | Jan. 18th | Key Messages: Decision Making: Holistic Decision Making – Testing Guidelines – Monitoring – Feedback Loop – Monitoring Your Whole Farm Plan – Quality of Life Objectives – Visioning: – Three-Legged Stool – Rating your passion and skills – SWOT Analysis – 5-year Plan Sketch – Next Year Farm Dream |
| Session 3: Business Planning | Feb. 1st | Key Messages: Part 1: Adding Passion to Your Financial Mgmt – Trinity of Management – Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs – Why Are You Developing a Business Plan – Checklist for Going into Business – Organizing and Writing Your Business Plan – Business Plan Template Part 2: Planning Your Business – Annual Planning Documents – Enterprise Budget Break-Even Analysis |
| Session 4: Financial Planning 101 | Feb. 15th | Key Messages: PART 1:Understanding Money Beliefs – Financial Planning Skills Questionnaire – Home Budget – Planned and Actual Income and Expense – Farm Budget (Actual example) – Start-up costs worksheet – Budget Breakdown for Upcoming Season – 3-year Budget Projection PART 2: Plan, Monitor, Control, Replain – Safe vs. Danger Zones – Planning for Profit – Labor Requirements – Enterprise Budgets – Model Enterprise Budget Activity |
| Session 5: Financial Planning 201 | Feb. 22nd | Key Messages: Financial Realities and Planning – Using Your Unreasonable Advantage – Return on Investment (ROI) – Gross Profit Analysis Activity Ideas—transfer activities from previous class to this one—enterprise budgets? When to do balance sheet/income statement? FFF—“Ratios”, Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Assessing and Understanding Cash Flow, Enterprise Budgets |
| Session 6: Marketing 101 | March 7th | Key Messages: Marketing Your Way – Marketing Basics/Marketing Crash Course – Creating a Marketing Plan |
| Session 7: Marketing 201 | March 21st | This session focuses on providing real-life examples from a wide range of marketing strategies. A variety of farmers, farms, and retail agencies are featured in a panel discussion. Key Messages: Marketing stories from the field |
| Session 8: Community Resources | April 4th | The final two sessions focus on getting course participants ready to step out on their own. The time is used to help participants move from planning to action. This is done through connecting course participants with resources in the community, giving them knowledge of the resources available to help beginning farmers, and providing knowledge of the ways they can get involved in their communities. |
| Session 9: Student Presentations | April 18th | Session 9 provides a forum for course participants to share their plans and get specific feedback. Students should demonstrate a clear plan of action and will receive feedback and ideas from other course participants and established farmers. |
| Session 10: Connecting with Mentors |
May 2nd | The course participants will have the opportunity to sit down 1-1 with farmer mentors and ask questions, network, and use the farmers as a resource. |
On-Farm Education: May-September
- Farm Tours and Skills Sessions (Dates TBD)
- 1-1 Mentorship for those who are interested
End of Class Celebration: Late Summer/Early Fall