CISA Winter Workshop Series: The Farm Business Plan — A Narrative for Your Values, Goals, and Success

Define where you really want to be in 3-5 years. Organize your thoughts to produce the farm life and business you want. Give direction and confidence in moving forward. The business plan is your farm’s goals and values through a story of investments, operations, finances, and marketing channels. In this workshop we will give you the tools to build that narrative by identifying the critical elements of a plan for operational, financial, and/or marketing purposes. We will also address how to turn your business plan into an action plan. For farmers who may have some pieces to the puzzle but do not currently have a formal plan. Attending this workshop makes you eligible for one-on-one consultations for business plan support.

Presenter: Bill Bean of Green Planning and Coaching and Joanie Walker of Walker Farm at Whortleberry Hill

The full series:

CISA invites you to join our eight-workshop series on Mapping Out Your Farm’s Future: Settings Goals for the Success and Sustainability of Your Farm beginning January 2017. In order to draw a map of the future of your farm, you need a solid foundation with which to review your past and assess your present. This workshop series will support farm owners and operators in decision making for realistic long-term financial, operational, marketing, and personal goals. Examples in the workshops will be farm related, but the skills and methodology will be relevant to all businesses.

Participation in the whole series is encouraged. You will be eligible for a one-on-one consultation by attending one Business Plan workshop. Attending three workshops gives you the eligibility for an additional one-on-one consultation related to the topic of any workshop being held. Dinner will be served at each session. The cost to attend the series is $90 for Local Hero members, or $15 for each individual workshop. The non-member fee is $110 for the series, or $18 for each individual workshop. Register below or contact Stevie Schafenacker at stevie@buylocalfood.org or (413) 665-7100 x27. If cost is a barrier to your participation, please feel free to contact Stevie to discuss options as we want everyone to be able to get the training they need to effectively operate their business. Scholarships may be available.

The first half hour of each workshop will be for food and socializing. Workshops will begin promptly thereafter.

Funding for CISA’s “The Crossroads: Mapping Out Your Farm’s Future” is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency under Federal Award Identification No. USDA-FA-MA-6-007, USDA/National Institute of Food and Agriculture under award 2016-70017-25423, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service through grant 16FMPPMA0002 and by individual contributors and Local Hero members. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.