Business Planning Virtual Workshop Series: Risk Management

Business Planning Virtual Workshop Series —
Financial, Marketing & Risk Management Planning

Geared to New, Beginning & Expanding Vegetable & Small Fruit Producers

All Sessions (6), Thursday Evenings 7:00 – 9:00 pm
January 27, February 3, 17, 24 & March 10, 17

• Are you thinking about starting your own farm?
• Are you a beginning farmer and wonder what’s out there for assistance to fund capital improvements
  and upgrade your equipment?
• Where can I go to get production advice/information?
• Do you want to upgrade your marketing outlets but don’t know how to go about doing this?
• Do you want to learn how to better manage risks on your farm especially in light of recent adverse
  weather?
• Are you a small farmer looking to grow and expand your business?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above then this business planing workshop can help you answer those questions. National Crop Insurance Services in conjunction with the UMass Extension Risk Management Education Program is offering this workshop series at no cost to participants. Each session will include a formal presentation on the subject topic as well as guest speakers who are farmers or agricultural service provers with experience in the topics and provide adequate time for questions.

This is a great opportunity to learn about a variety of topics that can benefit your farming operation. To register, email either Tom Smiarowski: tsmiarowski@umass.edu or Paul Russell: pmrussell@umass.edu and include your name, email address and location (City/Town & State)

Session 3 (February 17): Risk Management
This session will look at the 5 areas of risk (Production, Marketing, Financial, Human Resources and Legal). Participants will learn how to complete a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) Analysis on their operation. Guest speakers will include farmers explaining how they manage risks on their farms.

Each session will include a homework assignment in which you will take the information discussed during the session to complete your assignment. Don’t worry you won’t be graded and you don’t have to submit the assignment! The purpose of the assignments are to get you to put to use in your operation the information covered during each session!