Farmer Events
October 2022
Exploring the Small Farm Dream Course
Exploring the Small Farm Dream Course October 5 to November 2, 2022, Wednesday evenings 6:00pm – 9:00pm Western Mass location (tentatively MDAR office in West Springfield) This 5-session course provides guidance to aspiring farmers through the decision-making process of whether to start a farm business. Participants will learn about the many aspects of starting a farm business, assess their own skills and knowledge, and get help finding resources for support, including marketing, financing, and regulations. The Exploring the Small Farm…
Find out more »Growing Your Farm Business Planning Course
Growing Your Farm Business Planning Course October 11 – November 29, 2022, Tuesday evenings 5:30 – 8:30pm MDAR office in Southborough, MA A hands-on course to help established farmers develop a business plan and financial projections for their farm business. This course covers topics including resource assessment, marketing strategy, financial management, risk management, quality of life, and goal setting. The course is taught by a professional business planner with years of experience working with Massachusetts farms and guest speakers on…
Find out more »Dual-Use: Agriculture and Solar Photovoltaics Webinar
Registration link: Dual-Use: Agriculture and Solar Photovoltaics Webinar October 27th at 11:00 am. In 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (MA DOER) established the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program. This program carries special incentives for solar systems that allow “dual-use,” defined as solar on farmland where the land continues to be used for agricultural purposes. These facilities are also referred to as “agrivoltaic” systems This presentation will offer an overview of the guidelines for dual-use, provide a close look…
Find out more »November 2022
Successful Value Added Food Product Development for Farm and New Food Businesses: Managing Food Quality and Safety
Are you a farmer diversifying into value added production or an entrepreneur developing new and exciting products? Do you have questions about how to integrate food safety and quality into the development of a value added food product? If so, this is the program for you! Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) is collaborating with UMass Amherst, The University of Rhode Island, Commonwealth Kitchen, and the Western MA Food Processing Center at the Franklin County Community Development Corporation to offer…
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