Oct 17, 2016

MSU Farmer Field School hosting farm management workshops

Michigan State University’s Farmer Field School will host farm management workshops in November and December. The one-day hands-on workshops present information built upon the work of the MSU Organic Farmer Training Program.

The Scaling Up (or Maybe Down): Finding and Getting to the Right Scale for Your Farm workshop will be held Sunday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees will visit Sunseed Farm to explore the best scale to maximize success. The workshop will discuss income needs, goals, values, product mix, strategic opportunities/competitive advantage, land base and other resources of changing or specializing an operation.

A Strategic Business Planning & Management: Markets, Finances, Production, HR and More workshop will look at business values and vision, goals and strategies for success; look into market analysis and strategy, understanding and implementing financial measures and analysis regarding production, labor and more. The workshop will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the MSU Student Organic Farm in Holt, Michigan.

The third workshop, Advanced Strategic Business Planning and Management: Finances Deep Dive, Strategic Investment, Capital Access, and Growth, will take place the following weekend on Saturday, Dec. 10. A thorough analysis of business financial planning and management tools for understanding current business structure and health will be provided, as well as planning and assessing strategic investments, accessing and maximizing capital investments and helping plan for growth.

For more information on the Farmer Field School workshops or to register, visit the Farmer Field School website at www.msuorganicfarm.org/farmer-field-schoool.