by SARAH WOUTAT
ATTENDANCE AT EVENTS LIKE NEW FARMER U IS CRITICAL TO MY DEVELOPMENT AS A FARMER.
NEW FARMER U
PROVIDES BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND CONNECTION by SARAH WOUTAT
PHOTO: ORANGE CAT COMMUNITY FARM , LYNDON STATION, WIS.
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t’s November, and you’ve just finished your second season farming on your own. You’ve learned a lot about your soil, where the low spots are in your fields, you feel like you have a plan for weed management, you’ve tightened up your system for moving livestock or poultry, and you’re working on your seed order and crop plan for next season. You attended two farmers markets for the past two years and they went pretty well. You’ve read lots of books, listened to tons of podcasts, and joined a couple farming Facebook groups, but something is missing. Like many new farmers, you’ve focused so much on production that financial management and business planning got pushed out of the way.
things we cannot. Many beginning farmers bring passion and hard work to the table, but forget about financial planning, which is one on a short list of things we can control in farming. Burnout is real, but having a plan and a good organizational system can help manage that.
Like any small business owner/operator, farmers need to run a successful business. Without adequate markets, you can’t make a living. Without a business plan, you make choices willy-nilly. Without solid financial planning and recordkeeping, it’s hard to assess the success of your business. So often, folks get into farming for passionate reasons. But the reality is that unless we operate our farms as businesses, they will not be economically sustainable.
Last year’s New Farmer U in Minnesota drew 50 intermediate beginning farmers for two days of connecting with other farmers, learning about and discussing different aspects of farm business management – from online marketing and farm employment law to relevant recordkeeping and developing wholesale markets.
All farmers experience challenges in production, weed and water management, weather, and the list goes on. There are things we can control, and
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Enter New Farmer U! Plan for farm financial management and connect with other farmers at this two-day retreat for intermediate beginning farmers – threesix years of farming experience – or anyone who is ready to plan for future success. In partnership with state-based organizations, each year NFU is in a different state to enable folks from across the region an opportunity to attend.
John, a 2021 New Farmer U attendee, shared “Attendance at events like New Farmer U is critical to my development as a farmer.” Late this October, in partnership with The Land Connection, New Farmer U
will be in Illinois. In April of 2023, NFU will be in Wisconsin in partnership with Wisconsin Farmers Union. You can look forward to your choice of two full-day workshops on Friday (details below). Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more details on workshops and presenters for day two of New Farmer U.
Choice 1: Full-day Fearless Farm Finances course This course is taught by Paul Dietmann from Compeer and co-author of “Fearless Farm Finances”, and Andy Larson from the Food Finance Institute. Instructions, tips, and tools for setting up and managing a farm’s financial system, including sample data to show how forms and records should look.
Learn: • • • • • • •
Why detailed numbers are crucial to farming success Techniques for data collection How to set up and use a bookkeeping system Computer bookkeeping program tips Step-by-step development of the three primary financial statements How to use numbers to make product mix, market, and pricing decisions Plus much more to help you improve farm profits
Choice 2: Accessing New Markets Through Distribution The demand for local foods isn’t going away – it’s growing, and shoppers want to be able to access local products wherever they do their shopping. Luck-
