5 minute read
New Farmer U Provides Business Management Training and Connection
NEW FARMER U
PROVIDES BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND CONNECTION
BY SARAH WOUTAT
It’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.
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.
All farmers experience challenges in production, weed and water management, weather, and the list goes on. There are things we can control, and 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.
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.
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.
John, a 2021 New Farmer U attendee, shared “Attendance at events like New Farmer U is critical to my development as a farmer.” 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-
ily, selling your product into the wholesale market doesn’t just make things more convenient for the consumer, but can also increase your efficiencies and flexibility on the farm.
The Land Connection, with support from USDA/NIFA and North Central Extension Risk Management Education (ERME), has teamed up with local farmers and distributors to break down how specialty crop (fruit and vegetable) growers can work with food distributors to reach more end markets. An allday intensive workshop where we’ll work through why, when, and how to work with distributors.
We’ll learn from distribution partners Jim Carbine, former CEO of Local Foods, and Alex Frantz, Director of Local & Sustainability at Midwest Foods, as they explain why distributors do what they do and how you can use them to achieve your goals. Jim and Alex will be joined by local farmers who will share what they’ve learned from years of working with distributors.
We look forward to connecting with you at New Farmer U in October! Updates can be found at thelandconnection.org/ event/new-farmer-u/ or marbleseed.org.
New Farmer U is supported by NIFA, USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (2020-49400-32787).
Sarah Woutat is a Farmer Advancement Coordinator at Marbleseed. She operated her own certified organic vegetable farm in Minnesota for nine years.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY
FROM NEW FARMER U?
“Always be talking about your farm business goals and what you want through your business with others. This can help you find land, learn about best practices, and make connections that can support you (and vice versa) through the farming journey.” — Liz L, NFU 2021 Attendee
Stay connected with us as we share more details about New Farmer U!
October 28 - 29, 2022 Illinois | Location TBD
Stay up-to-date by visiting... thelandconnection.org/event/new-farmer-u
Or reach out to us directly via email... cassidy@thelandconnection.org sarah.woutat@marbleseed.org
BUILT ON FARMER Relationships.
THIS IS MORE THAN A PARTNERSHIP.
IT’S A Promise. grainmillers.com | 800.328.5188 Grain Millers is a privately held, family-owned company. We depend on direct farmer relationships and offer farm gate pricing and contracted grower production. We also offer a Sustainable Grower Program – our Crop Science Team is here to help you with any agronomy questions you may have so you can get the best return on your production. When you sell to Grain Millers, your grain is going directly into some of the most technologically advanced mills in the world!
