Business Planning

1.8.19 // 6:00pm to 2.26.19 // 9:00pm

Farm Business Planning Class

This course meets for 8 evening sessions and is filled with information and activities that will help you write your farm business plan.The Farm Business Planning course is designed to help you create a written plan to start or expand your farm business. If you are interested in growing on our incubator farm, you must have a business plan.

Recordkeeping 2: Harvest and Post-Harvest Records for FSMA Compliance

Media:

  • Digital Download

This guide can be used to assist trainers who want to make good farm recordkeeping practices accessible to farmers with limited English and/or low literacy skills. It covers the reasons for and benefits of keeping good records for harvest and post-harvest activities, including compliance with food safety requirements. It explains what kinds of information need to be recorded and provides recommendations for when and how to collect that information. Tools which allow farmers with low-literacy skills to keep good records of on-farm activities are provided. This teaching resource was developed by Craig Demi of the Southside Community Land Trust in Providence, RI in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). 

Recordkeeping 1: Crop Planning and Planting Records for FSMA Compliance

Media:

  • Digital Download

This guide can be used to assist trainers who want to make good farm record keeping practices accessible to farmers with limited English or low-literacy skills. It covers the reasons and benefits of keeping good records for planning and planting, including compliance with food safety requirements. It explains what kinds of information need to be recorded and provides recommendations for when and how to collect that information. Tools which allow farmers with low-literacy skills to keep good records of on-farm activities are provided. This teaching resource was developed by Craig Demi of the Southside Community Land Trust in Providence, RI in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions).

Crop Insurance 1: Introduction to Crop Insurance

Media:

  • Digital Download

Guided discussion draws on farmers’ traditional strategies for dealing with catastrophic crop failures to introduce the concept of crop insurance. Participants are introduced to basic concepts and vocabulary related to insurance. USDA’s Whole Farm Revenue Protection is introduced through a discussion of its purpose and benefits.

Crop Insurance 2: Introduction to Whole Farm Revenue Protection

Media:

  • Digital Download

Participants will review costs and benefits of WFRP crop insurance and learn about eligibility, the application process, required farming practices and record keeping. They will be advised on where to find assistance with accessing information about WFRP, decision making, program application, compliance, and, when appropriate, collecting payments. Trainers may need to begin by reviewing what was learned about Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), from Module 1: Introduction to Crop Insurance. This teaching resource was developed by Linda Seyler of Global Garden Refugee Training Farm in Chicago, in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions).

10.16.18 // 6:00pm to 2.26.19 // 9:00pm

Farm Business Planning Course

If you are ready to start or expand your farm business, the Farm Business Planning Course is for you. In this course you will learn how to create a mission and vision for your business, develop a budget and a plan to fund your business, create a marketing plan for your business, set goals and create a timeline for your farm business to grow or expand, and weave those elements together into a cohesive business plan.

Webinar: Building Online Engagement to Market Your Farm

Media:

  • Video

Marketing can help you decide what to grow or produce, choose where and how you want to sell it, differentiate yourself from other farmers, and make effective use of social media and other marketing tools. Learn the basics to doing your own marketing or supervising someone else. This series of 4 webinars is designed as a complete marketing class, but you can view each one as a stand alone course.

Webinar 4: Building Online Engagement to Market Your Farm
Websites, social media, email, and other types of digital marketing are great tools, but they can also be a huge waste of time. This session will cover basic dos and don’ts of websites, tips for getting found on the web through search engine optimization and online directories, and making the most of email and social media marketing.

About the Instructor:
Myrna Greenfield, founder and “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing, provides expert marketing for good food and good causes. Good Egg helps businesses increase sales and build customer loyalty through brand development, sales and marketing strategies, websites, and social media. Greenfield is a frequent speaker, trainer and workshop presenter. She holds an MBA from the Simmons School of Management and lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Webinar recorded on June 20, 2018. 

Webinar: Creating a Strong Brand for Your Farm

Media:

  • Video

Marketing can help you decide what to grow or produce, choose where and how you want to sell it, differentiate yourself from other farmers, and make effective use of social media and other marketing tools. Learn the basics to doing your own marketing or supervising someone else. This series of 4 webinars is designed as a complete marketing class, but you can view each one as a stand alone course. 

Webinar 3: Creating a Strong Brand for Your Farm
Your farm brand consists of everything that you offer, say, or do, from the quality of your produce or meat to the color of your logo to the way you greet your customers. This session will explain how to creating a clear, consistent, and compelling brand that can help people remember your farm, build customer loyalty, and increase sales.

About the Instructor:
Myrna Greenfield, founder and “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing, provides expert marketing for good food and good causes. Good Egg helps businesses increase sales and build customer loyalty through brand development, sales and marketing strategies, websites, and social media. Greenfield is a frequent speaker, trainer and workshop presenter. She holds an MBA from the Simmons School of Management and lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Webinar recorded on June 13, 2018.

Webinar: Creating a Farm Marketing Plan to Achieve Your Sales Goals

Media:

  • Video

Marketing can help you decide what to grow or produce, choose where and how you want to sell it, differentiate yourself from other farmers, and make effective use of social media and other marketing tools. Learn the basics to doing your own marketing or supervising someone else. This series of 4 webinars is designed as a complete marketing class, but you can view each one as a stand alone course. 

Webinar 2: Create a Farm Marketing Plan to Achieve Your Sales Goals
Learn how to create a simple marketing plan that will help you reach your sales goals. We’ll review product, pricing, and distribution options and discuss the design, promotion, and people you’ll need to implement your plan.

About the Instructor:
Myrna Greenfield, founder and “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing, provides expert marketing for good food and good causes. Good Egg helps businesses increase sales and build customer loyalty through brand development, sales and marketing strategies, websites, and social media. Greenfield is a frequent speaker, trainer and workshop presenter. She holds an MBA from the Simmons School of Management and lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Webinar recorded on June 6, 2018.

Webinar: Use Market Research to Guide Farm Business Decisions

Media:

  • Video

Marketing can help you decide what to grow or produce, choose where and how you want to sell it, differentiate yourself from other farmers, and make effective use of social media and other marketing tools. Learn the basics of doing your own marketing or supervising someone else. This series of 4 webinars is designed as a complete marketing class, but you can view each one as a stand alone course. 

Webinar 1: Use Market Research to Guide Farm Business Decisions

If you want to grow your business, you need to sell more to your existing customers, sell to new customers, and/or expand the number of products or services you offer. Market research can help you generate new ideas and choose the best options. This session will show you how to use basic market research to assess market trends, understand your current or potential customers, and decide what products, prices and channels make sense for your farm. 

About the Instructor:

Myrna Greenfield, founder and “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing, provides expert marketing for good food and good causes. Good Egg helps businesses increase sales and build customer loyalty through brand development, sales and marketing strategies, websites, and social media. Greenfield is a frequent speaker, trainer and workshop presenter. She holds and MBA from the Simmons School of Management and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Webinar recorded on May 30, 2018. 

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