Fingerlakespermaculture mailing list

["Michael Burns" <michael AT fingerlakespermaculture.org>]

For immediate release: Sept. 4, 2012
Contact: Erica Frenay, <ejf5 AT cornell.edu> 607-255-9911

Get Help Writing Your Farm Business Plan this Fall

It is rare for a farm to be an accidental success; having a written document
laying out the farm's goals, marketing strategies, financial projections, and
operation is essential to demonstrate the feasibility of the farmer's plans. A
business plan is also a must-have for anyone seeking loans or grants to help
fund their farm's development.

This Fall, you can get personal guidance in writing your farm business plan by
taking an online course offered by the Cornell Small Farms Program.

*BF202: Planning for Sustainability - Writing Your Business
Plan*<http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses/all-courses/bf-202-planning-for-sustainability/>is
a fast-paced course covering one section of the business plan each week.

Through weekly webinars, you'll hear from farmers, business management
educators, and bankers about what makes a good business plan. You'll get
personal feedback on each section of your business plan as you complete the
weekly homework. The course begins Thurs. Oct 4 and runs for 6 weeks through
Nov. 8, with evening webinars every Thursday. The cost is $200. Registration
closes when the course fills up or by Sept 26, whichever happens first, so
don't delay or you might miss this opportunity.

Students who took the course last Fall have used their completed business
plans to obtain farm mortgages, equipment purchase loans, and operating loans.
One student said, "I basically knew very little prior to taking this course.
But now I feel confident about how to write a business plan, how to research
the areas that are projections/pro-forma statements, and the components of
each section."

If you've felt intimidated by the process of writing a business plan, or if
you plan to seek outside funding for your farm, sign up now for this unique
opportunity to join a virtual community that will help you write your farm
business plan this Fall. For more details visit
http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses/all-courses/bf-202-planning-for-sustainability/

This course is only one of many offered over the Fall, Winter and Spring by
the Cornell Small Farms Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. For the
full course menu, visit http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses.

Erica Frenay
Cornell Small Farms Program
Northeast Beginning Farmer Project Coordinator
15B Plant Science
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-9911
http://www.nebeginningfarmers.org
http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu

Follow us on  Facebook @  Northeast Beginning Farmer
Project<http://www.facebook.com/northeastbeginningfarmers> or
on Twitter @BeginningFarms <https://twitter.com/home>.


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