Format: 8 classes, every other Thursday evening, January 5 - April 12, 2012
Dates: January 5 and 19, February 2 and 16, March 1, 15, and 29, and April 12
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Location: Ithaca
Cost: Sliding scale, $80 – $300
Application required: Visit www.groundswellcenter.org for online application or apply online now
For more information: info AT groundswellcenter.org
Ithaca, NY - In collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and Alternatives Federal Credit Union’s Business CENTS Program, the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming in Ithaca will be offering an intensive Farm Business Planning Course this winter. The class will cover all major aspects of the farm business start-up process including assessing your land, infrastructure and equipment needs; legal and regulatory issues; production planning; marketing; financial feasibility, budgets and record keeping; and more.
The course is designed for those who:
The class will run for fourteen weeks, meeting every other Thursday evening from 6-9pm from January 5 through April 12. Instructors are Monika Roth, Agriculture Program Leader and Matt LeRoux, Agriculture Marketing Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County; and Leslie Ackerman, Director of the Business CENTS Program of Alternatives Federal Credit Union, along with area farmers whose stories illustrate the benefits of business planning and financial management skills.
"This is a rigorous course for the serious farming entrepreneur,” says Joanna Green, Director of the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming. “We are really pleased to be working with Monika, Matt and Leslie. They’re skilled teachers with a lot of practical knowledge to offer.”
Groundswell is committed to supporting a new generation of farmers that reflects the diversity of culture, color, and class in our community. Tuition for the class is on a sliding scale, from $80 – $300 depending on household income. It is NOT a requirement that you own land or have the financial resources to own land. This course will examine opportunities to lease land for farming in the Tompkins County area, and to secure financing through ag and commercial lenders or local “Slow Money” investors.
Registration is limited, so please apply early! An online application form is available here. For more information visit our website, send an email to info AT groundswellcenter.org or call 607-277-0180. This Business Planning Course is supported in part by the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, NIFA Grant #2010-49400-21799.
Class schedule and topics:
The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming is an initiative of the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education/Center for Transformative Action. Support for Groundswell comes from individuals and businesses who believe in the importance of strong local food systems, the Park Foundation and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture-USDA, Grant #2010-49400-21799. For more information visit www.groundswellcenter.org.
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Groundswell is an initiative of the not-for-profit Center for Transformative Action, Tax ID: 16‐0990318
Attachment:
Farm Business Planning Course PR.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document
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