This 6-part series examines The Farm School’s farm business enterprises to learn both the value and process of creating a formal business plan. Students learn to make enterprise budgets, create a farm image or brand, finance an agricultural business and make cash flow projections. Special agricultural considerations are presented and student farmers complete the course with a comprehensive business plan for a farm enterprise of their own.

This course teaches student farmers how to understand and identify their target markets. Topics include the CSA and farmers market models as well as direct sales to restaurant accounts. Teaching techniques range from classroom discussion and review of popular culture media to marketing directly with our customers at the our stand at the Belmont Farmers’ Market and CSA Stand at Iggy’s Breads of the World. Skills include branding, product display, outreach and relationship building with farm customers.

In this series we cover various regulations around poultry processing, USDA inspected slaughterhouses, on-farm egg sales, CSA sales, Farmer’s Market regulations, labeling considerations, raw milk/product sales, value-added products & certified kitchens as well as insurance and other legal and regulatory considerations.

This course presents the various options for new farmers to acquire the farmland they need to begin their agricultural business. The class covers planning, assessing land needs, searching for properties and evaluating agricultural land. The course covers a full range of acquisition options, brokering agreements, easements and other restrictions, and land use agreements.