Farm business workshops set starting in January

Press release

With opportunities in value-added, local marketing, new crops and new technologies, there has never been a better time to start a farm business in Montana.

People have the skills to produce high-value products, and a group wants to turn their passion into farm and ranch profits. The Planning for On-Farm Success workshop series teaches people how to:

• start a new market farm or livestock business

• identify the profit centers on the farm

• assess a new enterprise

• capture more of the profits from products

• improve farm brand and marketing

Each workshop includes expert presenters as well as local networking and Q&A with experienced producers, ag service providers, and local lenders. All of these experts will help people work on their plan. 

Workshops will be offered in Havre, Plains and Troy on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 9 to Feb. 20. In Helena, workshops will be offered on Thursdays from Jan. 18 to Feb. 8.

The Havre sessions will be in the Bear Paw Development Corp. Food and Agriculture Development Center in the Ryan Building at 48 Second Ave.

The Jan. 9 session is titled “Farm Strategic Planning,” Jan. 16 “Researching Your Market,” Jan. 23 “Farm Marketing and Promotion,” Jan. 30 “Managing Your Financials,” Feb. 6 “Financial Decision-Making,” Feb. 13 ºFinancing Your Farm” and Feb. 20 “Managing On-Farm Risks.”

The cost for the entire session, which includes a copy of the “Planning for On-Farm Success” workbook, is $75 before Jan. 2 and $100 thereafter. Attending individual workshops costs $20 per workshop.

  To register and learn more, visit http://www.farmlinkmontana.org/PFOS2018 or call Taylor Lyon at the Bear Paw FADC at 265-5602.

This series is offered by the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition in partnership with MSU Extension, Bear Paw FADC, Troy Farmers Market and Farm Link Montana.