Winter Courses

This winter, make a resolution to attend some courses or meetings to learn more about your farm business. A couple important opportunities that I am aware of are the Environmental Farm Plan, Growing Your Farm Profits, and Growing Your Opportunities courses.

Environmental Farm Plan

This program has been around for over 15 years and is a great opportunity to review your farm operation and learn more about environmental issues. The program starts with a two day course. Participants are asked to complete a workbook which is a self assessment of the environmental risks on your farm. There are then potential solutions identified and funding opportunities to help reduce the identified risks on the farm.

I encourage all farmers to participate in this program. If you have done one a number of years ago you likely should review it and contact the program representatives to see if it is appropriate to update your workbook and to begin new projects next summer.

I sometimes talk to farmers (including organic) who think they are doing everything right or that there is nothing in this program for them. I completely disagree with this perception. I frequently see little things that organic farmers can improve upon. This program will bring a number of issues to your attention and likely give you some grants to do some of these things, some of which you were planning to do anyway

Call the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association office for more details 1-800-265-9751 or go to www.ontariosoilcrop.org. Current workshops are listed at www.ontariosoilcrop.org/cms/en/Programs/Workshops/ProgramsCalendar.aspx?menuid=60

Growing Your Farm Profits

This is a new course that has been developed by OMAFRA. It is a two day workshop series to help farmers assess their business and develop an action plan. It covers all aspects of an operation, including how to develop a business strategy, marketing, production, human resources, financial management, social responsibility, succession planning and business structure and then set next step action plans for improvement.

As part of the transition to organic and developing your organic farm you have to change a lot of the business aspects of your farm. I see a number of ways that organic farmers can use the information in this course to help them develop their business and marketing skills.
Visit : www.ontario.ca/agbusiness or call 1-888-466-2372 for more details.

Growing Your Opportunities

Quest for New Farm Value workshops - These courses have evolved over the past several years and have been very popular with farmers who want to add more value to their farming operation and the products they sell. It is a two day workshop series for farm and rural based entrepreneurs seeking new and expanding marketplace opportunities, up to 15 workshops will be held across the Province in 2009.

The workshop offers an interactive environment to assist participants to: Find innovative ways to market their new or existing products and services; Create a dynamic but simple business plan; and explore pricing, profit margins and financing a plan.

Visit : www.ontario.ca/agbusiness or call 1-888-466-2372 for more details.

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