Risk Management Course for Specialty Crop Growers

SMALL FARMS

Risk Management Course for Specialty Crop Growers

This six-week course introduces growers to different risk management tools including financial planning, niche marketing, whole systems analysis, and enterprise budgeting. Class participants used the course manual to apply principles learned during the classes to their own agricultural businesses.

Course Manual: Building a Sustainable Business

http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bizplan.html

Syllabus: (Syllabus.pdf)

• Class 1: Setting Goals and Vision

  Topics: Define values, prioritize goals and develop a mission statement.

  Articles and publications:

  Introduction to Risk Management: Understanding Agricultural Risks

  
  Sample Map

  www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/producerforms.pdf, page 15

   

  Commodity Insurance Fact Sheets

  http://www2.rma.usda.gov/fields/wa_rso/2007/stonefruit.pdf

  http://www2.rma.usda.gov/fields/wa_rso/2007/pears.pdf

  http://www2.rma.usda.gov/fields/wa_rso/2007/nursery.pdf

  http://www2.rma.usda.gov/fields/wa_rso/2007/grape.pdf

  http://www2.rma.usda.gov/fields/wa_rso/2007/apple.pdf

  Power Point Presentations

  Setting Goals and Values for Your Farm Business

  Instructor: Melissa Matthewson

• Class 2: Assessing Goals and Values, and Researching Market Potential

  Topics: Assess current state of marketing, operations, human resource and finances on your farm.

  Articles and publications:

  Whole Farm Planning for Economic and Environmental Sustainability

  Managing risk in an inherently risky business

  Volume 15, Number 10

  S.W.O.T. Analysis

   

• Class 3: Developing a Market Strategy

  Topics: Direct marketing channels, industry trends, marketing in Southern Oregon

  Articles and publications:

  Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm

  Marketing Strategy for Farmers and Ranchers

  Power Point Presentations:

  Alternative Marketing for Small and Medium-Sized Farms

  Instructor: Larry Lev

• Class 4: Farm Operations Strategy- Operations and Human Resources

  Topics: Scale of production, work force needs, operation strategies and management approaches.

  Articles and publications:

  Oregon Tilth Certified Organic: How to Achieve Organic Certification (Crop Farms)

  On My Bookshelf (Small Farm Annotated Bibliography)

  Power Point Presentations:

  Operations & Human Resources Planning

  Instructor: Melissa Matthewson

• Class 5: Financial Planning

  Topics: Enterprise budgeting, financial projections and strategic evaluation.

  Articles and publications:

  10 Habits of Highly Profitable Farmers

  Bart Elevelds presentation

  Alternative Financial/Organizational Structures of Farm and Agribusiness Firms

  Agricultural Business Insurance

  Enterprise Budgets and Production Costs for Organic Production

  Using Enterprise Budgets to Make Decisions about Your Farm

   

• Class 6: Managing Production Risk

  Topics: Strategies for managing production risk including soil fertility, season extension, succession planting, and pest management.

  Articles and publications:

  Scheduling Vegetable Plantings for Continuous Harvest

  Power Point Presentations:

  Soil Fertility

  Instructor: Nick Andrews

Melissa Matthewson
Small Farms
Oregon State University Extension
569 Hanley Road
Central Point , OR 97502
(541) 776-7371 x208
mailto:melissa.matthewson@oregonstate.edu