The Managing Risk by Improving Farm Business Management Skills multi-state project provided educational opportunities that helped participants manage financial risk by evaluating farm business records and applying economic principles in decision making. Tennessee and Kentucky farmers involved in value-added, direct marketing and agritourism enterprises were the target audience.
The program included:
- Two monthly webinar series over 7 months--7 Habits for Effective Farmers (2019) and 7 $ecrets of Effective Farmers (2020) provided training on various farm business management, marketing and planning topics.
- 10 day-long Got Farm Records... Now What? Workshops taught existing and would-be operators of a value-added farm business how to create spreadsheets and analyze and use them in making business management decisions.
- Three Advanced Got Farm Records... Now What? Virtual Workshops, each consisting of three online sessions, taught existing and would-be operators of a value-added farm business how to create spreadsheets and analyze and use them in making business management decisions.
Two hundred and thirty-two participants increased their knowledge of farm business management, tools and techniques. Two hundred and fifteen developed written goals for implementing new or improved financial management skills in decision making and 36 reported implementing strategies and/or techniques learned to evaluate their farm business records with Excel®.