By Kristy Borrelli
Abundant opportunities exist for farming enterprises and businesses to achieve value-added production. Free, online courses from SARE provide support for making business plans and setting achievable goals.
Pennsylvania’s rich farmland and agricultural communities offer multiple opportunities to meet consumers’ growing desires for farm products and rural activities. Increasing local and global demand for high quality and specialty products has opened the door for many farmers and ag-entrepreneurs to take advantage of niche markets. Although some enterprises, like alternative energy, are still relatively new and involve more complicated infrastructures, many emerging markets require products supplied by more traditional farming strategies. For example, grass-fed beef, poultry, milk, and eggs are highly sought out by individual consumers, as well as high-end restaurants. Ancient and organic grains provide bakers with specialty flours for making bread, while sources of malting barley, grains, and hops supply burgeoning craft beer and liquor markets. Meanwhile, on-farm recreational activities such as corn mazes and fishing/game areas offer profitable agri-tourism activities for consumers wanting to “get out.”
Unique products and activities such as these, often add value that can benefit farmer, artisan, and consumer alike. Whether you are an ag-entrepreneur who is experienced, just starting up, interested in large commercial sales or direct market prospects, wanting to try something new, or continuing with something familiar, having a solid business plan and strategy can increase your ability to be successful.
To help guide ag-entrepreneurs towards success, a free, online course on Strategic Farm/Ranch Planning and Marketing is available from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) division of the USDA at courses.sare.org. This is the second course in a series of three. It addresses business start-up through retirement in three units:
- Planning and Business Development
- Marketing Opportunities and Strategies for Businesses
- Managing the Farm or Ranch for Long-Term Success
The units guide users through asking the right questions about their current business situation, visions, goals, and strategies as they explore new ideas, develop business plans and market approaches, set up advisory groups, assess risks, and plan for the future. This interactive course provides an overview of basic terms and components of business plans and cites several complimentary workbooks and resources that provide more in depth business planning opportunities.
Although the course is primarily targeted towards agriculture service providers like Extension educators, it is also suitable for farmers, land managers, and other people interested in farm marketing, across all farming operations. All three courses are conveniently formatted for busy people since they are open, accessible anytime, and can be taken independently from one another. The other two courses in this series are:
- Sustainable Agriculture Principles and Concepts Overview
- Agricultural Ecosystem Management
In addition to the course by SARE, farm management and business planning resources specific to Pennsylvania are available through Penn State Extension’s Farm and Food Business website.
Ever changing consumer interests and markets can make for seemingly endless possibilities and opportunities for farmers. Careful preparation from the start can help ensure positive experiences and lasting success that brings forth the best that agricultural communities have to offer.
Source:psu.edu