Beginning Women Farmers & Whole Farm Planning

Free Training Opportunity for Women!

Quick−answer these four questions:

Do you wear muddy boots more than you wear high heels?
Do you believe women learn more effectively from each other?
Would you like to learn from other women farmers?
Have you been farming less than 10 years?

If you answered “yes” to at least three of the above questions, you have a chance to join other farming women for support and camaraderie learning about whole farm planning. Through funds from a USDA grant, beginning women farmers in Connecticut can learn more about whole farm planning in a program developed specifically for women. Best of all, it costs nothing but your time and interest.

This program includes:

One-on-One Mentorships
On-Farm Field Days
Business Planning Seminars
Network of Women Farmers

Workshops will be scheduled throughout the 2009/2010 winter with farm visits during the spring, summer, and fall of 2010. Each one will be a single 6-8-hour session. These will be held in locations around Connecticut. Topics include:

1. Introduction to Whole Farm Planning; Creating a Values-based Farm Mission; Whole Farm Decision Analysis Process
2. Increasing Farm Profitability (Gross Profit Analysis; Enterprise Analysis)
3. Creating a Whole Farm Financial Plan
4. Business Planning Basics
5. Creating a Marketing Plan
6. Soil Fertility Basics; Examining Enterprises’ Environmental Impact;
7. Time Management – Pulling it All Together in a Whole Farm Plan
8. Land and Infrastructure Planning
9. Leadership/Communication Skills
10. Integrating Livestock on your Farm (optional)

If you are a woman farmer who has been farming less than 10 years, contact the coordinator for your state for an application. If you would like to participate as a farmer mentor, please also contact: Bill Duesing, CT NOFA, 203/888-5146; bill@ctnofa.org

Training Applications due November 6, 2009
Mentor Applications due November 15, 2009