Winter Workshops
Creating a Pricing Strategy: January 28, 2026 - 5:00 – 7:00pm - free virtual workshop for farm owner/operators and farm managers who want to learn or get a refresher on how to develop an overall strategy for pricing their farm products. This workshop will help you understand the considerations around financial goals and ongoing assessment related to pricing strategy, establishing baseline numbers and improving clarity on costs of production, and margin and buffer considerations for associated market channel costs. Free and open to Massachusetts farmers, until registration is full.
This workshop will be led by Cian Dalzell, who has been farming since 2007, growing both the soil and financial record systems at his farm Three Maples Market Garden since 2010. In addition to growing vegetables in Berkshire County, he has nearly a decade of experience providing business technical assistance. Registration for this workshop will open in early December 2025
Cash Flow Budgeting: February 25, 2026 - 3:00 – 5:00pm - free virtual workshop for farm owner/operators and managers who want to learn or get a refresher on creating a cash flow budget using their historical financials. This session will include an overview of key accounting concepts related to cash flow budgeting, such as net income, cashflow, and variable expenses vs. fixed expenses. The class will work through the steps to create a cash flow budget, estimating revenue and expenses, considering other inflows and outflows of cash, and translating the annual budget into monthly cash flows to use for planning throughout the year. Free and open to Massachusetts farmers, until registration is full.
This workshop will be led by Julia Shanks, author of The Farmer’s Office, works with food and agricultural entrepreneurs and organizations as a business coach, strategist, and educator. Through her consulting practice, Julia helps food and farm businesses maximize profits and streamline operations through business planning, feasibility studies and operational audits. Registration for this workshop will open in early December 2025.
Financial Foundations: Virtual workshop for farm owner/operators and farm managers who want to learn or get a refresher on financial information including how to set up your financial statements, cash flow budgeting, fixed vs. variable expenses and Cost of Goods Sold. This course, taught by Ray Belanger of Fish Park Consulting, instructor with agricultural financial and business expertise, will help you with tools to evaluate your farm business for greater efficiency and profitability. *Recording of this workshop here.
Contact Jess at Jessica.Camp2@mass.gov with any questions about the workshops.
Growing Your Farm Business Plan Course
Structured support to help you set goals for your farm business resulting in a written business plan with financial projections by attending 6 sessions over 7 weeks. Topics include assessing your resources, risk management, marketing strategy, financial & capital planning, goal setting and quality of life, and applying it on your farm. The course is taught by instructors with years of experience working with farmers – Ray and Jaqueline of Fish Park Consulting and Rose Wilson, guest speaker on Reaching your Market. Enrollment is open to farmers who have been managing a farm business in Massachusetts for at least the three prior years, but could also have years of experience and utilize the course to plan for growth or to obtain financing.
Prior to taking this course, participants should understand how to generate financial statements by attending or listening to recording of Farm Financial Foundations, or have had similar financial management training. Note: Those who take both the Farm Financial Foundations workshop and Growing Your Farm Business Planning course will meet requirements for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) certified borrower training for financial management.
2026 Growing Your Farm Business Plan course schedule* - in-person & virtual classes on Tuesdays, January - March 2026:
- January 13 (in person* 2:00-5:00pm) - Assessing Resources; Farm Operations & Management
- January 20 (virtual 5:30 – 8:00pm) - Develop Mission & Marketing Strategies
- January 27 (virtual 5:30 – 8:00pm) - Financial Management & Planning
- February 3 (in person* 2:00-5:00pm) - Applying it on your Farm - Goal Setting
- Week of February 10 individual meetings with instructors
- Week of February 17 – no class
- February 24 (in person* 2:00-5:00pm) - Wrap-up: MDAR grants & resources, potluck celebration
*Course location for in person classes TBD – location will be determined based on interest from applications received with an effort to minimize driving time for the majority of participants.
- To register for the farm business plan course, fill out application at this link: Growing Your Farm (Application)
For more information or to submit an application, contact Melissa at Melissa.L.Adams@mass.gov. The course fee, subsidized by MDAR, has been reduced to $100 per farm for up to two owner/operators from each farm. It is important to us that the course fee does not create a barrier to participation. If the fee would prevent you from participating, please contact Melissa to discuss waiving the fee at the above email or at 857-276-2377.
Farm-Pass: Farm Transfer Planning Assistance
Farm-Pass Informational webinar – note that timeline and dates mentioned in this webinar no longer apply but the program overview remains consistent - Farm Pass webinar recording here.
MDAR’s new Farm-Pass will provide direct assistance to help Massachusetts farm owners pass their farm on to the next generation. This service is targeted to owners who have already identified a successor – either within the family or not – who is interested in transitioning to own and manage a commercial farm business on the farm property in the near future. This is a no-cost opportunity for farm owners, family members, and the identified successor to work one-on-one with an experienced, dedicated Planner to create a customized farm transfer plan. Participants will meet regularly over the course of approximately one year to set goals for retirement and the future farm business, and create tangible next steps to transfer assets and management. The Planners will NOT provide legal or tax advice but WILL help you develop a written action plan that identifies concrete next steps to work on with your attorney and/or CPA/tax advisor to make the transfer happen.
To access the Request for Response (“RFR”) and application, click the link below. The PDF application is under the “File Attachments”:
Farm-Pass RFR and application posted on CommBuys
Applications accepted on a rolling basis - those received by Dec 1, 2025 to be considered for next round to start this winter. A subsequent round will be due on April 1th, 2026 to be considered for a June 2026 start.
Contact Laura Barley at 857-507-5548 or email MDARFarmPass@mass.gov with any questions.
Succession School
Mondays from 9:30am – 3:30pm, January 26, February 23, and March 23, 2026 - Western Mass MDAR office, 42 Century Way, West Springfield.
MDAR is hosting Land for Good’s Farm Succession School for Massachusetts farmers again this winter! This is an opportunity for senior generation farmers to talk with peers, learn from advisors, and get support on the challenging process of farm succession and transfer planning.
- Have questions about retiring that you don't know how to answer?
- Feel like your family needs to start talking, but you don't know where to start?
- Are you unsure who will take over your farm?
- Can the farm support two generations?
Succession School provides farmers and farming partners with the structured and sustained support to make decisions, engage their families, and organize the legal and financial mechanics. It is an opportunity for senior generation farmers, with or without identified successors, to talk with peers, learn from advisors, and get support on the challenging process of farm succession and transfer planning. The course will meet in-person in for a three-session course at the Western Mass MDAR office in West Springfield between 9:30 am – 3:30pm on the following Mondays 1/26; 2/23; and 3/23. The fee, subsidized by MDAR, is $100 per farm. Registration will remain open until the course is filled and will depend on sufficient interest to run the course.
To learn more or register for the course, visit the Succession School registration page. For questions about the course, contact Jae Silverman Jae@landforgood.org or 603-357-1600. It is important to us that course fees do not create a barrier to participation - if the course fee would prevent you from participating, please contact Jae to discuss waiving the fee.
If you are interested in learning more generally about succession planning assistance, contact Laura Barley at 857-507-5548 or Laura.Barley@mass.gov.