Exploring the Small Farm Dream
5-session course, typically offered on weekday evenings, using curriculum and workbook developed by the New England Small Farm Institute. For those who are thinking about or in the planning stages of a starting their own farm, including those who are expanding a hobby to an income-generating scale. This course offers guidance and resources to help make informed decisions about what’s involved with owning your own farm so you can decide whether or not to take the plunge - and how to proceed in the first stages. Cost per enterprise - $100
Exploring the Small Farm Dream (application)
Exploring the Small Farm Dream (description)
Winter Session: January 10 – February 14, 2024, Wednesdays 6:00pm-8:00pm, online.
- To be considered for an upcoming session, please complete an application (found at link above) and email it to Jessica.Camp@mass.gov.
- Or mail it to:
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Attn: Jessica Camp
138 Memorial Ave, Suite 42
West Springfield, MA 01089
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If your application is approved and you commit to attending on the scheduled dates, you will then need to mail a check for $100 made out to “Commonwealth of Massachusetts” to the MDAR W. Springfield office to confirm your spot. It is important to us that course fees do not create a barrier to participation. If the fee would prevent you from participating, please call or email Jessica Camp at 617-823-0871 or Jessica.Camp@mass.gov, and we can discuss waiving the fee.
For more information about the Exploring the Small Farm Dream course, contact Jessica Camp at 617-823-0871 or Jessica.Camp@mass.gov.
Growing Your Farm Business Planning Course
A hands-on course to help established farmers better understand and plan for their commercial farm business through the development of a farm business plan with financial projections. Course topics include resource assessment, marketing strategy, financial management, risk management, quality of life, and goal setting. The course is taught by professional business planners with years of experience working with Massachusetts farms and guest speakers on relevant topics such as online marketing and succession planning. You will network with other farmers and receive direct feedback from instructors as you develop a chapter of the plan each week in order to complete a business plan by the end of this 8-week course!
Enrollment is open to farmers who have been operating a farm business in Massachusetts for at least the three prior years, but participating farmers could also have 20-30 years of experience and utilize the course to plan for growth or add a new enterprise. Cost per enterprise - $150.
Recent participants said:
“Every farmer should know how to write a business plan and take the time to look at their business in this detail.”
“The expectation of meeting in person encouraged us to sit down and actually get the business plan DONE!”
The next Growing Your Farm Business Planning course will be held in person in MDAR’s Southborough or Lakeville office, or an alternate eastern Massachusetts location dependent on interest. Classes are typically 6-8:30pm and start in early January. Enrolled farmers will be expected to attend all 8 weekly in-person classes.
Farmers that have completed a recent business plan by participating in the Growing Your Farm business planning course and then apply and get accepted to MDAR’s APR Improvement Program (AIP), Farm Viability Enhancement Program (FVEP), or Matching Enterprise Grants for Agriculture (MEGA) may be able to waive the business planning phase of these programs, enabling them to move to the contract phase earlier to start implementing their projects.
The Growing Your Farm business planning course has been approved as a certified USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) borrower training for financial management.
To be considered for an upcoming course, please complete an application (found at link above) and email it to Melissa.L.Adams@mass.gov, or mail to:
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Attn: Melissa Adams
138 Memorial Ave, Suite 42
West Springfield, MA 01089
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. It is important to us that course fees do not create a barrier to participation. If the fee would prevent you from participating, please call or email Melissa Adams at 413-726-2001 or Melissa.L.Adams@mass.gov, and we can discuss waiving the fee.
For more information about the Growing Your Farm Business Planning course, contact Melissa Adams, 413-726-2001, Melissa.L.Adams@mass.gov.
Succession School
MDAR offers Land for Good’s Farm Succession School for Massachusetts farmers each winter – 2024 session details are as follows:
In person sessions Wednesdays, 9:30am – 3:30pm at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, MA.
- January 31, 2024
- February 28, 2024
- March 27, 2024
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.
- Are you unsure who will take over your farm?
- Feel like your family needs to start talking, but you don't know where to start?
- Have questions about retiring that you don't know how to answer?
- Can the farm support two generations?
If you are interested in learning more about succession planning assistance, fill out this Succession School Interest form. For any questions about succession planning assistance through MDAR, contact Laura Barley at 857-507-5548 or Laura.Barley@mass.gov.
The course fee for Succession School is $100. It is important to us that course fees do not create a barrier to participation. If any of the course fees would prevent you from participating, please contact the course coordinator above to discuss waiving the fee.
Previous Workshops
MDAR’s Agricultural Business Training Program also offers occasional trainings and workshops to respond to identified needs of Massachusetts farmers. Examples of past workshops:
- Planning for the Next Successor on your Farm - Winter 2019; Experts from MDAR and Land for Good provided tools and resources - including the state's Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program - to help farmers identify the next owner of the farm and take steps towards making the transition.
- Applying Lean Principles to Farm Operations, Nov 2017; hosted by Outlook Farm in Westhampton, presenter Scott Morrison In partnership with Franklin County Community Development Corporation, PVGrows Investment Fund, and Communities Involved in Sustaining Agriculture.
- Attracting Loyal Customers Through Online Marketing & Social Media, offered to Tilling the Soil of Opportunity (now Growing Your Farm) business planning course participants in May 2016; presenter Myrna Greenfield, Good Egg Marketing.