Get a Better Handle on Your Bottom Line – Financial Management During Transition and After

We all know that the period of transition to organic can be a financially risky and/or scary time for farmers, and that there is very little “real world” information available about the financial performance and profitability of farms during transition.  

A project led by researchers at the University of Minnesota is aiming to generate useful information and insights about the transition period.  The program offers farm business management education scholarships to transitioning and recently certified (three years or fewer) Minnesota organic farmers, who work 1:1 with a Farm Business Management (FBM) instructor to develop accurate business records, financial statements (e.g., cash flows, projected profitability statements, balance sheets, and risk analysis), and annual farm business analyses.  Individual participant information is kept strictly confidential; only summary data averaged across participating farms is made public.

Transitioning and recently certified Minnesota field crop and/or dairy farmers are eligible.  The scholarships cover up to 90% of this FBM education program, and right now, 22 farmers are involved.   In addition to the scholarships, they have a chance to attend workshops, meet other transitioning farmers, get help with business planning, and give other feedback about how the transition is going for them.  

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Meg Moynihan conducts short intake interviews over the phone; call her direct at 651-201-6616. You can also get more details about the program in a brochure posted at www.mda.state.mn.us/fbm

This project is funded by the USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. 

Meg Moynihan
Organic and DIversification Specialist, Minnesota Department of Agriculture |625 Robert Street North | St. Paul, MN 55155 | 651-201-6616; (f) 201-6120 | www.mda.state.mn.us/amd

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The 2012 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-
SARE) Research and Education Grant Program Call for Preproposals is now available online at http://sare.org/ncrsare

NCR-SARE’s Research and Education program supports innovators with competitive Research and Education grants. Individual grants range from $10,000 to $200,000. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 8-12 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region.

The deadline for Research and Education Program preproposals is 4:30pm CDT June 9, 2011.

Since 1988, NCR-SARE has awarded more than $40 million worth of competitive grants to farmers and ranchers, researchers, educators, public and private institutions, nonprofit groups, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states. NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council represents various agricultural sectors, states and organizations. It sets program priorities and makes granting decisions for the region. A collection of farm and non-farm residents, the Administrative Council includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in our 12 states. Council members come from regional farms and ranches, university extension and research programs, and nonprofits. In addition, the Administrative Council includes regional representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, state agencies, and agribusinesses.

For more information contact:
North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
(NCR-SARE)
612-626-3113
www.sare.org/ncrsare
ncrsare@unm.edu
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