Farm Business Management Forum 

SCORE Maine, in collaboration with Farm Credit East, is pleased to offer a Farm Business Management Forum. This forum is a series of educational sessions on farm business management.  This free forum is for in-business Maine farmers to enhance their business management skills.  

The skills to profitably operate a farm business today are many and varied.  If you hope to increase your profits in 2020, you may need to do something different than you did in 2019.  What alternatives  have you considered?  Have you made plans yet for your business in the new year?  Willingness to embrace change often presents opportunities.

Another challenge for many farms is hiring and managing workers.  What are some of the possibilities for hiring and managing your labor force?

Who should attend?

• Producers of crops, vegetables, beef cattle, dairy, pigs, sheep, goats, fruit and maple products
• Farmers who manage the farm as a business and desire to increase performance
• Full-time farmers that employ one or more people in addition to themselves
• Farmers who desire to take a break from day-to-day operations and hear some new ideas

When:  Tuesday April 7th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM 

Program:

8:30  Registration & Coffee 

9:00 Welcome & overview

9:15 Farm Policy that Impacts Maine - Nancy McBrady - Bureau Director of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources

10:00 Should I Diversify?  What Should I Change? - Steve Veazey - SCORE Maine  

10:45  Break

11:00 Characteristics of Financially Successful Farms - Moderator - Allyn Lamb, SCORE

Panel of producers

• Marsha Hamilton - Piper Farms, Embden - Dairy
• Joel Gilbert - Berry Fruit Farm, Livermore - Berries, Apples & Peaches
• Hanne Tierney - Cornerstone Farm, Palmyra - Pork, Flowers, Veggies & Eggs

12:15 Lunch provided

1:00 Farm Labor - Hiring and Managing Your Workers - Panel

• Leslie Forstadt - Moderator - Cooperative Extension
• Yvette Meunier - Maine DACF
• Jorge Acero - Maine DOL
• Mary Joan Kozicki LaFontaine - Maine DOL
• Polly Shyka - Villageside Farm, Freedom

2:00 Annual Business Planning - Ethan Robertson - Farm Credit East

3:00 Wrap-up

Where:  O'Briens Restaurant at Best Western

375 Maine Street, Waterville, Maine    Exit 130 off I-95

Fee:  None

 

Register Now!