Session 4: Crop Budgeting & Seasonal Planning

Have you always dreamed of starting your own farm or food business? Maybe you're a new farmer in the first few years of operations? Do you still need to write or clean up your business plan?

Join Rural Action for this free five-part webinar series that will provide you with everything you need to create a sustainable farm business plan!

The fourth webinar in the series will give participants the opportunity to learn about crop budgeting and seasonal planning from local experts. Topics will cover how to plan for a production season, mapping out fields, creating workplans and schedules, and how to develop crop budgets for specific products to ensure your pricing reflects actual business costs. These key elements - along with the farm business plan - make up the basis of a sustainable Whole Farm Plan. Tom Redfern, Sustainable Agriculture Director at Rural Action will lead this session along with Dan Kneier, Farm Manager at Hocking College.

Tom Redfern is the Sustainable Agriculture Director at Rural Action. In this role, Redfern leads multiple Sustainable Agriculture team members, oversees all Sustainable Agriculture projects, develops funding and marketing strategies, and directs team resources to best serve increased agricultural production throughout Appalachian Ohio. Redfern's background in for-profit agriculture allows him to work closely with farmers to identify and implement the tools that they need to increase local food production. He currently serves as the licensed Auction Firm Manager for the Chesterhill Produce Auction, ultimately responsible for its day to day operation and compliance with regulations. Prior to his start at Rural Action in 2004, Redfern spent 20 years working in commercial and public horticulture in Ohio and served as an Extension educator in the U.S. Peace Corps. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Morgan County OSU Extension.

Dan Kneier is the Farm Manager for the Agroecology Program at Hocking College. In this role, Kneier oversees the entire farm property, coordinates all seasonal production, maintains equipment, and educates numerous students in the Agroecology program. Prior to his time at Hocking College, Kneier served as the farm manager at Green Edge Organic Gardens in Amesville, Ohio, where he managed an extensive farm crew and oversaw year-round production in the farm's ten high tunnels, microgreen house, and mushroom operation.