
Certificate Program
Let’s get down to business! While many folks are attracted to farming and ranching because of their love of the land or their desire to do truly meaningful work, farming and ranching is still a business. At HMI we know that to create a sustainable, healthy agricultural enterprise, you need to run it as such. So, we’ve created our Whole Farm/Ranch Business Planning course to give both new and experienced farmers and ranchers the knowledge and tools they need to do just that.
Our six-day course is taught in two-day increments, so you have plenty of time to start applying what you’ve learned, while you’re still enrolled in the course. Naturally, we teach the Holistic Management Farm/Ranch system that’s been helping ag producers build sustainable farms and ranches for thirty years. You will create a Whole Farm/Ranch Goal and learn the Holistic Decision-Making process. From there, you will create a whole farm/ranch holistic goal, a draft business plan, a financial plan and a marketing plan. You will also receive a certificate upon completion.
What to Expect
By the end of the course, you will be well prepared to…
- Develop a management inventory to more effectively manage resources
- Clarify farm or ranch goals and utilize new ways to manage them
- Use a decision-making tool for making sustainable and effective decisions
- Develop time management tools to improve labor efficiency
- Better understand group dynamics
- Improve management of employees, interns and apprentices
- Develop effective implementation and monitoring of financial systems that work
- Develop strategies to increase profitability
- Leave with a financial plan you developed
- Determine the best enterprise(s) for a profitable operation
- Learn how to reduce stress around financial decision making
- Explore the link between marketing, profit, and cost of production
- Develop an effective marketing plan that utilizes current resources
- Determine best marketing strategies for your products and situation
- Determine marketing needs and additional resources necessary to address them
- Leave with a marketing plan you developed
- Determine key strategic initiatives necessary to grow and sustain the agricultural operation you manage
- Determine return on investment to prioritize initiatives
- Create timeline for strategic initiative implementation
- Leave with a business plan outline you developed that will help you develop your business and/or obtain funding for that business
Registration
2017 Schedule Coming Soon – Sign up for our free e-newsletter, Covering Ground, for upcoming courses.
Fee and Financial Assistance
- $250 per person
- Eligible for the HMI Terry Gompert Memorial Scholarship
- *Qualifies for FSA Borrower Training Credit in various USA states
Cancellation Policy Cancellations received up to 30 days prior to the course start date will receive a full refund. Cancellations received up to 14 days prior to an event start date will receive a 40% refund. No refunds will be given otherwise, unless in the event of dire emergency. This policy is required due to financial obligations incurred by HMI in planning these events. We appreciate your understanding.
Results
Are you wondering how our 2015 courses impacted our community? Here’s what course participants have to say:
“I learned how to quantify/identify my values and apply them to business practices and decisions.”
“It helped me develop a more comprehensive approach to planning.”
“Everything I learned will help me be a better farmer.”
“I learned ways to convince other decision makers to get on board.”
“I learned the difference between the way I have been operating vs. the way I could be operating.”
“Planning for profit was one of the most useful things taught.”
“I learned the difference between drawing profit vs. building net worth, and also how effective brainstorming can be for idea generation.”
“The one-on-one help was great!”
“I learned key pricing guidelines and the relationship to competition.”
“I better understand customers and competition.”
-Whole Farm Business Planning Students in CA & NM
“One of the first things that I took from Holistic Management financial planning was the “War on Cost”. I managed to save double the cost of my first Holistic Management course in my first year just by following this simple principle.” – Rob Havard, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
We’ve been teaching Holistic Management and sustainable agriculture to farmers and ranchers for over 30 years. Read more about our Impact in our blog.