A one-year business planning program for farmers that combines workshops, follow-up technical assistance, and a small grant to implement new learning.
The Business of Farming is for experienced farmers who want to analyze their current business model and use the information to improve profitability and become more efficient.
In this program, you will:
During the program, you’ll have a chance to:
Registration for Business of Farming 2025 is now closed.
Dates: January 7, 21, and 28 (snow date February 4) from 9:30-3:30 at Shaw Cherry Hill Farm in Gorham.
Please contact Sav Eades at seades@mainefarmlandtrust.org with questions.
Dates: January 18, 25 and February 8
Time: 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: The Morris Farm in Wiscasset
Dates: January 24, 31 and February 14
Time: 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: The Morris Farm in Wiscasset plus one optional pasture walk in the summer.
Pay what you can, between $25 – $500. Upon completion of the workshops and your successful participation in technical assistance, you will be awarded a $500 seed grant and receive your registration fee back.
Note: We aim to make our business programs accessible to all farmers, so the registration fee is a self-determined sliding scale. Here are some suggested parameters to guide you in determining the amount to pay for registration:
Pay what you can, between $25 – $500. Upon completion of the workshops and your successful participation in technical assistance, you will be awarded a $500 seed grant and receive your registration fee back.
Note: We aim to make our business programs equitably available to everyone – no matter their skin color, age, socioeconomic status, ability or disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin, or language. Here are some suggested parameters to guide you in determining the amount to pay for registration:
Suggested amount for limited resource farmers and for farmers of communities who, now or in the past, have faced discrimination or exclusion.
Suggested amount to help alleviate any winter cash flow concerns, and/or if you are farming without long-term access to land.
Suggested amount if this is a business expense for your farm and/or you are farming with long-term access to land.
Suggested amount if this is a business expense for your farm, you are farming with long-term access to land, and/or earn through farming at least the typical annual salary for “Farming, Fishing and Forestry”, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator ($43,110).
Reimbursements for expenses related to attending workshops are available (mileage, childcare, relief labor, etc.). Please reach out to us – we do not want the upfront cost to keep you from joining us! Contact Sav at seades@mainefarmlandtrust.org.
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