Financial Literacy 101

Farming is a business and it’s time to grow yours!

Are you thinking of starting a small farm?
Do you already run a farm and are hoping to expand?

Invest in yourself and watch your returns grow through this 7-week course.

This course is right for you if you’ve never taken a day of financial planning in your life! It is also an excellent next step for any farmer who has gone through New Entry’s Farm Business Planning Course or similar introductory program.

Financial Literacy for Beginning Farmers

We create a friendly, informal environment to let you feel welcome and at ease with math-oriented topics. Course content will be integrated through collaborative work with a focus on project-based learning. Each project will be tailored toward the specific goals of farm management by providing relevant information and practical examples for you to build on their previous business experience. Course discussions will allow every participant to share experiences and learn from each other. Students will leave with a firm grasp on how to create and analyze a farm’s financial statements and build a budget and strategic plan based on their farm’s financial goals.

Course Goals

Learn the importance of financial literacy
Define your business goals
Develop an individualized plan to achieve your financial goals
Complete a Farm Business Health Assessment
Create & analyze your financial statements
Discuss farm management
Leave with a budget for the future

When
TBD: Please check back for updates.
Where
Nichols College in Dudley, MA with an option to attend via Zoom.
Cost
Free to all beginning (<10 years) and BIPOC farmers *Interpretación en español disponible

Importance of Financial Literacy

It is now more important than ever to arm our farmers with the financial skills needed to successfully navigate through these challenging times. Providing financial literacy programs for farmers to educate and empower them to be self-sufficient and learn how to manage their farms efficiently is the guiding principle of this program. Financial understanding of a farmer’s business happens when he or she can understand the numbers behind the farm’s financial statements and make economic decisions based on their analysis. This program will provide its participants with useful financial skills that can be applied immediately.

Our Partners

Instructor

Karin Curran, MBA, is an Assistant Professor of Accounting and Finance at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts. Karin brings 30 years of experience in teaching foundational business, technology, and personal finance classes through a variety of educational settings.