By Ms. Susan M. Collins-Smith
Mississippi farmers can learn how to improve their financial skills during a two-day workshop in Jackson.
The Holistic Management and Risk Assessment Workshop for Dairy Farmers is set for Feb. 21 and 22. The workshop will be at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Building.
Topics will be geared toward dairy producers, but all Mississippi agricultural producers are welcome. The workshop begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. each day.
Amanda Stone, dairy specialist for the Mississippi State University Extension Service, and Gonzalo Ferreira, Extension dairy management specialist at Virginia Tech, will help farmers analyze and improve their individual agricultural operations using their own financial data.
The workshop is free and includes lunch and refreshments, along with dinner on Feb. 21. Laptop computers will be provided, but producers can bring their own.
Attendees will hear presentations, discuss issues with peer-farmer groups, and participate in hands-on analysis and real-time, decision-making exercises.
Subjects include analyzing balance sheets, recognizing key financial indicators, developing business strategic and transition plans, and understanding cash flow and budgeting. Participants will analyze investments, study the expansion process, compare different production systems, and evaluate investment for purchasing milk commission base.
Mississippi Farm Bureau is sponsoring the workshop.