MU Extension holds short-term operating plan workshops

Apr 03, 2025

If key decision-makers on a farm are unable to make decisions for a short time (two weeks to six months), how well would their farm operations continue?

University of Missouri Extension will host “On My Own: Planning for the Unplanned” workshops on short-term operating plans to help landowners and farm operators make sound decisions when preparing for the unexpected.

“Farmers can be sidelined by health concerns, cognitive issues, accidents and injuries, family caretaker duties, military deployment or anything else that inhibits their ability to make decisions and operate their farm,” Amie Breshears, MU Extension agricultural business specialist, said in a news release.

A short-term operating plan provides essential information and structure to keep the farm running until the key decision-maker is ready to resume their role, she said.

Participants will leave the series with knowledge of components of short-term operating plans, Breshears said.

The program is designed for female landowners and farm operators, but all are welcome to participate in this informal, participant-driven and learner-focused event, she said.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.