June 28. Carolina Farm Credit is now accepting applications for Ag Biz Planner and Ag Biz Basics. These e-learning courses teach financial and business planning, budgeting, and other farm financial management topics that are essential to a farm’s success.

The 10-module and four-module courses are facilitated by Farm Credit University, in conjunction with AgCarolina and Cape Fear Farm Credits in North Carolina and Farm Credit of the Virginias and Colonial Farm Credit in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.

Ag Biz Planner and Basics aim to support Young, Beginning, Small (YBS), and Veteran farmers throughout our territory. Participants range from YBS and Veteran farmers who are just starting their farming venture, to those who have been farming for several years and are looking for guidance to improve their operation. The program offers online modules and videos, application exercises with relatable examples, and a fun and interactive conference to wrap up the course. Several leading speakers and advisors in the agriculture industry will be the highlight at the conference. The course topics include trends in agriculture, working with your ag lender, personal finances, farm growth and transition management, creating the most useful farm financial records, and much more. By the end of the course, each Ag Biz Planner participant will also have a complete farm business plan for their farming operation. Additionally, participants will be assigned a Carolina Farm Credit loan officer to serve as their mentor throughout the course.

Carolina Farm Credit will accept up to seven participants for each program. All applications are due July 15. The program will begin with a kickoff webinar in August/September. The course will conclude with a conference in Raleigh on Jan. 4-5, 2023. Applications, a course outline, and program information are available at carolinafarmcredit.com/about/resources/educational-programs.

Individuals selected for the program will be notified by Aug.15.