|
Questions about the Farm Viability Program may be directed to:
Ela Chapin, Coordinator
Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program
828-2117 or by email: ela@vhcb.org
The Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program provides farmers with business planning and technical assistance. Developed in collaboration with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, the Farm Viability Program is designed to strengthen the economic position of Vermont agriculture and to complement existing programs in farmland conservation.
The Program uses consultants to provide technical assistance tailored to a farmer’s needs to fulfill specific business goals. Examples include consultations on keeping better production or financial records, financial benchmark analysis, meetings with crop or animal health specialists, new farm enterprise analysis, estate and farm transfer planning, labor management, and value-added processing.
The business planning process involves the farmer in an assessment of the farm operation’s strengths and weaknesses and in an exploration of possible management changes that could increase profitability. On-farm consultations result in the preparation of a written business plan.
To read more about the program, download a brochure
To apply, download the application
Farm Financials Workbooks
These workbooks incorporate a variety of important financial templates and spreadsheets in one Excel workbook, linked together so that many pieces of information automatically fill in. They have been created primarily for the use of farm business planning educators and consultants and the farmers they are working with, but we have chosen to make this document free and accessible to all farmers and the general public.
Dairy/Livestock Financial Workbook
(download Excel file "financialsdairylivestock.xls")
Vegetable or Diversified Financial Workbook
(download Excel file "financialsvegetableordiversified.xls")
The Farm Financials Workbooks were created by Ela Chapin and Ethan Parke at the VT Housing and Conservation Board, with assistance and contributions from UVM Extension and the Vermont Farm Viability Program’s network of service providers. Special thanks go to Alan Curler, Dennis Kauppila, Tony Kitsos, Steve Paddock, Glenn Rogers, and Rosalie Wilson, who provided helpful feedback and great suggestions along the way.
|
