‘Pricing & Profits’ Farm Financial
Short Course Dec. 6 in Rochester

CONTACT: Parker Forsell, LSP, 507-523-3366, parker@landstewardshipproject.org

11/17/08
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Can’t seem to make ends meet despite working your fingers to the bone on the farm? The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is holding a special financial short course for farmers Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Heintz Center of the Rochester Community and Technical College, 1926 Collegeview Dr. SE, Rochester 55904.The fee is $20 for LSP members, $65 for non-members, and a lunch featuring locally produced foods will be served. Participants who join LSP upon registration will receive a $10 discount. To register for the course or for more information, contact LSP’s Parker Forsell at 507-523-3366 or parker@landstewardshipproject.org.

The course, “Pricing and Profits: Making the Right Financial Decisions for Your Farm,” will be led by farmer and business consultant Jim Munsch. Munsch has been in the beef business since 1981 and helps local organic vegetable and beef producers analyze the financial and marketing aspects of their operations. His Farm Beginnings and Upper Midwest Organic Conference presentations have received an enthusiastic reception over the years.

During the Dec. 6 short course, Munsch will help participants examine the financial aspects and possibilities of their farming operations. He will then lead them through a systematic process for making better-informed financial decisions. The course will focus on using data, along with personal experience, to help make the important decisions about the “front end” (market) and the “back end” (product) for both horticulture and livestock enterprises.

Topics to be covered include: deciding what to sell; deciding to whom to sell; deciding how to set prices; producing for the market; defining costs of production; identifying costs, sales and marketing; determining profit/loss on each product; and understanding how to make more money.

This course is being offered to LSP members at a reduced rate through a partnership with the USDA’s Risk Management Agency and Farm Service Agency, as well as the Experiment for Rural Cooperation. The short course is being organized by LSP’s Farm Beginnings program (www.farmbeginnings.org), which offers practical, hands-on instruction in developing sustainable farming enterprises. 

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