December 12, 2007
Contact: Anita Deming, CCE Essex County,
518-962-4810
10 Critical Decisions for Your Farm
Managing for Success Series Starts at 4 Sites in Early January
Northern New York � Which of these 10 critical decisions do you need to
make for your farm?
1. What is your vision of the future in terms of continuing as a family
farm business?
2. What actions are important to minimize risk by anticipating possible
worst cases?
3. How will you groom young family members as part of your family farm?
4. What talents and experiences does the farm need for future success?
5. What employment opportunities will you offer to family members and
what expectations will you have?
6. What will be the role of non-family employees, and what will they
need to do their jobs?
7. Who will own the farm and farm business next, and how will ownership
transfer?
8. Where might a strategy for selling come into play?
9. How will senior farmers move to sharing key decisions?
10. What will strengthen the family glue and keep you headed toward the
family together?
North Country farmers will be helped to answer these 10 questions,
developed by Dr. Patricia Frishkoff, who grew up on a dairy farm in
Western New York and later founded Leadership in Family Enterprise,
LLC,. as part of a three-part Managing for Success: Time for Change
series in January. The series developed by the PRO-Dairy Program of
Cornell University and offered by the Cornell Cooperative Extension
offices of Northern New York will provide decision-making and financial
records assessment skill training in four locations.
First Pioneer Farm Credit in Burrville will host programs on
January 4, 15 and 22. The Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm in
Canton will host programs on January 9, 16, and 23. North Country
Community College in Malone will host programs January 10, 17 and
24. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Plattsburgh will host
programs January 11, 18 and 25.
The 10 am to 3 pm program series is a practical hands-on workshop that
will provide participants with a workbook of resources, worksheets and
presentation materials, and qualifies for Farm Service Agency Borrower
Training credits.
Dairy and Livestock Educator Ronald Kuck with Cornell Cooperative
Extension of Jefferson County will teach the Problem Solving and
Decision Making section of the series. He says, �You may know what you
need to do, but not know the best process for getting it done. This
series is all about adapting techniques and processes for you to achieve
your goals and projects through a logical sequence of actions.�
Farm Business Management Educator Molly Ames of Cornell Cooperative
Extension of Jefferson County will teach on valuable communications
tools. She says, �You and your farm need a plan for the future. This is
your opportunity to put one in place while learning valuable management
skills for today at the same time. The PRO-Dairy Managing for Success
series has a proven track record of helping farmers achieve their
personal and business goals.�
Kuck adds that many of the farmers who completed the program twenty
years ago are still successfully farming today and have their mission
statements posted in the milking parlor. He says, �This edition of the
Managing for Success series is for the next generation of sons and
daughters who are coming of age and are interested in getting back on
the farm.�
Dairyman and Northern New York Agricultural Development Program
Committeeman Doug Shelmidine of Sheland Farms, Belleville, NY, was one
of those farmers completing past the Managing for Success program. He
says, �This PRO-Dairy process of evaluating your farm and your skills is
a good way to step back and look at how you are doing with the business
and personally. It gives you the opportunity to see the trees in the
forest, to identify the issues that are important to you and the path
you need to get where you want to go.�
The first day of the series will provide training on problem solving,
dealing with the challenges and opportunities of family-owned
businesses, and building a compelling vision for your farm. Please
register with your local Extension office by December 28 for this first
session.
The second session of the series will include programs on short and
long-term goal setting; on change, conflict and communication; and
decision-making. Please register by January 8 for this session.
The third week�s programs will cover creating time for implementing
plans, tactics and control measures; and leadership skills. Please
register by January 15 for this session.
The instructors for the programs include educators with the Cornell
PRO-DAIRY Program and NY FarmNet and NY FarmLink and Cornell Cooperative
Extension farm business management and dairy nutrition specialists.
Pre-registration for the series is required. The fee is $50 for the
first person per farm for the series, $30 for additional farm
representatives; some sites are also offering a $20 per session rate.
Call your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office for more
information. This series is made possible by the New York Farm Viability
Institute, the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education, the
PRO-Dairy Program at Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension
and the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. # # #
