Small Farm College 2025 – Piketon, OH

Join us for the Small Farm College at the OSU South Endeavor Center (1862 Shyville Rd, Piketon, OH) beginning Wednesday, October 15! 

What is Small Farm College?
This 10-hour small farm management college is designed to help landowners examine potential ways to increase profits from their small-acreage properties. The program is open to all new or aspiring farmers, new rural landowners, small farmers, and farm families looking for new ideas. During this course, participants will be challenged to develop realistic expectations for their new farm business. Participants will receive information about getting started, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their property, and developing a farm business plan. This college occurs over the course of 5 weeks. Each week will focus on a different topic, and at the end, participants will get to experience a simulation with the chance to apply the content from the previous 4 weeks.

Register at:  go.osu.edu/southernohiosfc

Session Dates & Information: 

• Session I: Getting started on Your New Farm Business
  • Date: Wednesday, October 15 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Developing real-life expectations for your farm.
    • Assessing your property and resources.
    • Developing your family and farm mission, goals, and objectives.
    • Managing farm and family income and expenses.
    • What is a farm business plan, and why do you need one?
• Session II: You Can’t Measure What You Don’t Track (Farm Recordkeeping, Budgets, and Taxes) 
  • Date: Wednesday, October 22 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Recordkeeping for farm businesses
    • Using enterprise budgets to project farm income and cost of production
    • Introduction to farm taxes
• Session III: The Legal Side of Small Farm Management 
  • Date: Wednesday, October 29 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Legal structures for farms
    • Farm Leases and Contracts
    • Licenses and permits for selling farm food products
    • Liability concerns for farms
• Session IV: Money, money, money! The Financial Side of Small Farm Management
  • Date: Wednesday, November 5 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Developing farm and family balance sheets
    • Developing financial statements for your farm
    • Farm financing options
    • Developing your farm business plan
• Session V: Small Farm Reality Simulation 
  • Date: Wednesday, November 12 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Experience farm management in a small farm setting with industry professionals

Cost:

• $80 for the first family member. Each additional family member is $40 per person.
• Each family receives only one binder of resources. Participants are expected to attend every session.

To learn more, contact Amanda Perkins at 740-289-4837.