New & Small Farm College to be held in Lima in 2017

Are you a small farm landowner wondering what to do with your acreage?  Are you interested in exploring options for land uses but not sure where to turn or how to begin?  Have you considered adding an agricultural or horticultural enterprise but you just aren’t sure of what is required from an equipment, labor, and/or management perspective?  Are you looking for someplace to get some basic farm information?  If you or someone you know answered yes to any of these questions, then the Ohio State University Extension New and Small Farm College program may be just what you are looking for.

Ohio State University Extension of Auglaize and Hardin Counties will be hosting the New and Small Farm College this winter.  New and Small Farm College is an eight session short course that will be held one night a week on Thursdays, starting January 19 and ending March 9.  In case of inclement weather, March 16 will be a makeup session.  The New and Small Farm College will be held at the OSU Lima Campus in Galvin Hall – Room 124, 4240 Campus Drive, Lima.

Each session will start at 6:00 PM with a light dinner followed by presentations beginning at 6:30 PM and concluding at 9:00 PM.  To obtain a copy of the brochure for registration, visit hardin.osu.edu or stop by the Extension Office.  All registrations will need to be sent to Ohio State University Extension – Clinton County.

Topics that will be covered in the New and Small Farm College course include: Getting Started (goal setting, family matters, business planning, budgeting, resources); Appropriate Land Use (walk the farm); Sources of Assistance (overview of county resources such as OSU Extension, government agencies and programs, CAUV, EQIP grants); Legal, Insurance, Business Structure (fence laws, liabilities, insurance needs); Natural Resources (forestry, timber marketing, wildlife, ponds, etc.); Financial/Production Record Keeping and Taxes (balance sheet, record keeping methods); Marketing Alternatives (direct marketing, cooperatives, agri-tourism, bed and breakfast, niche markets); and Extension/Table Top Discussion (enterprise exploration of livestock and horticulture opportunities).  An additional small farm tour is being planned as part of the course.

One past participant of the New and Small Farm College said, “I recommend this program to anyone starting or thinking about farming in any area.  The amount of knowledge presented was priceless.”

The cost of the course is $150 per person, $100 for an additional family member.  Each participating family will receive a New and Small Farm College notebook full of the information presented in each class session plus additional materials.  Registrations are now being accepted through January 2, 2017.  Register early as space is limited!  For more details about the course and/or a registration form, contact Jeff Stachler at 419-739-6580 or stachler.1@osu.edu or Mark Badertscher at 419-674-2297 or badertscher.4@osu.edu.

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