Starting a Farm in Alachua County – Education opportunities

Ag entrepreneurship and Business planning

If you are interested in further developing your entrepreneurial skills, plan to attend our Ag Entrepreneurship and Farm Business Planning short course designed to help you make informed decisions as you start your new agricultural enterprise in north Florida. This short course is offered on an annual basis and is the 2021 winner in Search for Excellence in Young, Beginning or Small Farmers by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA).

These short courses are offered in a partnership between UF/IFAS Extension, Farm Credit of Florida, and the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement. Dates for the 2023 cycle are posted below. You can register at the IFAS catalog. Course enrollment may close prior to the deadline if capacity is reached.

Week 1: Articulate your vision and goals; assess your resources; evaluate the suitability and feasibility of farm enterprises; and learn about business structures, registration, and regulations.

Week 2: Develop your operations and financial sections of your business plan. This week focuses on financing.

Week 3: Define a marketing strategy and competitive advantage, evaluate pros and cons of different types of market channels, take orders and accept payment online, selling through CSAs, farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-pick/agritourism, farm-to-school, and wholesale.

You can request to join our Ag Business listserv to be notified about the annual course. Listserv subscribers can occasionally receive emails about field days, workshops and other educational events offered in the Suwannee Valley area that are relevant to beginning and aspiring farmers.

Other Educational Opportunities

Hands-on at NFREC-SV in Live Oak

For hands-on courses available on specific topics consult the Small Farms Academy website. These courses are offered at the North Florida Research and Education Center-Suwanee Valley in Live Oak. You can request to get added to their listserv by sending an email to Kimberly Glasscock at kglasscock@ufl.edu or follow them on social through Facebook.

Online options

Learning center by SARE – https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center
IFAS Catalog – https://ifas.catalog.instructure.com/