Come celebrate the fall, drink some freshly pressed sweet cider, and support CISA at the 2nd Annual Clarkdale Cider Run, on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield, MA. All proceeds will go to CISA.
Join CISA for a screening of Forgotten Farms, a challenging and engrossing look at one of the most vital and least visible components of New England agriculture: dairy farms. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the filmmakers, Sarah Gardner and Dave Simmonds, and farmers Darryl and Lucinda Williams of Luther […]
Local Hero farmers and buyers from around the Valley, join us for round-table discussions with buyers interested in purchasing local products. You will hear firsthand from the following buyers how they work with local farmers, what their ongoing needs are, and how to plan ahead for consumer trends in the market: Andrew Lacasse from What […]
Join us to learn about the financial assistance available to help farms cope with 2016 losses and plan for the future. This workshop will discuss the direct financial compensation for losses available through USDA-FSA disaster assistance programs; funding available from USDA-NRCS and MDAR; new insurance options like Whole Farm Revenue Protection; and low-interest loan programs. […]
Define where you really want to be in 3-5 years. Organize your thoughts to produce the farm life and business you want. Give direction and confidence in moving forward. The business plan is your farm’s goals and values through a story of investments, operations, finances, and marketing channels. In this workshop we will give you […]
There are central elements of a business plan that you take away and continue to change daily, weekly, or seasonally. Any system of record-keeping and operations you develop to get you through the first few years of operations need to be reviewed and updated as your farm changes. In this workshop we will break down […]
RESCHEDULED: This workshop has been moved to February 16th due to snow. Part 2, originally scheduled for Feb 16th, will be rescheduled. In this highly participative workshop, we will learn some foundations of leadership including what most impacts results, a powerful process for identifying core values, four stages of team development and how to clarify […]
Looking for help exploring financing opportunities for your farm? This session will provide information on the range of loan programs and business assistance that farm lenders and service providers offer, how different lenders work together, and what they each look for in applicants. Participants will be invited to take part in brief “speed-dating” meetings with […]