WESTMINSTER, Md. — Farm Credit has announced that registration for the AgBiz Masters program is open from now until October 31, 2021. The two-year educational program is available to young, beginning, and small producers who are interested in refining their business management, financial, and marketing skills to help them as they launch or grow their businesses.
“Investing in yourself is one of the best decisions you can make,” says Tom Truitt, CEO of MidAtlantic Farm Credit. “You’ve already committed to the risky nature of the agriculture industry, and furthering your education will position you to be ready for anything the market throws at you. In addition to the business skills you’ll gain, AgBiz Masters will help you save time, save money, and make better decisions.”
Dr. David Kohl, an agriculture professor at Virginia Tech, developed the AgBiz Masters program with the intent to educate new farmers on what goes into creating a successful operation. Combining interactive online workshops with in-person and virtual learning seminars hosted by experts in the agriculture industry, the topics covered throughout the program include:
- trends in agriculture,
- strategic business planning,
- financial management,
- constructing a balance sheet and income statement,
- understanding lending decisions,
- growth and transition management,
- and leadership skills.
The next AgBiz Masters class begins in November of this year and will run through March 2022. The registration fee is $225, with full reimbursement available to those who successfully complete Year 1 and Year 2. For more information about the AgBiz Masters educational program, please visit agbizmasters.com, or call 888.339.3334.
About MidAtlantic Farm Credit
MidAtlantic Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by its member‐borrowers. It provides farm loans for land, equipment, livestock and production; crop insurance; and rural home mortgages. The co-op has over 12,400 members and over $2.9 billion in loans outstanding. MidAtlantic has branches serving Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. It is part of the national Farm Credit System, a network of financial cooperatives established in 1916 to provide a dependable source of credit to farmers and rural America.
–Jenny Kreisher, MidAtlantic Farm Credit