On this page, read detailed descriptions of the Summer Field School and Winter Business Intensive sessions. Registration for 2024-25 Winter Business Intensive will open September 16th!
Winter Business Intensive 2024-2025 Schedule
This year’s WBI Classes will be held in person at the Jonesborough Farm Bureau. Classes are held on Thursdays from 6:00-9:00pm on each date listed below. Tuition cost for the Winter Business Intensive is a sliding scale of $99 – $299 per farm and includes the book, Whole Farm Management, and a printed resource binder. Registration will end November 1st.
Session 1: Introductions & Getting Started. November 7th. During our first session, we will introduce the program, support staff, coursework and expectations. There will be time for everyone to speak for 1-2 min about their farms or farm dreams. It is our goal to foster as much peer-to-peer learning and connection as we can throughout these sessions.
Session 2: Visioning & Assessing Your Resources. November 21st. Do you have a clear image in your mind of your successful farm operation? This session will provide opportunity for self-reflection of your personal mission and values as the first step towards creating your business plan. Students will be given resources to assess personal and family lifestyle needs, in order to form a basis for understanding your farm operation’s financial goals.
Session 3: Farm Infrastructure & Natural Resources. December 12th. This session will discuss the need to think of your farm as a whole integrated system, and help you understand the environmental, economic, and social resources you need to succeed. Students will learn to assess their farm’s resources and get an introduction to the conservation and support services offered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Session 4: Markets & Marketing. January 9th. Before buying your first seeds or breeding stock, it’s important to know who is going to buy the final product. If you plan to sell directly to consumers, it’s not enough to just raise a product. Today’s farmers need to be good at marketing as well, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be complicated or expensive to reach local buyers. In this session, you will learn how to identify appropriate sales outlets for your products, target your specific customers, and how to use low-cost platforms to market your products effectively.
Session 5: Business & Financial Management. January 23rd. Having a solid grasp on the financials can make or break any farm operation. In this session, students will get an introduction to financial planning, recordkeeping, and filing taxes. We’ll do an overview of enterprise budgets, cash flow analysis, and profit and loss sheets. The session will also cover best practices for recordkeeping to make filing your farm’s Schedule F tax form easier. By going through the exercise of “paper farming” students can determine if their ideas can make money or not, before they invest time or money in the effort.
Session 6: Sustainable Production Planning. February 20th. Investing in your farm’s natural resources will pay financial and environmental dividends. This session will provide an overview of the benefits of a number of sustainable production strategies, including high tunnels for season extension, rotational grazing, and cover crops & soil health. We’ll also go in depth into NRCS programs that can support the implementation of these practices on your farm.
Session 7: Entrepreneurship & Risk Management. February 27th. Any new business venture requires an entrepreneur to overcome a few legal and regulatory hurdles and to have a plan for if things go wrong. This session breaks down what steps students will need to take to set up their business and manage risk on their farm. This includes information on getting a Farm Number, business license, insurance considerations, business structures, and estate planning.
Session 8: Loans, Grants & Support Programs. March 13th. Students should have a fairly robust farm business plan outlined by this session, which will be very useful when applying for loan or other support programs. Students will be introduced to a variety of state and federal grant, cost-share, and loan programs available to farmers. This will include a special focus on the Farm Service Agency’s micro-loan program for beginning farmers.
Graduation Celebration. March 27th. We normally gather in person at Grand Oak Farm’s party barn. We will provide students with the opportunity to present their finished business plans to the class and receive feedback. Details will be sent out to students closer to the date.
Summer Field School 2024 Workshops
This is our official schedule for SFS 2024. We’ve got an awesome lineup you won’t want to miss! Attendees can pick workshops a la carte for $15 per session or purchase all 8 sessions for a discounted rate of $100. Purchase Tickets Here.
Session 1: Foothill Frolic Farm. May 13th. We are kicking off Summer Field School with a trip to Blountville, TN to visit Foothill Frolic Farm and learn about rotational grazing and NRCS programs. We will have speaker Robbie Miles from Sullivan County NRCS to talk about EQIP and CSP programs. Workshop runs from 6-8pm.
Session 2: Green Pasture Farm. May 23rd. Next up, we’re heading to Green Pasture Farm to learn about growing hydroponically and running a multifaceted farm business. We will also have speaker Melody Rose from UT Extension to talk about the TN Dept of Agriculture’s TAEP cost-share program, and other programs and support offered by UT Extension. Workshop will run from 6-8pm.
Session 3: SLAP Farm. June 13th. Learn about pasture raised and farm processed poultry at SLAP Farm in Greeneville, TN. Farmer Tim Spann will lead us on a tour of his farm from chicken brooders to pasture set up, to the on farm processing house. Mike Brown of TDA will join us to discuss regulations about poultry in the state of TN. Workshop will run 6-8pm.
Session 4: Two Roots Alpaca Farm. June 27th. Two Roots Farm and Fiber Mill will show how they raise their alpacas utilizing systems they acquired through the NRCS EQIP program and then how they utilize the fiber from their alpacas in their fiber mill. We will be joined by Kinsley Waggoner of NRCS who will discuss how to work with NRCS to get a farm conservation plan and apply for their EQIP program. The workshop will run 6-8pm.
Session 5: Curtis Muscadine Farm. July 11th. Join us to learn about fruit production at Curtis Muscadine Farm in Washington County, TN. Dennis Curtis will lead a tour of his farm and show us all the different types of fruit he grows. He will discuss the various methods he uses to naturally combat pest and disease pressure in his crops. The workshop will run from 6-8pm.
Session 6: Barkers Blooms. July 25th. Join us to learn about cut flower production with Jean Barker of Barker Blooms in Bristol, TN. Jean will discuss her farm start up and wholesale marketing. We will be joined by Danielle Smith of the Bristol Bloom Collective to learn more about wholesale outlets for local flower growers. The workshop will run from 6-8:30pm.
Session 7:Hope Farms & Studio. August 8th. Join us to learn about vegetable production in high tunnels. Steve Mallory of Hope Farms and Studio will talk about year round production in a high tunnel and we will be joined by UT Extension Agent, Melody Rose who will do a deep dive on soil health in vegetable production. The workshop will run from 6-8:30pm.
Session 8: Myers Farm. August 25th. Agritourism.
Community Potluck. Come celebrate the harvest season with current and former Field School students at Grand Oak Farm’s Party Barn! A main meat and vegetarian dish will be provided and attendees are welcome to bring a side or dessert.