Feb 2: WINLAW: Farm Business Planning 101 & Community Potluck + Farmer Slideshows

Join Young Agrarians, Community Futures and Kootenay Food at Vallican Whole for two farm focused events: 

WHEN: Saturday, February 2, 2019

WHERE: Vallican Whole Community Centre, 3762 Little Slocan South Rd, Winlaw, BC

COST: Suggested donation fo the workshop is $10. Community Potluck + Farmer Slideshows is free but please register.

REGISTER: https://business101winlaw2019.brownpapertickets.com

ON FACEBOOK (please spread the word and coordinate rides!): https://www.facebook.com/events/1950470431915627/

Farm Business Planning 101 Workshop

Saturday, February 2, 1-5pm

This workshop will be lead by Paul Kelly, the Self Employment Program Manager at Community Futures, and a Local Food Procurement Consultant with Columbia Basin Trust. This workshop is geared towards new farmers, and farmers who might be looking at diversifying or professionalizing their operation. Business planning is one of the most important steps in creating a thriving and viable  business. This four hour workshop will be jam packed with information and provide farmers with an overview regarding key factors in their business plan and business development. Topics that will be covered include.

• Business model: Incorporation of a corporation or registration of a cooperative, what is expected of shareholders, rights and obligations of a corporation or cooperative.  Who can be a shareholder, and who can’t.
• Business planning: Several options for collaboration, contract growing and scale are possible –how to determine the right scale and model for you and your business, how to assess the costs and benefits of some of the current options.
• How to engage professional services –Lawyer, accountant, compliance consultants, engineers, security. Records management / Bookkeeping.
• Banking basics.
• Bringing shareholder contributions (personal assets and cash) into the business.
• Registration for GST, PST, Excise tax, Payroll, import/export number.
• Registration for Worksafe.
• Basic labour laws and employee policy manuals.
• Raising capital: Credit rating, sources of funds, requirements, expectation of security on loans. Grants (and a caution on grant writers).
• Leases and contracts: Land, services, etc.
• Where companies will run into trouble (remittances, cashflow, illegal sales, management disagreements, succession), and how to avoid these pitfalls.
• Further business resources

Paul holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Business and Entrepreneurship. He has managed large retail food operations including the Kootenay Coop, managed production and processing at Fieldstone organic granary, and operated a local biofuel & feed commodity business as his “Kootenay side hustle” from his small family farmstead in Winlaw.

Community Potluck + Farmer Slideshows

Saturday, February 2, 5-8pm

Everyone is welcome to join us after the workshop for a community potluck and farmer slideshows. From seasoned farmers to the farm curious, from infants to centenarians- you are invited to join us to share food, stories and celebrate our local farming community! 

At 5:30 pm, there will be an introduction circle so that we all have the opportunity to make new community connections.

Please bring a  dish to share. Not sure what to bring to the potluck? Consider supporting your local, organic farmer and/or food producer and find inspiration with their ingredients. Also, it is greatly appreciated if you can include a little card with the ingredients list for your dish in case people have food allergies/sensitivities

Once our bellies are full we will enjoy Farmer Slideshows. Each pre-registered farmer will be given 10 minutes and 10 slides to present anything they want to regarding their farm. You can talk about successes and challenges, farm hacks, and farm fails- any theme you choose. We will limit this to six farms so if you are interested please contact columbiabasin@youngagrarians.org  to sign up!

The community potluck + farmer slideshows are free, but please register so we have an idea of numbers.