Grow Series with Chris Bodnar on Co-op Development & Farm Business Management
Join us for two days of exciting workshops with Chris Bodnar of Close to Home Organics, in partnership with NEAT Northern Co-Hort.
WHEN: January 26-27, 9am-4pm
WHERE: Treaty 8 Territory | Northern Grand Hotel, 9830 100 Ave, Fort St. John, B.C.
COST: Sliding Scale $25-$50. All funds raised go towards Young Agrarians programming. Thank you for your support! Work trades are available – contact Michi at community@youngagrarians.org
REGISTER: https://chrisbodnarfortstjohn2019.brownpapertickets.com
ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/events/2233592653521911/
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Co-operatives in Agriculture
Saturday, January 26th, 9am-4pm
Introduction to the Co-operative Model in Agriculture: Co-operatives have a long history in agriculture, but their origins and purposes are not widely known. This workshop provides an introduction to the co-operative model and discusses ways that co-operatives can be better utilized in agriculture. This includes an overview of different types of co-operatives (producer, consumer, worker and land-based co-ops), the co-operative presence in BC agriculture and ways to approach co-operative development. We will look at examples of agricultural co-operatives from around the world and understand how co-ops can help better position agricultural producers to take advantage of economic and social changes at local and global levels.
Forming and testing an agricultural co-operative idea: This workshop is for groups that are interested in starting work on their co-operative business idea. We will go through the steps to forming a co-operative and ways to test the co-op’s business idea. Groups can bring their concept to the workshop to develop and get feedback during the session. By the end of the workshop, participants will develop an action plan that identifies the next steps to making their co-op idea a reality.
Farm Financial Management
Sunday, January 27th, 9am-4pm
There probably aren’t a lot of people who dreamed about an office and record keeping when they decided to farm. But farming is a business and to be successful over the long term requires a focus on financial management. In this session we will go through the various tasks required to effectively manage your farm’s finances, including record keeping and analyzing your records. Plus, we’ll talk about how you can access help in managing your business finances to support your long-term farming success.
About our Community Partner: NEAT Northern Co-Hort
INSTRUCTOR BIO:
Chris Bodnar co-owns and operates Close to Home Organics with his wife, Paige, at Glen Valley Organic Farm in Abbotsford. Now in their tenth season of farming, Chris and his family have learned some of the challenges and opportunities of farming on a small scale in the organic sector. They operate a 135-member Community Shared Agriculture program and sell at two weekly farmers markets during the farming season. Prior to farming Chris earned a PhD in Communication from Carleton University. His academic interests continue through teaching and writing. Chris teaches the business planning components of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Sustainable Agriculture program. Chris sits on the board of the Mount Lehman Credit Union. He does business planning consulting with small-scale farmers and is a mentor with the Young Agrarians’ BC Business Mentorship Network.
EVENT QUESTIONS? Contact Michi at community@youngagrarians.org
FUNDING FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHERN B.C. EVENTS IS PROVIDED BY THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
