Thanks to a grant from the Southern Risk Management Education Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, CHFS is hosting more than a dozen workshops throughout Texas which began in 2019 and continue through August 2020.

With a goal of reducing financial, legal, and business-related risks for small farmers, ranchers, and other local food producers, we are hosting workshops that will assist these small business owners in achieving long-term success.

Topics include:

Details of the new farm and food laws passed in Texas last year.
What you need to legally diversify your business, whether by adding other types of foods or agritourism.
Legal requirements for all types of foods, from cottage foods to meat, eggs, and dairy.
The pros & cons on incorporating, and the difference between setting up your business as an LLC, C-Corp., etc.
The types of insurance you should have.
Creating balance sheets and profit & loss statements.
Considerations to keep in mind before making a capital investment.
Where to find grants and other sources of funding.

Our first event took place on August 12 in San Marcos as part of our annual Farm & Food Leadership Conference. Since then, we’ve held workshops in Edinburg, Bryan-College Station, Canton, Coppell, Waco, Amarillo, and Lubbock. We completed our first-ever Managing for Success webinar series for producers in Central Texas in mid-July, followed in late July for producers in far West Texas, and in August for Southeast Texas.

WE HAVE 1 REMAINING WEBINAR IN OUR “MANAGING FOR SUCCESS” SERIES. THIS WILL BE A FULL-DAY WEBINAR ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, COVERING LEGAL, REGULATORY, AND FINANCIAL TOPICS. WE ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO MISSED PARTICIPATING IN ONE OF OUR EARLIER WORKSHOPS TO ATTEND.

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Did we miss your region? Or were you unavailable when we were in your area? Here’s one more chance to attend our “Managing for Success” workshop! We’ll present a full-day webinar (with a break for lunch) for one final opportunity.

Saturday, August 29, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

9 a.m: Judith McGeary, executive director for the Council and for Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, will cover these topics:

Structure of food regulations & overarching issues
Cottage foods & other value-added options
Meat, poultry, eggs, dairy
Specific issues: delivery, sampling, permit fees
Produce (fruits & vegetables)
Other sources of income: On-farm events, agritourism
Business entities (Should you incorporate? What are the options?)
Liability insurance, crop insurance, and more

Following a break for lunch, Foodshed Investors‘ Jarred Maxwell will present on these topics:

Financial and bookkeeping basics
Converting your finances from a hassle to a helpful tool
How good books can help you understand the past and plan for the future
The Funding Ecosystem – where and how to find capital for your business
Do we need to buy a walk-in?: A case study in utilizing financial tools to manage risk in your business

This series will be presented on Zoom. Once you register, you will be emailed a link and instructions for joining the webinar.