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.