Farm Financing Workshop in Illinois

Angelic Organics Learning Center will be hosting an advanced winter workshop on March 4th in Caledonia, Illinois. This workshop will focus on advanced topics that relate to financing your farm. Topics will include how to finance your farm through bank loans, crowd funding campaigns, accredited investors, smart management of cash flows, bootstrapping, grants, and other local farm financing programs . We will hear from representatives of 1st Farm Credit Services, WWBIC, AOLC, Frontera Farmer Foundation, SloFig, and local area CRAFT farms. Farm Financing Advanced Winter Workshop Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Time: 9am-3pm, also see schedule below Location: Angelic Organics Learning Center, 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL in the Angelic Organics Community Loft (Look for the big white barn with the red roof, and go up the stairs on the outside of the north end of the barn.) Cost: CRAFT Members $10; Non-CRAFT members $45 (You may pay with cash or check on the day of the workshop.) RSVP required - Please email farmertraining@learngrowconnect.org if you would like to reserve a spot in this workshop. Please bring a dish to pass for the potluck lunch. For a complete agenda click "read more".

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Workshop Agenda
**Please allow yourself enough time to arrive early and settle in before the workshop, as we will begin promptly at 9:00 am.**

9:00am-9:10am    Welcome (Jenny Meyer, AOLC Farmer Training Director)
9:10am-9:30am    Introductions (group)
9:30am-10:15am  1st Farm Credit Services
Financial statements, forecasting, budgeting, how personal finances are linked, the buy or lease decision, and how to get a loan from First Farm Credit Services (Tyler Studebaker, 1st Farm Credit Services)

10:15 am-10:30am Break

10:30am-11:10am  Cash Flows
How one farmer manages cash flows, cash flow statements, and creative ways of financing cash flows (Tim Huth, farmer, LotFotL Community Farm)
11:10am-11:45am  SloFig
Introduction to the investment group, SLoFig, the difference between debt and equity financing, accredited investors, and how to approach outside investors and presenting your business plan (DD Danforth Burlin, Founding Member, SLoFIG)

11:45am-12:30pm  Potluck Lunch

12:30pm-1:10pm    Crowdfunding Panel
Sheri Doyel (farmer, Tiny Tempest Farm)
Kim Marsin (farmer, Sweet Home Organics; crowdfunding manager, Radical Root Farm)

1:10pm-1:45pm       Frontera Farmer Foundation Grants
(David Cleverdon, farmer Kinnikinnick Farm; board member, Frontera Farmer Foundation)

1:45pm-2:00pm       Break

2:00pm-2:30pm       Financing Strategies from a Farmer’s Perspective
(David Perkins, farmer, Vermont Valley Community Farm LLC)

2:30pm-3:00pm        Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)
Exploring Entrepreneurship, financing and other services offered through WWBIC

RSVP required- Please email farmertraining@learngrowconnect.org if you would like to reserve a spot in this workshop.