Winter Business Intensive: Business and Financial Management

About this event

Understand What the Numbers Say About the Farm

Winter Business Intensive: Business and Financial Management focuses on the records and financial information farmers need to understand how their operations are performing. The December 1 session runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Langston Centre in Johnson City, Tennessee.

The class is the fifth session in Appalachian RC&D’s 2026-27 Winter Business Intensive Field School and builds on earlier work involving farm goals, resources, infrastructure, and markets.

Make Records Useful for Decisions

Business and Financial Management participants can explore budgeting, cash flow, recordkeeping, expenses, and other financial-management tools that help turn farm activity into useful business information.

Good records can show whether an enterprise is profitable, where costs are increasing, and whether the farm has enough cash to meet obligations throughout the year. They can also make tax preparation, loan applications, and grant or cost-share reporting easier because key information has already been organized.

The point is not recordkeeping for its own sake. The value comes from using those records to make better choices.

Separate Production Success From Financial Success

A crop can produce excellent yields and still fail to make money. A livestock enterprise can generate strong sales while consuming more labor, feed, or overhead than the income justifies.

The session encourages producers to look at the financial performance behind production results. That can include comparing enterprises, evaluating prices, identifying major cost drivers, and understanding how cash moves through the business during the year.

Farmers can use those insights to decide which enterprises deserve more investment and which may need to change.

Build Financial Information Into the Farm Plan

Financial management becomes especially important when a producer is considering expansion, new equipment, borrowing, or outside funding. A farmer who understands costs, cash flow, and profitability is better positioned to evaluate whether a proposed investment can realistically support itself.

The December 1 class is part of Appalachian RC&D’s eight-session Winter Business Intensive. Qualifying graduates can also earn Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program education credit toward eligible Producer Diversification requirements.

Read our full-length articles about educational and grant opportunities here!

From Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council