Click here to read an important note from your Upstart University guide!
Dear [aspiring] farmer,
Thanks so much for taking our quiz! We look forward to helping you get started on your farming journey.
Below you will find a customized learning plan for your Business Planning & Entrepreneurship Pathway.
Our recommendation below highlights the most important courses for you to start taking based on your quiz responses.
Please note: Upstart University has over 30 valuable farming courses. For first-time farmers or entrepreneurs especially, it’s likely that all of these courses will be useful to you.
This curriculum has been designed to provide you with the information you need to know to start your farm, including some of the things you may not have thought of.
Here’s your customized learning plan with course and resource recommendations!
Ready to get started learning? Don’t forget to sign up for an Unlimited Membership here so you can get access to your courses right away.
Sincerely,
Halle Brake
#1 – Orientation Course
Before starting your other courses, learn how to use and access the platform and its resources for maximum success and efficiency!
#2 – Goals & Action Planning
First thing first – before starting a business or writing your business plan, you need to know and prioritize your goals. This course will help you call to mind some important decisions about your farm and your business. By the end, you’ll have an actionable goals list, a mission statement draft, a timeline for farm development and a clear understanding of what you want to get out of your farm within the scope of your abilities.
#3 – The Four Markets
Next up, you need to understand the possible markets your farm can serve, including farmers’ markets, CSAs, grocery stores, and restaurants and bars. This course will help you understand the pros and cons to each, as well as how to successfully approach each of these markets as a modern farmer.
#4 – Social Media Marketing for Farmers
You may be thinking “Why do I need to know this now?” Well, the sooner you start promoting your [up-and-coming] business, the better. One of the best ways to spread the word about your farm and start collecting leads for your farm once you’re ready to sell produce is to promote it on social media. Even if all you have to share right now are small updates about the progress of planning and building your farm, that’s better than not being on social media at all. Use this time to reserve your social media handles, start building an audience, and collecting market research (an important part of your business plan).
#5 – Intro to Business Planning
Writing a business plan is arguably one of the most important steps your business will ever take. It’s key to getting funding and to long-term business success. Now that you know your goals, have an action plan, and have an idea of which markets you want to approach, it’s time to write your business plan. This course will help you understand the main sections of a business plan, what goes in each section, and how to write it successfully. Your business plan will evolve over time and this course gives you a template to work from.
#6 – Funding Your Farm
With your business plan formulated, a logical next step is to start figure out where you’re going to get the money to start or expand your farm. Truth is, there are plenty of funding options out there for Upstart Farmers – you just have to know which option you want to pursue and what information you’ll need. This course will introduce you to some of the most common funding options for small farmers and help you pursue them with the right info in hand.
#7 – Farm Compliance & Food Safety
Your farming business is starting to come together. How exciting! Now it’s time to start thinking about regulatory and compliance issues so you can establish a good reputation and avoid potential risks. Whether you’ve built your farm or are starting to design it, it’s important to consider food safety and compliance. In this course, compliance expert Nicole Day Gray will help you understand food safety and compliance, GAP, HACCP, and other specific food safety plans, sanitation procedures, food defense programs, and considerations for grocery stores.
#8 – Optional: The Law Series
Owning a business requires that you deal with laws and regulations. Because of it this, it can be helpful to understand various law topics. We at Upstart University are not lawyers and these courses should not be construed as legal advice. Rather, they can be used to understand the major legal items you need to be aware of regarding various topics, as well as teach you how to research legal topics further.
If you’re interested check out these three mini courses in our law series:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Check out the other resources we recommend for the Business Planning & Entrepreneurship pathway
