Educational Opportunities
AgCarolina Farm Credit offers educational opportunities to individuals before or during their business venture. The AgBiz courses consists of AgBiz Planner and AgBiz Basics. Within each program, the participant partners with a loan officer mentor throughout the course.
- Ag Biz Basic: Designed for YBS and Veteran individuals looking to begin, or are currently in the very beginning stages of an agricultural operation
- Ag Biz Planner: Designed for YBS and Veteran individuals currently involved in an agricultural operation. Participants will either be the primary decision maker or have major influence in decisions involving their farming operation.
Association employees will act as mentors, guiding farmers through the training and providing feedback on completed application exercises. A face-to-face leadership institute will be held upon completion for all graduates to allow them to network and apply what they learned in a group setting.
Application Information
The 2024-2025 online application is now closed. Applications will be accepted until August 15, 2024. For information about a future program, email marketing@agcarolina.com.
Ag Biz Program Overview
Goals
- Assist young, beginning, and small farmers (YBS) and veterans in becoming more successful business people through knowledge of the marketplace, financial, and business management topics
- Develop a relationship with a loan officer mentor who will guide and direct throughout the course
- Provide a value-added service to customers by helping them understand the lending process
- Take advantage of the convenience of technology by providing an online training curriculum, to improve their individual skills and help them become more responsible financial managers
- Host a face-to-face meeting allowing course graduates to network, have healthy discussions with their classmates, and create lasting connections to equip these individuals to operate successful farm operations
Eligibility
Ag Biz participants must reside in North Carolina and meet one of the following qualifications:
- Young Farmers – farmers, ranchers, and producers or harvesters of aquatic products who are age 35 or younger
- Beginning Farmers – farmers, ranchers, and producers or harvesters of aquatic products who have 10 years or less farming or ranching experience
- Small Farmers – farmers, ranchers, and producers or harvesters of aquatic products who normally generate less than $350,000 in gross cash farm income
- Veterans – A former member of the Armed Forces of the United States
Ag Biz Programs
Courses
For the 2024-2025 program, an introductory webinar with Dr. David Kohl will be held Fall 2024. Participants complete all online modules with the help of AgCarolina Farm Credit mentors. The class concluded with an overnight Leadership Institute in Raleigh, NC in January, 2025. AgCarolina Farm Credit covers all Leadership Institute costs including one hotel room for one night, all meals, and speaker fees. Each participant is responsible to provide their own transportation to the meetings.
Ag Biz Planner Program
Courses
The Ag Biz Planner course holds a time commitment of approximately 6 months and includes ten online modules including:
- Megatrends Facing the Industry
- Strategic Business Planning
- Preparing for Your Lender
- Constructing Financial Statements: The Balance Sheet
- Constructing Financial Statements: The Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement
- How Lending Decisions Are Made
- Farm Business Management Factors
- Growth and Transition Management
- Personal Financial Management
- Communications, Ethics, and Professionalism
Cost
- Each participant will pay a $250 fee at the start of the program.
- AgCarolina Farm Credit will cover all other participant costs including tuition, final meeting, and speaker fees.
- Once participants have completed the online portion of the course and submitted their final business plans, AgCarolina Farm Credit will reimburse participants $150. Final investment is $100 per participant.
Ag Biz Basic Program
Courses
The Ag Biz Basic course holds a time commitment of approximately 3 months and includes four online modules including:
- Side by Side with your Lender
- Do you Cash Flow? Cash Flow Planning
- What are you worth financially? Balance Sheet
- Did you make a Profit? Income Statement
Cost
- Each participant will pay a $150 fee at the start of the program.
- AgCarolina Farm Credit will cover all other participant costs including tuition, final meeting, and speaker fees.
- Once participants have completed the online portion of the course, AgCarolina Farm Credit will reimburse participants $100. Final investment is $50 per participant.