The live, weekly online sessions will enhance your existing knowledge and experiences to make a greater impact on the viability of your farmers and clients. We'll teach you methods and techniques for managing farm finances and analyzing financial statements, so you can better support your clients' long term viability.Build Your Farmer Coaching Skills
New session begins in September 14, 2023
The September class is now filled. To join the waiting list for additional sessions, send us an email.
“The Coach's Primer gave me the training in finances I was looking for; at the same time exposed me to others who work with farmers in a training and education setting. I was immediately able to up my game in terms of QuickBooks organization, budgeting, and working with my numbers. And I was able to think more clearly about how I can be of service to other farmers”
Don Lareau, Zephyros Farm and Garden
Reserve your spot today!
Register before August 15, 2023 and receive a $200 discount. Just enter the code: CP-EARLY
Scholarships are available for organizations that are led by and/or work with BIPOC farmers.
Course Topics
Basic Accounting
Become familiar with all the terms used in bookkeeping and accounting so that you can better coach your clients to develop their systems and utilize their financials.
QuickBooks
Learn QuickBooks basics so you can coach your clients to:
- better track their finanicals
- file their taxes with ease
- understand how to interpret their numbers
- project for growth.
We’ll cover basic set-up, including how to set up the chart of accounts, an overview of transactions, how to diagnose QB challenges, and how to find, run and customize reports.
Setting Up Systems
Beyond QuickBooks setup, we’ll talk about systems for managing inventory and cash flow.
Business and Financial Analysis
With a solid bookkeeping system, we can talk about how to analyze the numbers. We will review:
- Cost of production – how much does it cost to grow/raise farm products?
- Breakeven – what do farmers need to sell to earn their desired profit?
- Pricing strategies – how to set prices competitively and for profit.
- Reading financial statements – what do the reports tell you?
Planning for Growth
We will walk through step-by-step how to create:
- cash flow projections
- enterprise budgets
- balance sheet projections
At the end of the program participants will:
- Know how to interpret client financials
- Understand the basics of agricultural finances and accounting
- Be familiar with QuickBooks
- Build your peer network
In other words, you will have the skills to better support your clients!
“Julia delivers pertinent information in a very accessible way! The class is well structured, the content is relevant, and the easy access to Julia for questions is a powerful package.”
Ellen Polishuk, Plant to Profit
Reserve your spot today!
Register before August 15, 2023 and receive a $200 discount. Just enter the code: CP-EARLY
Scholarships are available for organizations that are led by and/or work with BIPOC farmers.
Class Schedule
The group meets every week for 2 hours, starting Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 1pm ET.
Session 1: Business Basics and Accounting Overview Session 2: Bookkeeping and QuickBooks Basics and Setting up the Chart of Accounts Session 3: QuickBooks Part 2, Running reports and diagnosing client challenges Session 4: Pricing Strategies:
Cost of Production Competitive Analysis Opportunity Costs Breakeven Analysis Session 5: Reading Financial Statements and Managing Cash Flow Session 6: Channel and Enterprise Analysis Session 7: Investment Decisions and Enterprise Budgeting Session 8: Creating Cash Flow Projections Session 9: Preparing for Financing and Balance Sheet Projections Throughout each session, we will share tips for working with farms and farm clients to address their industry specific needs and challenges.
FAQ's
Each week, you will be given activities to help reinforce your learning. This may include reviewing the videos from the previous week, taking a quiz, or working through a problem set.
While the homework isn’t required, it’s a great way to reinforce the learning. It gives you a chance to practice the skills learned. You can expect to spend 1 – 2 hours per week outside of class-time reviewing the content and doing the homework.
There are several options for getting additional support:
- Julia is always available by email for questions.
- Julia hosts regular speed coaching sessions, so you can pop in and ask questions.
- If you need more support, you can always schedule a one-on-one coaching call.
While it’s not required to know QuickBooks, a basic understanding is helpful, since so many farmers use QuickBooks. We will spend two sessions discussing QuickBooks, though that’s not enough time to really master it. Since much of the financial analysis we’ll discuss during the course (channel analysis and reading financial statements, as examples) is based on data exported from QuickBooks, it helps to have a base knowledge.
There are several options to catch up on missed material:
- All sessions will be recorded, so you can rewatch them at your convenience.
- The slides will be posted to the class portal hosted on The Farmer’s Office.
- You can visit Julia during speed-coaching sessions to ask questions.
Testimonials
“I found each week was interesting and full of good learning (a great value!)”
~ Paige Phinney, Kitchen Table Advisors
“Julia delivers pertinent information in a very accessible way! The class is well structured, the content is relevant, and the easy access to Julia for questions is a powerful package.”
~ Ellen Polushik, Plant to Profit
“As a marketing consultant for farms and food-related businesses, I often need to advise clients about their other business and financial challenges. Before I took The Farmer’s Edge, I could read a balance sheet, but didn’t necessarily know what I should be looking for. Since I use Julia Shanks’ book, The Farmer’s Office, as a reference, I was excited about taking her online class. The live sessions were great, because I could ask Julia questions as she was going over the concepts. Plus, I could go back and review the sessions and other materials as often as needed. I also liked hearing questions from other participants. After taking the class, I feel more confident about advising clients about their overall business issues.”
~ Myrna Greenfield, Good Egg Marketing
“The Farmer’s Edge – A Coach’s Primer course not only provides a comprehensive overview of farm accounting and finance, but offers a supportive team environment to foster real learning. It was wonderful to have a place to get all my farm financial questions answered. This course made me a better consultant. Thank you Julia!”
Register before August 15, 2023 and receive a $200 discount. Just enter the code: CP-EARLY
Scholarships are available for organizations that are led by and/or work with BIPOC farmers.
Reserve your spot today!
"The Farmer’s Edge was an invaluable program for not only creating a clear picture of my farms finances but also for planning future production. I can now easily analyze the profitability of each of my crops and see what is working, what isn’t and confidently make informed decisions to grow a successful business."
Mike Costanzo, Lake Hollow Homestead, CO
What WeOffer You
Whether you’re just starting out, or expanding your business to the next phase of growth, Julia Shanks Food Consulting can help you succeed. Click below to find out more about our services.
Tips, Toolsand Templates
Writing a business plan? Looking for investors? Getting set up in QuickBooks? We’ve got the tools and templates you need, from planning a startup to growing your business.
