Before you plant, buy, or expand, know your numbers. Join us on March 10th for our first Open Mic Night of the year!

This month’s focus will be on the Role of Conservation in Enterprise Budgets and Business Planning with Dr. Kenesha Reynolds of the National Association of Conservation Districts. This presentation focuses on the business of farming, the importance of enterprise budgeting and pricing as a foundation for sound decision-making, and real-world findings on the economics of soil health practices to support smarter production decisions.

We’ll also hear from Dr. Pride Ebile, the Local Food Systems and Entrepreneurship Specialist with University of Maryland Extension. One thing Pride has consistently heard from farmers across the state: farming isn’t just hard in the field; it’s hard in business. Rising costs, paperwork, regulations, marketing decisions, labor, and recordkeeping can quietly drain time and money, even when production is strong. In the coming months, UMD Extension will offer practical programs and webinars focused on the real farm business issues farmers raise.

Finally, Colleen Kiefer, District Conservationist for Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Prince George’s County will share financial incentive programs NRCS MD is offering to farmers this year, including the new funding pool for the Regenerative Pilot Program and our Resource Conservation Partnership Program for urban farms.

***This will be a hybrid meeting, but in-person participation is highly encouraged!

Register Here: https://open-mic-night-conservation-and-business-planning.eventbrite.com