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Strengthening Risk Management Education: Measuring Farm and Ranch Business Resilience

Melissa Gordon

Summary

California FarmLink offers risk management educational programming for small agricultural business owners. In these courses, producers learn business administration skills that help strengthen the resilience and longevity of their farms and ranches. The backbone of this educational approach is the Resilience Self-Assessment (RSA), a multi-purpose tool for farmers and educators. Designed alongside a curriculum related to business risk management, the RSA helps farmers and ranchers systematically evaluate their operation and guides them in setting goals to apply improved management strategies. The RSA also equips the instructors and technical assistance providers with an understanding of the specific risk profile of the businesses taking their training or technical assistance program.

Furthermore, the RSA presents an opportunity to assess agricultural entrepreneurs’ knowledge and business development over time. In 2024, California FarmLink completed a multi-year analysis by administering the RSA as a post-survey to clients who had completed the baseline assessment at least two years prior. When focusing on the core business competencies of Accounting, Credit & Cash Flow, and Taxes, results showed significant improvement over time. Increased scores on the RSA indicate that producers advanced their business management competency and applied skills learned in FarmLink’s curriculum. For example, farmers used more reliable accounting systems, increasingly used cash flow budgeting as a management tool, and reported more consistent and thorough tax filing practices. This session will explore FarmLink’s approach to program outcomes measurement, particularly by using pre- and post- survey responses.

Details

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