Scholarships for ag business management available | Nuts & Bolts

ST. PAUL — Scholarships are now available to help Minnesota organic fruit and vegetable growers participate in one-to-one farm business management guidance.

Participants can work with instructors to improve their knowledge of accounting, budgeting, finance, tax management and business analysis. In addition to instructor visits, tools such as the FINBIN database equip farmers with data to inform their decisions. The scholarship funds are available through the University of Minnesota in coordination with the Farm Business Management program of Minnesota State’s Center for Northern Agriculture Excellence.

Annual costs are up to $2,000. Scholarships covering 25 to 50 percent of the costs are available. Scholarships also are available to farmers transitioning from conventional to organic operations.

“Minnesota’s organic community is growing and we’re glad to help make these tools available to the full spectrum of organic farmers,” said Joleen Hadrich, University of Minnesota Extension ag economist and associate professor in applied economics.  

Learn more about the organic benchmarking cost share program at z.umn.edu/organicscholarships or by contacting Hadrich at [email protected] or Gigi DiGiacomo, research fellow in the Department of Applied Economics, at [email protected].

This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension.