Digging Deep into Data: Using spreadsheets and data for farm planning and decision making
We regret that registration is either at capacity or expired for this program. Please join our mailing list and follow us on social media for news and upcoming events.
To Reach the Cook County Small Farms and Local Foods team, please email or call Sarah Batka at 217-300-8636 or sbatka@illinois.edu
The course has two components and two topics. Free templates will be provided.
Part 1: a 1-hour virtual lecture on the planning topic and why/how to use spreadsheets, followed by discussion, Q&A and share out from practicing urban farmers.
Part 2: an in-person guided work session where you will have the opportunity to input your own data in to an Excel template, share results, and/or discuss solutions to potential cash flow and or production planning problems that may be revealed after completing the worksheets. Instructors and students will collectively brainstorm solutions.
Virtual Webinars (2):
Cash Flow Work Sheets: Thursday February 29, from 6:30 to 8 pm. Learn how cash flow worksheets can benefit your farm business planning and how they can be used for forecasting and decision making.
Annual Production Plans: Thursday March 7, from 6:30 to 8 pm. Learn the basics of how to use spreadsheets to calculate crucial crop production data for your annual production plans. This will include a real-world example using data from the SoSuCo urban ag demonstration farm.
In-person work session: Friday March 15, from 9 am to 3 pm at 8753 S. Greenwood Chicago, IL 60619. Bring your laptop and farm data for this day-long work session. Complete your Cash Flow Worksheet or Annual Production Plan or both! The Cook County Local Food Systems and Small Farm team will be on hand for one-on-one coaching. Lunch will be provided for the in person session. You MUST have attended the virtual session in order to attend the in person session. .
Cost: $10 total, regardless of how may session you attend.
Instructor(s): Kathryn Pereira and Zack Grant, Extension Educators, Local Food Systems and Small Farms. In person session also guided by Sarah Hoerner of Compeer Financial.