ONLINE COURSE
Learn how to start a farm cooperative in your area! The Couse includes step by step information on how to start, maintain, market and launch a farm cooperative.
- Introduction to Farm Cooperatives and Farm Park Cooperatives
- Choosing the Land for Your Farm Cooperative Project
- Designing and Customizing Benefits of Your Farm: Part 1: Site Design: Landscaping, Layout, Farm Structures and Farm Park Amenities
- Designing and Customizing Benefits of Your Farm: Part 2: Farm Production and Design: Growing Produce specific to your city and state: Farm Layout, Crop Schedule, Weekly Produce Box, Delivery, and Staff.
- Designing and Customizing Benefits of Your Farm: Part 3: Farm Education, Farm Volunteer Days, Gardens, Ponds, Community Gardens, Landscaping and Maintenance
- Designing and Customizing Benefits of Your Farm: Part 4: Farm Park Design: Amenities, Entertainment, Activities, Social Events, Camping, Classes, Events, Summer Camps, Etc
- Forming Your Farm as a Legal Cooperative and creation of Bylaws , CR&Rs and Articles of Incorporation
- Questions and Answers Session #1
- The Board of Directors: Roles, Responsibilities and Sourcing
- Marketing, Media and Ads for Your Farm and Farm Park
- Buildings and Site Plans for Your Farm Cooperative
- Farm Construction: Permits, Build Experts, and Project Advisors
- Maintenance, Staff, Over-Wintering and Seasonal Needs of the Farm
- Management of Farmers, Farm Interns and Volunteers
- Accounting, Budgets, Bills and Finance of the Farm
- Insurance, Waivers and Watch-out Situations
- Financing a Farm Cooperative: Buying the Land and Financing the Shares for Prospective Owners
- Banking and Taxes for a Farm Cooperative (Sales Tax, Farm Exemptions, Employment Tax, EIN, Bank Records, Etc)
- Questions and Answers Session #2
- Future Vision: Growing and Expanding Your Farm
- Building Your Farm Team and Farm Leadership
- Purpose and Mission of Your Farm
- Saving Farms and Access to Local Produce
- Health, Families, Fun and Farming
- Getting Started, Getting Motivated and Launching Your Farm
- Course Closing Class and Questions and Answers Session #3
- Certification Class: This class is for filling out the forms to become a certified Farm. Once certified, you may use the certification seal on your ads. You can also submit your farm (once started) on the NFPA website under certified farms.
Certification: The Benefits of Certification include that your farm is recognized as earning a certification from the National Farm Park Association which includes having your farm listed on the website and searchable by the public and members as a certified farm.