Two common questions asked are, “I own land, what can I do with it?” and “I want to farm, how do I get started?” The answers to these questions are complicated and can vary for every person, farm and situation. Everyone has a different idea of what they want their farm to be.

The Madison County Horticulture and Agriculture Agents partnered on a series called “The Business of Farming”. This series was for current or future farmers and covered the business basics associated with farming. Since this series was not focused on production, the information applied to all types of farms and farmers.

The series had three classes: Ag Lenders and Local Resources, Insurance and Ag Taxes, and Farm Management. 

The Agents brought in local farming organizations such as KCARD, FSA, USDA, NRCS, the Conservation District and Madison County Farm Bureau to share what they offer to help farmers. Two classes were led by specialists from UK.

Evaluations showed 68% of participants currently owned a farm. Attendee's interests were very diverse. Of those that currently farmed, nearly two thirds raised livestock of some kind. Interest among the participants that were considering farming in the future were more equally spread between livestock production and horticulture crops.

After the series evaluations showed:

1. 100% of participants felt comfortable using the Madison County Extension Office as a resource. 
2. 96% had a better understanding of farm taxes.
3. Only 10% said they currently had a business plan for their farm. Those that did not have a business plan in place said they were likely to use resources and information offered during the program to complete one.

Another benefit to the program was that several new programming ideas came from both discussions with the participants and their evaluations.