Ag workshop on the money

Area ranchers and farmers have an opportunity to hone their financial planning skills with a four-day workshop coming up this month and in February.

It is sponsored by the Glenn and Butte County Resource Conservation districts to provide step-by-step planning tools for landowners and managers to control the profitability of their farms and ranches.

The workshops begin Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 in Willows at the Old 99 Steak House, 8:30 a.m. -4:30 p.m., and conclude Feb. 16 and Feb. 23 in Oroville.

Registration is $150 per business and includes the seminars, materials and lunch. Additional partners may sign up for $45 each. Deadine is today.

Instructors are Richard King of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service and Lee Altier of California State University, Chico.

The men will use what they term a "holistic" approach to agri-business management in which financial plans are linked to managing the land in an environmentally sound way, a press release said. They also will emphasize building relationships with people that will benefit the grower and rancher today and in the future.

Also speaking is Rod Carter of Northern California Farm Credit on farm or ranch succession planning.

King's course outline includes doing an overview of financial planning, guide maps, profit analysis, time management, emergency planning, brainstorming, and items on wealth generating expenses.

He also addresses creating an annual plan, transfer of income figures to the annual plan, profit planning and inventory consumption.

Worksheets will be provided on these various issues, so workshop participants can tailor them to their own operations.

Steps for investing profit, checking cash flow and balancing the plan will be discussed too.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com.