University of Maryland Extension, the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council, American Farmland Trust, and partners invite grazers, livestock owners, farmers, and associated industry partners to attend the Ranching for Profit Workshops in both Virginia and Maryland this fall.
Back by popular demand, the Ranching for Profit Workshops will each be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. over two days on October 22-23 (Best Western Plus in Waynesboro, VA) and October 24-25 (Garrett College in McHenry, Maryland).
These workshops are designed for producers looking to transform their operation into a profitable business with less work and stress. Workshop attendees will dive deeper into the principles behind farm economics and increasing farm profitability, giving them the tools and insights they need to improve their business. Both workshops will cover the same topics; topics covered will include the following:
Day 1 (Oct 22nd/24th): Three Secrets for Increasing Profits
- Setting a profit target and working backwards to achieve it
- Projecting profit or loss using the RFP 7-step profit planning model
- Using benchmarks to identify your profit drivers and find your "dead wood"
- Restructuring your operation for profitability
Day 2 (Oct 23rd/25th): Cattlemen vs. Grassmen - Economic Leverage of Grazing
- The value of cattle vs. the value of grass
- Stocking rate vs. carrying capacity
- Soil health is the foundation of ag business health
- Applying the 3 secrets for increasing profits into the 5 cell grazing principles
Both 2-day workshops will be taught by Jordan Steele, one of the experts on the Ranching for Profit team and director of operations for Ranch Management Consultants. Jordan grew up on a cow-calf operation near Aladdin, WY before completing his Master's Degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Wyoming. The workshops will feature a small group approach with team and class discussions, case studies, videos, interactions, and direct application to the participants’ own situation.
For full details and registration information, please visit https://vaforages.org/event/2024-ranching-for-profit-workshop/ for the Virginia workshop and https://go.umd.edu/rfpworkshop for the Maryland workshop.