Family Business Management
General Programs
University of Idaho Extension - Idaho AgBiz
This program contains resource for budgets, regionally specific market information, publications and decision aids. Idaho AgBiz concentrates on Idaho specific agribusiness and farm management information.
Farm Answers
The Farm Answers Library features over 5,400 materials including apps, audio, online courses, presentations, written materials, and videos to help answer your farming and ranching questions.
- Family Needs/ Communication
- Managing Employees
- Planning the Farm
- Producer Programs - Business Management
Annie's Project
Annie's Project offers a variety of extension classes across the country that educate farm women on risk management. The classes empower farm women to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information. Click here to see courses offered.
- Browse resources by Annie's Project and sponsors
- Annie's Project workshops are available in Idaho. To learn more contact Kate Painter (kpainter@uidaho.edu) or Colette DePhelps (cdephelps@uidaho.edu).
Farm Management Canada
This is a non-profit organization in Canada that develops and distributes leading-edge farm business management information and tools to help facilitate resilience and prosperity. The resources they provide contain a great deal of financial planning, human resource management, and business planning topics.
Family Business Management Services
Don Jonovic and his wife Pamela have worked with family businesses for over 50 years. This website contains great information about lessons they have learned and advice for families in business.
- Can Their Problem be Solved - As seen in Successful Farming magazine.
- The Ultimate Legacy: How Owners of Family and Closely Held Businesses Can Achieve Their Real Purpose. (available at no cost)
Land Conservation Assistance Network
Visit this website to view a list of resources promoting best management practices relating to water management, grazing, crop management and more.
- Select your region to see resources near you.
Family Farms Group
This organization provides comprehensive family farm business consulting services, farm networking and training, human resource assistance, and more.
Iowa State University Extension
Visit the information files of ISU's Extension and Outreach website to read over 50 articles that outline successful farm management practices.
Resources
Conducting Successful Family Business Transition Meetings - Shared decision-making and effective communication are keys to healthy family businesses. This document contains a few tips on achieving those goals through managing meetings. (Ohio State University Extension)
People Considerations: How can we work together? - This resource contains guidelines that prove helpful in improving communication skills. (AgVentures)
Two Generation Farming - Good two-generation farming relationships come about because family members take the time and effort to make relationships work. This document provides guidelines to succeed with family businesses. (Iowa Extension)
Farm Management Guidebook: Building Effective Farm Management Systems - This guidebook was developed to help you articulate where you want your family farm business to be and how to build a management system path to take you there.
Family Business Rules for the Road - This article walks through how to ask questions and create 'business rules' in the family so that those involved will be on the same page. (Northwest Farm Credit Services)
Education and Training
Ranching For Profit School
The Ranching For Profit School will help you find the breakthroughs that will improve the health and productivity of your ranch, the profitability of your business and the quality of your life. Visit their website to learn more.
- Visit Profit tips to read posts about communication, production, succession and more.
- See dates and locations for upcoming schools HERE.
Holistic Management
For over 35 years producers have used Holistic Management practices to improve the land, grow nutritious food, and play a vital role in their local communities. Holistic Management is a value-based decision-making framework that integrates all aspects of planning for social, economic, and environmental considerations.
- Check out training programs for any level of experience or type of background.
- Find events near you
Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Visit this site to find grant opportunities, education and training resources, and new ideas related to sustainable practices.
Our state contacts for SARE are Kate Painter and Carmen Willmore
Cultivating Success: sustainable small farms education
Cultivating Success offers a variety of educational programming including courses, workshops, webinars, and on-farm learning. Programs are open to experienced and beginning farmers.
This list includes private sector service providers, is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal, financial, or any other kind of advice on any subject matter. This list may not reflect the most current legal or financial developments, nor may this list reflect the most current licensing status of any of the providers listed. These materials are not intended, and should not be taken, as legal or financial advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. This list is not intended to guarantee a result or outcome. Your own results or outcomes are beyond ISDA’s control and depend on a variety of circumstances. This list contains links to web-sites operated and maintained by third parties. These links are provided solely as a convenience to you. The presence of such a link does not imply a responsibility for the linked site, or an endorsement or advertisement of the linked site, its operator, or its contents.