AgBiz Online Course

AgBiz Planner for Established YBS Farmers

The AgBiz Planner Course helps established YBS and/or Veteran farmers in learning how to better manage and grow their farming operation. There are 10 online modules that each take 1-2 hours to complete. The course will take you through the process of building a strategic business plan for your farm.

Online Modules

1. Megatrends of Agriculture                
2. Strategic Business Planning
3. Preparing for Your Lender
4. Constructing a Balance Sheet
5. Constructing an Income Statement & Cash Flow Projections
6. Understanding Lending Decisions
7. Farm Business Management Factors & Benchmarks
8. Growth & Transition Management
9. Personal Financial Management
10. Communications, Ethics, & Leadership

Application Selection

We will select 7 applications for AgBiz Planner. An application may be 1 or 2 people. Spouses and business partners are highly encouraged to participate! A spouse or business partner may be included as the co-applicant on the application. If chosen, an applicant/co-applicant pair counts as 1 accepted application.   

Program Costs

Each accepted application (1 or 2 people) will pay $250. Upon program completion, AgSouth will reimburse $150 of the $250 applicant tuition fees. Final investment per application is $100.

Cost and reimbursement breakdown:

• Total tuition for Farm Credit University AgBiz Planner Course is $500.
• Each accepted application will pay $250.
• AgSouth will pay remaining $250.
• AgSouth will pay for AgBiz Conference hotel, meals, and other fees. Participants will be responsible for transportation to the conference.
• AgSouth will reimburse participants $150 once they have completed the online portion of the course, attended the AgBiz Conference, and submitted their final business plans.

AgBiz Basics for New YBS Farmers 

The AgBiz Basics Course helps new YBS and/or Veteran farmers in launching, growing, managing, and transitioning a farm to a business. There are 4 online modules that each take 1-2 hours to complete. AgBiz Basics also helps prepare participants to meet with a lender.

Online Modules

1. Side by Side with Your Lender – Financial Documentation, Planning, & Goal Setting
2. Do you cash flow? Cash Flow Planning – Putting Your Production Plan in Numbers
3. What are you worth financially? – Business & Personal Balance Sheets
4. Did you make a profit? – Income Statements

Application Selection

We will select 7 applications for AgBiz Basics. An application may be 1 or 2 people. Spouses and business partners are highly encouraged to participate! A spouse or business partner may be included as the co-applicant on the application. If chosen, an applicant/co-applicant pair counts as 1 accepted application.   

Program Costs

Each accepted application (1 or 2 people) will pay $100. Upon program completion, AgSouth will reimburse $50 of the $100 applicant tuition fees. Final investment per application is $50.

Cost and reimbursement breakdown:

• Total tuition for Farm Credit University AgBiz Basics Course is $200.
• Each accepted application will pay $100.
• AgSouth will pay remaining $100.
• AgSouth will pay for AgBiz Conference hotel, meals, and other fees. Participants will be responsible for transportation to the conference.
• AgSouth will reimburse participants $50 once they have completed the online portion of the course, attended the AgBiz Conference, and submitted their final business plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the goal of the program? 

Our goal is to assist Young, Beginning, Small (YBS), and/or Veteran farmers in becoming more successful business people through knowledge of the marketplace, financial, and business management topics. We hope this value-added service helps all farmers, not just current customers, better understand the lending process. Through the program, we hope all participants can build a relationship with assigned Farm Credit lenders through a mentor-based approach to learning. 

What is the format of the AgBiz Courses? 

Both courses are a blend of in-person and online sessions. The program kicks off with a couple of live webinars, followed by a few months for participants to complete a series of online, self-guided sessions. Both courses conclude with a 2-day in-person AgBiz Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina for graduates to network and apply what they learned in a group setting. AgSouth covers the cost of the AgBiz Conference including one hotel room for one night, all meals, and speaker fees. All participants are responsible for is their own transportation to the conference.

Who can participate?

The AgBiz program is for Young, Beginning, Small and/or Veteran Farmers. They will either be the primary decision maker or have major influence in decisions involving their farming operation. Participants must live and farm in one of the counties serviced by AgSouth in Georgia, North Carolina, or South Carolina. It is not required that applicants are a customer of AgSouth Farm Credit, but must be from with AgSouth's territory.

YBS and Veteran Definition:

• A young farmer is 35 years of age or younger
• A beginning farmer has 10 or fewer years of farming, ranching or aquatic agricultural experience
• A small farmer generates less than $350,000 in annual gross agricultural or aquatic sales
• A farmer who is a former member of the Armed Forces of the United States

What is the timeline of this program?

The 2025 timeline was as follows:

• Friday, September 5, 2025 - Virtual Program Kickoff with selected participants 
• Thursday, September 18, 2025  - Virtual webinar with ag economist Dr. David Kohl discussing Economic Shockwaves: Challenges & Opportunities 
• September – December 2025 - Self-guided online modules