Portfolio » “Growing Your Farm Profits” workshop and instructional design

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Modeled on the success of our Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan learning product for family farms in Ontario, we were asked to develop the strategy, content, workshop instructional design, speaker support, translation, and learning materials for a workshop to help Ontario’s family farms run their businesses better. We achieved all that, on time and on budget, including all reproduction.

The result: the “Growing Your Farm Profits: Planning For Business Success” two-day workshop, funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and a consortium of Ontario farm organizations.

Our solution has each participant take part in a two-day workshop held in their community, where they go away with a nine-module workbook including quarterly action plans.

The program helps farmers improve their business planning by combining self-assessment and action plan development with a range of cost-share funding for advisory services, training and business plan implementation.

The pilot project was such a success that we were then asked to develop version 1.1 the following year, and the program continues to this day…

… in 2013 the program was renewed, with the new Growing Forward 2 branding.

The client returned to us to provide multiple versions, as well as collateral (such as a kit folder cover to contain various materials).

In the two day workshop, an experienced leader helps participants improve farm management practices and prioritize their business goals. The workshop is open to new and established producers. Farm families and management teams are encouraged to attend the workshop together. They are not asked to share personal or financial details of their operations. Attendance is at no charge. After attending the workshop, they can meet with your workshop leader one-to-one to review and refine their action plan.

This allows them to then access cost-share funding for advisory services and skills development opportunities to achieve their business goals. Qualified Ontario producers can apply for cost-share funding in these areas:

• farm financial assessment
• advanced business planning
• agriculture skills development
• business plan implementation