About this badge

This course is offered by the Oregon State University Small Farms Program and provides participants with the tools and knowledge needed to develop and manage a successful farm business. The course includes a variety of online activities, video case studies, and leads participants through the process of developing a whole farm plan. This badge certifies that students have successfully completed the six online modules of Growing Farms: Successful Whole Farm Management.

• Dream It. Lays the groundwork for success through planning, assessing resources, and creating an identity for a farm.
• Do It. Builds the farm through smart investments in equipment and infrastructure, hiring and managing employees effectively, and creating energy efficiency.
• Sell It. Develops successful markets for farm products with strategies that are compatible with personal and financial goals, and that capitalize on customer needs and trends.
• Manage It. Strengthens a farm business through better financial management, tracking production costs and pricing, and establishing procedures for record keeping and accounting.
• Grow It. Works with nature to create and manage a farm ecosystem that is productive, able to resist pests, and enhances the quality of land and other natural resources.
• Keep It. Sustains the farm business over the long-haul through entrepreneurship, development of good communication within the family and business team, careful attention to regulations, and risk management.