Planning Your Diverse Crop and Livestock Farm Business

Hear farmers share their experiences creating and using the essential farm business plan, and learn to use FINPACK, software that can help crunch the numbers.

• Erin Wilson grew up on an organic, grass-based dairy in northeast Iowa and moved to a farm near Paullina, Iowa, after marrying Torray Wilson, a farmer who grew up on a diverse family farm. Erin and Torray run a flock of 200 ewes with lambs, custom-graze beef cattle and operate a new grass-based organic dairy. They also farm with Torray’s parents, Dan and Lorna, who raise pigs, poultry and organic corn, soybeans, small grains and hay.
• Al Brudelie farms corn and soybeans in southwestern Minnesota near the town of Lewisville. A former Dean of Management Education with the Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Al enjoys working with other farmers on business planning. He is skilled in the use of FINPACK, the financial planning and analysis software designed by The Center for Farm Financial Management in St. Paul, Minn.