South Dakota Center for Farm / Ranch Management

Overview

The South Dakota Center for Farm/Ranch Management (SDCFRM) at Mitchell Technical College is dedicated to assisting agriculture producers in South Dakota to become better business managers. Our goal is to help you learn better methods of farm accounting, farm enterprise recordkeeping, compliance, marketing, decision making, and goal setting, and to be flexible to work on any aspect of agriculture that you need. We will teach you how to build a recordkeeping system, work to build your technical skills, and practice methods to help you keep it all organized.

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors:

There are two levels of education offered through our center:

Financial Foundations

Beginner Farmer & Rancher / FSA Borrower Training

This course is an overview of the topics necessary to be successful in production agriculture. It is designed for the Farmer/Rancher who has been farming/ranching less than 10 years or those who require Borrower Training for FSA loans.

The following topics are covered:

  • Goal Setting
  • Financial Statements & Ratios
  • Recordkeeping Systems
  • Cash Flow Projections
  • Risk Management / Marketing
  • Crop & Livestock
  • Production Trends
  • Income Tax Management
  • Business Structure / Estate Planning

Participants can choose an emphasis on livestock production, crop production, or both. Participants have up to 12 months to complete the course.

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Once the registration process for the course is complete, click here to log in and access curriculum. (The login will be at the very top of the Web page.)

For more information on FSA Borrower Training, please contact Keah Munsen at 605.682.8435.

Farm / Ranch Business Management Program

Mitchell Technical College’s Farm Business Management program is unique because it is individualized. Most instruction is conducted one-on-one with the instructor and the farm operator participating at the farm site. The participants keep records of their own business, which are later analyzed and utilized to develop a comprehensive farm business plan. Participants receive cost comparison figures from across the state, which help in determining factors that can improve profitability. Only during individualized instruction are business records discussed, unless otherwise volunteered. Benefits to the participants of the program include: complete records of past years to review when making management decisions; records needed for filing yearly tax reports; development of a record management system for use with bankers and lending agencies; an increased knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the business; the ability to determine the business’s exact financial progress in any one year; an ability to project profitability of individual enterprises; and development of a working understanding of cash flow, net worth, and profit and loss statements.

Curriculum

Award: Certificate or Advanced Certificate

0
Semesters
Curriculum

Award: Certificate

First Semester

FBM111Fundamentals of Farm Business Mgmt.4 credits

Second Semester

FBM121System Mmgmt Data and Farm Analysis4 credits

Third Semester

FBM131Managing and Modify Farm Syst Data4 credits

Fourth Semester

FBM141Interpreting and Eval Finan Data4 credits

Fifth Semester

FBM151Integrating Info for Financial Plan4 credits

Sixth Semester

FBM161Exam of the Context Sys Management4 credits

Award: Advanced Certificate

First Semester

FBM113Interpreting Trends in Business Planning4 credits

Second Semester

FBM123Interpreting and Evaluating Financial Data4 credits

Third Semester

FBM133Strategies in Farm System Data Management4 credits

Fourth Semester

FBM143Examining Context System Management4 credits

Fifth Semester

FBM153Trends in Business Planning4 credits

Sixth Semester

FBM163System Plans and Projections4 credits

Award: Advanced Certificate

First Semester

FBM115Implementation Farm Tax Planning4 credits

Second Semester

FBM125Labor Economics and Management4 credits

Third Semester

FBM135Analyzing Farm Tax Planning Data4 credits

Fourth Semester

FBM145Legal Issues in Agriculture4 credits

Fifth Semester

FBM155Evaluating Farm Estate Planning4 credits

Sixth Semester

FBM165Preparing for Farm Transition4 credits

Outcomes

At the completion of the program, participants will be able to:

  • Maintain production and financial business records
  • Interpret business analysis
  • Demonstrate strategic decision-making skills
  • Evaluate personal and business goals and plans
  • Utilize business analyses to improve business organization and efficiency
  • Manage risk
  • Manage business resources and technologies

Check out the 2021-22 Annual Program Review for information on how this program assures that its students are attaining learning outcomes.

Faculty

Nicole Tonak

Instructor

Contact
Keah Munsen

Instructor

Contact
Blaine Carey

Program Director / Instructor

Contact

Cost

$ 4000
Program Tuition & Fees*

Other Required Costs

Financial Foundations – Beginner Farmer and Rancher/FSA Borrower Training: $600. Participants have up to 12 months to complete the course.

Farm/Ranch Business Management Program Tuition: $1,600 annually

 

Resources

Crop Tool Kit

Corn, Soybeans, Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, Oats, and Alfalfa Hay. Access the individual crop tool kits by clicking on the tabs found at the bottom of the Excel file, once you have it open.

(You need Office 2010/Excel 2010 or newer to use these forms.)

Crop Tool Kit

Livestock Tool Kit

Beef Breeding, Beef Finishing, Beef Backgrounding, and Hog Finishing. Access the individual crop tool kits by clicking on the tabs found at the bottom of the Excel file, once you have it open.

(You need Office 2010/Excel 2010 or newer to use these forms.)

Livestock Took Kit

Contact the South Dakota Center for Farm/Ranch Management

Nicole Tonak

Instructor

Contact
Keah Munsen

Instructor

Contact
Blaine Carey

Program Director / Instructor

Contact

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