Kim Niewolny, Associate Professor; Dept. of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, Virginia Tech; Theresa Nartea, Assistant Professor, Virginia State University; Cathryn Kloetzli, Extension Agent, Albemarle County; Allyssa Mark, Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Program Associate, Dept. of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, Virginia Tech

The purpose of the Introduction to Whole Farm Planning module is to help beginning farmers and ranchers in Virginia make informed farm planning decisions by introducing them to the whole farm planning process.

Starting a farm is an exciting yet challenging opportunity. As with any new undertaking, there is a lot to think about before beginning a farm venture. Gaining access to farmland, viable markets, capital and credit, as well as hands-on training and resources are some of the most important startup issues to consider as part of the planning process. You are likely asking yourself, “Where do I begin?” The purpose of this resource is to help newcomers make informed decisions at the start of the planning process. This “quick guide” is primarily designed for beginning farmers and ranchers, but service providers will also find this resource useful for answering questions about the farm startup process. This foundational work offers a valuable starting point on which to create a successful whole farm plan for a new agricultural venture.

You are likely asking yourself, “Where do I begin?” The purpose of this tool is to help you gather a solid basis of information as you consider your “start-up” situation. Once you have completed as much as you can of this worksheet (or if you have any questions along the way), please bring it to your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office to get guidance on where to go next: http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices/index.html. Good Luck! We look forward to helping you bring your farm vision to life!