Business bootcamp back in Bendigo

NEW and junior farmers have the chance to learn all about the business side of the industry, thanks to Agriculture Victoria.

The Young Farmer Business Bootcamp is a two-day event held on Thursday, 17 June and Thursday, 24 June at PepperGreen Farm in Bendigo.

Agriculture Victoria’s Young Farmer Coordinator Sarah Wallis said the bootcamp is a great way for young people in the industry to develop skills in budgeting, risk management and financial planning.

“It’s a really challenging thing to do, run a farm business, there’s lots of aspects to it,” she said.

“Doing the books is one part that can be quite challenging because it’s not as fun as being outside on the tractor or with the stock.”

The bootcamp will be run by Meridian Agriculture’s farm business advisor Paul Blackshaw, who Ms Wallis said has received great feedback from previous events.

“He uses language that’s really easy to understand and it’s great in a workshop environment where you can ask questions and you get to know some of the other people in the room,” she said.

Ms Wallis said the event offers transferrable skills that can be applied to any business, be it cattle, sheep or other new and emerging farms.

“You still have to understand a cash flow budget, you still have to understand when your expenses are going out, when your income’s coming in, you need to have those skills it doesn’t matter what business you’re in.

“Our bootcamp is a really good way to get a bit of a foundation and then you can see how adopting other technologies is going to look for you, is it possible, what are the risks?”

Spaces for the bootcamp are limited, and Ms Wallis anyone looking to manage a farm business for the first time to sign up.

“It’s going to a really fun couple of days, you do need to concentrate and be prepared to learn and engage in it but we’d love to see people there that are enthusiastic,” she said.

“For me the best part of my job really is being in a room with really passionate young farmers who are really wanting to make great decisions and have a really prosperous career in agriculture,”

To register for the Young Farmer Business Bootcamp, head to bit.ly/3eIlmiV.