The Business of Farming Workshop Series

A Practical Financial Workshop Series for Producers

Farming is more than production; it’s a business. The Business of Farming is a hands-on workshop series designed to help producers strengthen their financial decision-making, improve cash flow management, and plan for risk and long-term continuity. This four-session series walks participants through the core financial statements of a farm business and shows how to use them as practical management tools—not just paperwork.

Workshop Sessions and Topics

Participants will build skills across four core areas of farm financial management:

1. Assets & Balance Sheets Understanding asset valuation and how balance sheets reflect business strength.
2. Liabilities, Debt & Cash Flow Linkages Examining debt structure, solvency, and interest exposure—and how they affect day-to-day cash needs.
3. Cash Flow Management Developing annual cash flow plans, identifying seasonal pressure points, and exploring liquidity strategies.
4. Risk Management & Transition Planning Using financial statements to support risk management decisions and long-term continuity planning.

Workshop material applies to all sizes of farming operations.

One-on-One Consulting

Each participant will have opportunities for individualized consultation to apply workshop concepts directly to their own operation:

• Available in the afternoons if only one cohort is running
• Or scheduled outside of class time for personalized follow‑up

Instructor

Jon Paul Driver, WSU Extension agricultural economist, has a background with Northwest Farm Credit Services. Focused on agribusiness risk and operational management, he has completed over 400 consulting sessions for over 200 individual farms. Jon Paul leverages his extensive field experience and his own involvement in his family farm to provide producers with grounded, data-driven strategies that improve the efficiency and long-term viability of farming operations.

Workshop Format

• Four workshops per group. • Each group is limited to 20 registered participants to allow for discussion and individualized attention. • If Group 1 fills up, Group 2 registration will become available.

Dates of workshops:

• Group 1, Mornings: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., four Tuesdays starting Jan. 27th, then Feb. 3, 10, 17.
• Group 2, Afternoons cohort: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., four Tuesdays starting Feb. 3rd, then Feb. 10, 17, 24.

Location

Columbia Basin Conservation District—Meeting Room 903 W. 3rd Ave Moses Lake, WA

Registration and Fees

• Pre-registration is required.
• $25 per person or couple for the full series. Couple registration allows two people to attend
• No refunds
• GROUP 1 REGISTRATION

Questions?

Contact Jon Paul Driver, jonpaul_d@wsu.edu, or the WSU Extension Grant County office, 509.766.3181.

Farm Stress Resources

Workshops provided by WSU Extension, Grant County, and hosted by Columbia Basin Conservation District.