For farmers who want to unlock the power of spreadsheets, the University of Tennessee is offering a series of statewide workshops that show attendees how to create and use these programs to analyze their operations and make informed decisions.
The “Got Farm Records…Now What?” workshops are scheduled for nine locations, starting in September and running into February. The sessions will be conducted by the university’s Center for Profitable Agriculture, in cooperation with the UT Manage Program
“Spreadsheets give you confidence in the decisions you make,” says Hal Pepper, financial analysis specialist with the Center for Profitable Agriculture. “This also improves the likelihood that your farm or operation will succeed.”
At each workshop location, participants will learn how to export the records from an imaginary farm into a spreadsheet. Participants will be provided the spreadsheet on a flash drive and will practice analyzing the data to make business management decisions. Participants should bring their own laptop computer with the Microsoft Excel program to the workshop. No prior experience working in Microsoft Excel is necessary. Specialists will be available to provide one-on-one assistance with participants during the workshop.
Pepper, along with other instructors from CPA and UT Manage, will present the workshop content at each location. The workshops will feature instruction on using spreadsheets to analyze direct marketing, food processing and agritourism enterprises.
Each full day workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. local time and conclude at 4 p.m. local time. The full schedule is listed below.
- Tuesday, September 24 in Franklin
- Tuesday, October 8 in Memphis
- Monday, November 4 in Knoxville
- Tuesday, November 5 in Chattanooga
- Thursday, November 7 in Lawrenceburg
- Monday, January 13 in Cookeville
- Tuesday, January 14 in Blountville
- Thursday, January 30 in Jackson
- Wednesday February 12 in Clarksville
Pre-registration is required and costs $20 per person, with lunch provided. Space is limited and registration will close five business days prior to each workshop.
