Instructor-Led

Farm Business Management

This course, an integral component of the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program, provides you with the essential financial expertise needed to build, manage, and grow a successful dairy operation.
This comprehensive course equips aspiring and current dairy farmers with the critical business acumen that separates successful operations from those that struggle to survive in today's competitive agricultural landscape.

  • Instructor-Led

    Course type

  • Once a Week

    Lice sessions

  • 12 Weeks

    Course duration

  • TBD

    Date & Time
    What you are going to learn

    A few more words about this course

    Successful dairy grazing operations don't happen by accident. They are built on a foundation of sound financial planning, strategic decision-making, and continuous performance monitoring. This course provides you with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to make informed financial decisions that will drive your operation's profitability and long-term sustainability.

    Upon completion of this course, you'll possess the financial management expertise that distinguishes successful dairy operations from those that struggle. You'll have the confidence to make strategic business decisions, the skills to monitor and improve your operation's financial performance, and the knowledge to build a sustainable, profitable dairy enterprise that contributes to the economic vitality of rural communities.

    You will learn:

    • Budgeting and Financial Planning
    • Goal Setting and Performance Measurement
    • Data Collection and Organization Systems
    • Technology Integration for Financial Management
    • Financial Statement Analysis and Interpretation
    • Critical Financial Ratios and Industry Benchmarking
    • Cash Flow Planning and Monitoring

    Samantha Gehrret

    Expertise:
    Dairy Business Management
    Dairy Processing
    Farm Succession

    About

    She has over 13 years of experience in agricultural science, food manufacturing, and agribusiness, with a strong focus on supporting farms in areas such as transition and succession planning, cash flow analysis, accounting systems, taxation, and business planning.

    Samantha earned her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences from Penn State, where she also completed minors in Environmental Inquiry and Agronomy. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Homeland Security from Penn State, specializing in Agricultural Biosecurity and Food Safety Defense.

    Most recently, she became an apprentice Subject Matter Expert in Composting, contributing to state and federal disaster response efforts. Her career began in Richland Center, Wisconsin, where she worked for one of the world’s largest dairy manufacturers, managing nine production lines producing a variety of yogurt products. She later returned to Pennsylvania to join the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau as Director of Training in the Member Services Division. In that role, she developed and led training programs for staff while delivering financial and business services to clients across the agricultural sector.

    Samantha lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband, daughter, and their dogs. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and working with her dogs in agility and therapy dog activities.
    Don't hesitate

    Ready to transform your dairy farming aspirations into a profitable reality? The financial foundation of your success starts here.