Chatham University
Course Syllabus
GENERAL INFORMATION
Course Title:
Business of Food and Agriculture
Course Number:
FST 518
Semester/Year:
Spring 2015
Classroom:
Falk Hall, Room F218; Wednesdays 1 to 4 pm.
Instructor:
Dr. Thomas Macagno
Contact Information:
Email: tmacagno@chatham.edu Phone: 412-365-1343
Office Hours:
By Appointment
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Description:
In this class the student will be exposed to business and entrepreneurial activities with a focus on the food and
agriculture industries. The class takes an experiential approach assigning students to work with organizations
(when available) to develop a business plan. The process is scaffold with practitioner and theoretical material.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of the course, the students will be able to:
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Discuss modern business activities, trends, management, marketing, finance and accounting
Understand key aspects of financing an entrepreneurial venture
Perform industry analysis and develop a marketing strategy
Explain and complete a SWOT analysis
Prepare and understand basic personal financial statements and bookkeeping processes
Understand and apply leadership principles and management strategies
Develop and present a business plan in the food or agriculture industry
Required Texts and Materials:
Ü, E. Raising dough : the complete guide to financing a socially responsible food business. (Available on
Kindle)
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Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture Network. (2013). Building a
sustainable business: a guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses / developed by the
Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. St. Paul, MN, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture.
Available free here:
http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Building-a-Sustainable-Business
See Evernote for reading material
https://www.evernote.com/pub/tmacagno0/fst518
Optional Texts and Materials:
Click here to enter text. – Explain why these are optional and how they are beneficial.
Course Requirements: (tests, assignments, etc.)
All work will be team based. Each team is required to complete a business plan for a real food or agriculture
business. Teams will need to participate in class in the form of discussion and presentations. Every week teams
will also need to update the class on their progress (as would be expected in a regular business). Half way
through the semester each team will need to present a draft of their business plan. In the final class teams will
present and submit their completed business plans. In addition, teams will be asked to submit a short
assignment reflecting on their class experiences. The combination of these assignments (called performances)
constitute the class requirements.
Course Policies:
 Attendance and/or participation:
o Every student enrolled at Chatham accepts the responsibility to attend all required class meetings.
To obtain the fullest benefit from their courses, students must participate fully. This implies
attending regularly, engaging in course activity, completing work on time, and making up work
missed because of an emergency absence. It is the student’s responsibility to let the course
instructor know within the drop-add period if he or she will have to miss class for religious
reasons, athletics, or other.
o If the student has absence due to extraneous situations he / she must contact the Professor.
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Grading
Class Participation (Discussion and Presentations) & Attendance: 25%
Team Presentation – Draft Business Plan 25%
Team Assignment – Final Business Plan plus reflections (Written and Presentation) 50%
Please note non-performing team members may be assessed individual.
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Missed Exams/Assignments
Contact me to see if it is possible to make up the assignment.
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Behavior
We will be working on projects in teams and as is common in the business world, you won’t be able to
pick the other members of your team. This diversity and chance is part of your learning in this course.
Team members are expected to behave as professionals and common courtesy is expected. Every
student is expected to come to class prepared to learn and participate in a meaningful way. Under no
circumstances is a student’s behavior to detract from the learning environment of others in the class.
(Disruptive behavior may result in the student’s dismissal from the course.)
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Course Calendar/Schedule:
Week 1 - January 7, 2014
Theme(s)
 Introduction and team building
 Planning the plan.
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will form teams and agree on ground rules.
 Students will be introduced to their cases.
 Students will see the value in planning their business plan.
Performances (20 points)
 Students will form teams
 Teams will run the “game” then do a team contract.
 Students will work in their groups on planning the business plan: Use Building a Sustainable Business
- Task 5 – Worksheet 5.1-5.3 prepare in class with team.
Readings, etc.
 Show examples - Billy Reid; Window farms
 Raising Dough Chapter 1
 Watch in class: Money's Many Shades of Green: Elizabeth Ü at TEDxManhattan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Na9eYSbLc 8:11 Minutes
 Building a Sustainable Business - Task 5: Give template for Business plan
Week 2 - January 14, 2014
Theme(s)
 What is business? A purpose. A mission.
 Is business inherently bad? Or is it just an important skill in the modern world?
 If you are going to change the world you have to do your homework.
 Are there opportunities linked to systems break-down
Learning Goal(s)
 Student will develop a view of business as more than just profit.
 Students will see that business and society are not separate.
 Students will clarify values to understand idea of values led business.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on the business of business. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
 Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheet 1.1-1.2 prepare and cover in class
 Students will work in their groups on planning the business plan: Use Building a Sustainable Business
- Task 5 – Worksheet 5.1-5.3 prepare in class with team.
Readings, etc.
 Raising Dough - Chapter 2
 Building a Sustainable Business - Task One: Identify Values–What’s Important to You?
 Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden
circle and the question "Why?"
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en#t-843383
18:04 Minutes
 Buchholz, R. A. and S. B. Rosenthal (1997). "Business and Society: What's in a Name." International
Journal of Organizational Analysis 5(2): 180-201. (Evernote)
 Read section on Modernity at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Giddens,_Baron_Giddens
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Week 3 - January 21, 2014
Theme(s)
 What is profit vs. value?
 Business opportunities that solve social and environmental problems.
Learning Goal(s)
 Student will understand concept of economic profit.
 Student will understand other ways businesses can create value.
 Student will understand why non-profits need to make a profit.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
 Student will think about opportunities created by sustainability problems.
Readings, etc.
 Porter, M. E. and M. R. Kramer (2011). "Creating Shared Value." Harvard Business Review 89(1/2):
62-77.
 Food Security framework apply to identify opportunities
(http://agriwaterpedia.info/wiki/Definition_and_Dimensions_of_Food_Security)
 The Business Opportunity in Tackling Sustainable Consumption (Evernote)
 Startups lead the way to crack the 'unsolvables'
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/01/24/startups-lead-way-cracking-unsolvables
 Fixing farming - To feed the world - without destroying it - big companies need to get smart about
what they buy.
 The High-Rise Urban Farms of the Future http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/11/24/high-riseurban-farms-future
 Google, Big Data and robots: Tech’s new food security moonshot
http://www.greenbiz.com/article/google-big-data-robots-techs-new-food-security-moonshot
Week 4 - January 28, 2014
Theme(s)
 What is management
 How to start a company.
 Financing through the community
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will understand different forms of business structures llc/s/
 Students will learn about B-Corporations
 Students will understand funding originating from the community.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
 Team – presentation – Non-traditional funding
 Student will explain how to create a B-Corp including pros and cons
 Students discuss and update class on plans.
 Team presentation - Non-traditional Funding.
Readings, etc.
 Raising Dough - Chapters 3, 7-10
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What Kind of Business Should Your Business Be? http://www.inc.com/articles/2003/09/legal.html
How to become a B Corp - http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-bcorp
Benefit Corp Quick FAQ’s - http://www.benefitcorp.net/business/business-faqs
Choose Your Business Structure http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/38822
Week 5 - February 4, 2014
Theme(s)
 What is sales and marketing?
 Debt financing
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will understand the 4 p's of a product.
 Students will explore and understand distribution channels.
 Student will understand debt financing.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on marketing. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
 Complete with detail - Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheet 4.1-4.8 prepare and cover in
class (Please ask which are to be prioritized).
 Students discuss and update class on plans.
Readings, etc.
 Raising Dough - Chapters 11-14
 Building a Sustainable Business - Task 4 pgs. 106-133
Try this game http://www.agile42.com/en/agile-coaching-company/agile-scrumtools/business-value-game/
Also look at BBGM slides
Week 6 - February 11, 2014
Theme(s)
 Why accounting will make the business successful.
 Why finance will (also) make the business successful.
Learning Goal(s)
 Student will understand and value basic bookkeeping.
 Students will understand and apply the concepts of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses.
 Students will understand the basics of an annual report.
 Student will develop skills to complete a financial forecast.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on accounting and finance. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
 Students will prepare a balance sheet and income statement based on personal finances (fictional)
using excel or QuickBooks.
 Student will prepare a financial forecast / model in Excel
 Students will critique an annual report – Whole Foods Market 2013 Annual Report (Evernote).
Readings, etc.
 Building a Sustainable Business - Page 51-60
 Raising Dough - Chapter 5
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For extra background please see Tutorials at https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-financedomain/core-finance/accounting-and-financial-stateme These are short and can give you a quick
overview.
Whole Foods Market 2013 Annual Report (Evernote).
Week 7 - February 18, 2014
Theme(s)
 Present a draft of your team’s business plan.
 What is leadership and HR management?
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will show overall understanding of their plan and the planning process.
 Students will develop public speaking skills.
 Students will develop team working skills.
 Student will understand basics of HR management.
Performances (250 points)
 Students will present a draft of their business plan to date and discuss their strategy. This should
also include the Vision, Mission and Goals Section of the Business Plan (What good will this business
do?). Use Building a Sustainable Business - Task 3 as a guide
Readings, etc.
 Use Building a Sustainable Business - Task 3 as a guide
 Building a Sustainable Business - Page 46-50 (Section on HR)
 Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en
 Extra - Employees Matter: Maximizing Company Value Through Workforce Engagement
http://sjfinstitute.org/sites/default/files/Employees_Matter_Executive_Summary_PDF.pdf
Week 8 - February 25, 2014
Theme(s)
 What are business ethics and corporate social responsibility?
 Equity financing
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will understand basic idea of communicating sustainability.
 Students will understand the basics of equity financing.
 Student will develop an awareness of working for a higher purpose / meaning for business.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
o Students will reflect upon the values which they want to use / live by in business.
o Students will discuss how different perspectives of CSR shape CSR approaches using the
article and looking at Pepsico’s Sustainability Report.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
 Team presentation - Equity Funding.
Readings, etc.
 Garriga, E. and D. Melé (2004). "Corporate Social Responsibility Theories: Mapping the Territory."
Journal of Business Ethics 53(1 - 2): 51-71.
 Sustainability and CSR Chapter 5 (Draft) - Macagno 2014 (Background).
 Raising Dough - Chapters 16-18
 Pepsi Sustainability Report
Week 9 - March 4, 2014
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Theme(s)
 Sales and marketing II
 Market research
 Grant Funding
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will understand the value of market research on their products.
 Students will continue to develop their understanding of marketing.
 Student will understand grant financing.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic (market research on the team’s products). A team may be selected to
lead the discussion.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
 Complete with detail - Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheet 4.1-4.8 prepare and cover in
class (Please ask which are to be prioritized).
 Team presentation - Grant Funding.
Readings, etc.
 Building a Sustainable Business - Task 4
 Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheets 4.1-4.8 prepare and cover in class (Please ask which
are to be prioritized – we covered some areas already).
 Raising the Dough - Chapters 15 & 19
SPRING BREAK March 8-13, 2015 – Enjoy!
Week 10 - March 18, 2014
Theme(s)
 What are ways to finance a business?
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will understand various sources of funding / capital.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
o Students will discuss funding with a "finance professional" such as a Venture Capitalist.
Please report back by team (this is part of the topic discussion).
o Look at https://www.pwcmoneytree.com/ and find Food and Ag Businesses that have been
financed. How might you apply their success to your business? What are some of the
patterns you see?
 Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheets 2.1-2.18 prepare and cover in class (Please ask which
are to be prioritized).
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
Readings, etc.
 Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheets 2.1-2.18 prepare and cover in class (Please ask which
are to be prioritized).
 Raising Dough - Recap – discussions
 See https://www.pwcmoneytree.com/
Week 11 - March 25, 2014
Theme(s)
 Business Plan Workshop
 Focus on marketing plan
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will get direct one on one support on marketing plan.
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Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Teams working on their plans being supported by other teams and “helpers”.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
Readings, etc.
 TBD
Week 12 – April 1, 2014
Theme(s)
 Business Plan Workshop
 Focus on financial plan
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will get direct one on one support on financial plan.
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheets 2.1-2.18 prepare and cover in class (Please ask which
are to be prioritized).
 Teams working on their plans being supported by other teams and “helpers”.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
Readings, etc.
 Building a Sustainable Business - Review - Task Five: Present, Implement and Monitor Your Business
Plan–Which Route
 Building a Sustainable Business - Worksheets 2.1-2.18 prepare and cover in class (Please ask which
are to be prioritized).
Week 13 - April 8, 2014
Theme(s)
 Business Plan Workshop
 Focus on pulling it together
Learning Goal(s)
 Students will get direct one on one support on overall business plan
Performances (20 points)
 Group discussion on topic. A team may be selected to lead the discussion.
 Teams will report project progress and receive feedback.
Readings, etc.
 TBD
Week 14 - April 15, 2014
Theme(s)
 Present and submit the final business plan.
Learning Goal(s)
 Teams will present business plans.
 Student will reflect upon their experience and learning.
Performances (500 points = 450 Written Report + 50 Reflection)
 Present and submit the final business plan.
 As a team discuss what you learned about teamwork and the planning process 600 to 1,200 words.
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CREDIT HOUR REQUIREMENTS
All courses, including those offered fully online, in a blended format, and in a seven-week session, must meet
for a minimum of 14 hours per credit, plus the final examination period. If your class is not scheduled to
physically meet for the appropriate number of hours, you must include a set of Equivalent Instructional
Activities (EIAs) on the syllabus showing how the contact hours will be met.
Equivalent Instructional Activities (EIAs):
Please clearly indicate what assignments you are counting as EIAs, so that EIA hours can be easily tracked.
Two-credit, on-ground courses need 4 hours of EIAs.
Three-credit on-ground courses need 18 hours of EIAs.
POLICY STATEMENTS
Chatham University Honor Code:
Chatham University students pledge to maintain the Honor Code, which states in part: “Honor is that principle
by which we at Chatham form our code of living, working, and studying together. The standards of honor at
Chatham require that all students act with intellectual independence, personal integrity, honesty in all
relationships, and consideration for the rights and well being of others.”
Information about the Honor Code is available in the Student Handbook.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Cheating is defined as the attempt, successful or not, to give or obtain aid and/or information by illicit means in
meeting any academic requirements, including examinations. Plagiarism is defined as the use, without proper
acknowledgement, of the ideas, phrases, sentences, or larger units of discourse from another writer or speaker.
Turnitin.com and FERPA
In all classes, faculty must notify students if the Turnitin service may be used. Student papers are protected by
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act as they are educational records that contain personally
identifiable information. If faculty submits a paper or an excerpt from a paper on behalf of a student for
evaluation by Turnitin, an alias must be used instead of the student's name and faculty will ensure that any
identifiable personal information is removed before submission.
Disability Statement:
Chatham University is committed to providing an environment that ensures that no individual is discriminated
against on the basis of her/his disability. Students with disabilities, as defined under the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and who need special academic accommodations, should notify the assistant
dean of the PACE Center as soon as possible. The PACE Center will work with students and the course
instructor to coordinate and monitor the provision of reasonable academic accommodations.
Non-Registered Students Policy:
In accordance with University policy, only officially registered students may attend this class and all other
classes offered at the University after the drop/add period. Please confer with your academic advisor if you need
assistance with the registration process or you need additional information.
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Minimum Grade Requirements:
Graduate students must earn a grade of B- or above in all courses. Undergraduates must earn a grade of C- or
above in all courses completed after spring 2011 used to fulfill major or minor requirements. Please refer to the
University catalog or individual program manuals for additional information.
Minimum Technology Requirements:
Internet Access Broadband cable or DSL with a minimum connection speed of 768kbit is
recommended; slower connections may not provide optimal course experience and
performance
Operating
Microsoft Windows 7 or higher (PC)
System
Mac OS X 10.6 or higher (MAC)
Current students may purchase Operating System upgrades from the Chatham
Helpdesk
Processor Type 2.0 GHz or higher
System
4GB RAM or higher
Memory
Monitor
1024x768 or higher screen resolution
Software
Microsoft Office 2013 or higher (PC)
Microsoft Office 2011 or higher (MAC)
All students will be provided with Microsoft Office 365
Current students may purchase Microsoft Office from the Chatham Helpdesk
Web Browser
Mozilla Firefox (Recommended for Moodle), or Google Chrome Incognito
(Recommended for myPortal); other browsers such as Internet Explorer, Opera and
Apple Safari are not recommended
Storage
500GB of hard drive or greater
Audio
Computer speakers and headphones
Visual
Web Camera
E-mail
Chatham University e-mail account (Microsoft Office 365)
Web
Courses using web conferencing for online meetings require the following:
Conferencing
 For audio: headphones and microphone
 For video: web camera
Plug-ins
Course content may include file types that require special plug-in software, which are
typically available as free downloads (ex: Real Player, Java, QuickTime, Silverlight,
Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash)
Mobile Devices Some resources are available via smartphones and tablets. Please note: Mobile
devices will not be able to complete all course requirements. Students will still need
regular access to a computer.
On Campus
Current students have access to the following resources:
Resources
24 Hour Computer Lab – JKM Library 106
Computer Lab – JKM Library 101
Computer Lab – Buhl 236 (no printer)
Computer Lab – Coolidge 42
Computer/CAD Lab – Eastside 209
Chatham IT Helpdesk – Woodland 100, Eastside 219, Eden Hall Lodge Library
Off Campus
Current students have access to the following resources:
Resources
Atomic Learning (http://www.atomiclearning.com/)
Chatham IT (http://www.chatham.edu/its)
Chatham IT Helpdesk (http://services.chatham.edu)
Current
For the most up-to-date technology, please visit Chatham IT
Technologies
(http://www.chatham.edu/its)
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