B.A.M. Young Ag Leader Program
David Marrison
Assistant Professor & Extension Educator
Ashtabula County, Ohio
440-576-9008
marrison.2@osu.edu
B.A.M
Why, Buckeye Ag Manager?
• Age of the Ashtabula County (and Ohio)
farm operators is steadily increasing.
• Need was identified by local farm visits
and committee meetings.
• The senior generation states, “I know I
need to turn over more control but I am
really unsure if the junior generation is
ready for it. I am afraid they will crash
and burn.”
B.A.M
• The gripes of the younger generation.
My 37 Year Old Farm Problem
Why, Buckeye Ag Manager?
• Ohio had the very
successful
Management Excel
Courses through
the late 90’s
• BAM is patterned
after Excel with an
emphasis on the
planning &
controlling
functions.
Goals of B.A.M.
• Prepare the junior generation to lead & manage
the farm or agribusiness.
• Help the junior generation understand their
personality/strengths/weaknesses better.
• Help the junior generation analyze their
operation’s financial position to make sure
enough profit exists for future decades.
• Teach how to constructively analyze a farm
operation. (all facets)
• Provide the tools with which participants can
begin a transition plan.
Workshop Outline
Session #1: Assessing the Next Generation
• Personality Assessment
– Personal skill inventories
– Personality testing
• Functions of Management Primer
– 5 functions of management
– Developing a mission statement
– Developing goals
Workshop Outline
Session #2- Financial Management
• Basics Financial Statements
– Balance Sheets, Cash Flow
•
•
•
•
•
Financial Ratios (Farm Financial Scorecard)
Schedule F Basics
Developing Budgets
Calculating Cost of Production
Farm Accounting Systems
–
–
–
–
Farm Account Books
(TABS)
Quicken
Finpack
Workshop Outline
Session #3- Assessing the Operation
• Controlling the Future
-benchmarking their operation
-conducting SWOT analysis
• Intergenerational/Family Communication
• Making Two-Generation Farm Families Work
• Planning for the future
– Developing a Business Plan
– Transition Planning
– Retirement Planning
Details about workshop
• Three all day sessions with 18 hours of
instructional time in winter of 2006 (over
three months).
• Designed for 15-20 students per
workshop.
• Mix of lecture, computer exercises, small
and large group discussion, and
homework.
• Lunch provided (biggest unplanned
benefit).
• Goal is to offer class on bi-annual basis.
Personality Tests
• Myers-Briggs
http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html
– Introvert vs Extrovert
– Sensor vs Intuitive
– Feeling or Thinker
– Judger or Perceiver
• Colors Assessment
http://www.mytruecolors.com/
– Gold
– Blue
– Orange
– Green
Family Stress & Communications
“The underlying success of a
business agreement depends
on healthy family relationships.
Probably more two-generation
family business arrangements
fail because of poor family
relations than any other
reason.”
Workshop Impacts
• Members of the BAM class have met 4 times
for follow-up group discussions.
• Offering Annie’s Project in 2008.
• 50% of the senior generation of the class
members attend the Transition Planning
Workshop in 2007.
• 100% completed mission statements for their
operations.
• 100% indicated they would encourage their
parents to begin to have family business
meetings.
Workshop Impacts
• 100% of the attendees indicated they
better understood:
–
–
–
–
–
their personality style,
the functions of management,
balance sheets,
how to develop a transition plan,
and feel more confident in managing
problems on their farm and have more
confidence in their management abilities.
Workshop Impacts
• 86% of the attendees indicated they:
– feel more prepared to take over the farm,
– feel more confident in managing problems,
and
– feel more confident in calculating their costs
of productions.
Workshop Impacts
Participants rated their top
business management needs as:
- developing goals and tactics (4.0)
- managing job related stress (4.0)
- completing self assessments (3.9)
- delegating responsibilities (3.9)
- effective communication skills (3.9)
- estate planning basics (3.9)
Course Revamped for Future
• Session 1- Personal Evaluation &
Functions of Management
• Session 2- Financial Analysis
• Session 3- Assessing Your Operation
• Session 4- Transition & Estate Planning
• Session 5- Retirement & Investment
Planning
• Session 6- Family Communication
B.A.M.
Questions?
For More Information
David Marrison
OSU Extension-Ashtabula County
39 Wall Street
Jefferson, Ohio 44047
440-576-9008
Marrison.2@osu.edu
B.A.M.