Farm and business management courses

Water is essential for running a livestock business. It has a significant impact on stock welfare, farm productivity and business profitability.

This course has three sessions designed to teach you how to calculate your livestock drinking requirements and explain the hydraulic principles to supply ample water, that will help you plan your farming enterprise into the future. The sessions will help you assess your options both in the short-term as well as help you plan into the future. Each session has components that are interactive and informative. You can proceed at your own pace at a time that is convenient for you. You are able to do the modules that interest you and do them as often as you need.

Sessions include:

• Session 1: Dry Seasonal Conditions – Farm Water Planning
• Session 2: Principles of Farm Water Reticulation
• Session 3: Installation Tips and Pumps

The land classing application course provides a step-by-step approach to identifying the land class of a particular area of a farm. Land classing is a fundamental step in developing a Whole Farm Plan. By identifying areas with similar land and soil types you are better able to make informed decisions on what land use is best suited to a certain area.

This tool is based on the Land Classing Kit For Farmers, a booklet written by Nathalie Baxter and John Williamson in 2000. The course will assist you to identify the capability or land class of your land in a systematic and logical way using your knowledge of the farm and a few simple assessment techniques. Fencing and managing your land according to its land class will reduce the risk of degradation and in most cases will increase your farm's production.

The PLANET course: Planning for Sustainable animal industries is designed to inform planners of the new planning framework for Victoria’s animal industries.

The course provides:

Understanding farm business financial performance is a critical step toward improving business profitability. This course will step you through the major financial business management tools that are used to measure the performance of a business, including:

• liquidity
• efficiency
• wealth

This course has been designed for all farmers – for those who are new to managing a farm business, refreshing their knowledge or just wanting to gain further insight into the financial aspects of farm business.

Business management terminology can often be confusing and difficult to wrap your head around. This Glossary of Terms resource contains helpful definitions for common terms that you will come across when running a farm business. This course is designed to be something that you can come back to any time you need a refresher.

Be sure to check out the overhead and variable cost sections where you will meet Glossie the Kelpie who is keen to share her knowledge.