| PROJECT SUMMARY |
| While enterprise budgets are a building block of nursery growers’ risk information base, little cost of production (COP) information has been put into a management-useful format since 1992. Here, COP budgets were developed for 7 container-grown woody ornamental plants (representing common groups of similarly managed plants - azaleas, narrowleaf and broadleaf evergreens, deciduous shrubs, deciduous trees, nut trees). We used an economic engineering approach for production systems, machinery and equipment, and inputs, and the MSBG software to generate reports and because it can be adapted to other ornamental crops. Training happened at differnt levels. Extension agents learned because they looked at production in the activity format. Budgets were incorporated into programming, trade show training, and risk management workshops. As a result, growers can use budgets for better decisions involving risk (crop mix, expansion, and price negotiations). Lenders have better benchmarks. Industry leaders better understand cost implications of policy choices. |
| NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 550 |
| TOPICS COVERED |
| Product and enterprise diversification |
| Marketing strategies, plans and clubs |
| Financial records, analysis, and bench-marking |
| Capital and financial assets |
| Credit |
| Business and strategic planning |
