The Young Farmer Business Program returned to Moree last month, with the biggest crowd yet turning up to its Bank Savvy workshop.
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A large crowd of 63 young farmers and professionals, including solicitors, bankers and accountants, attended the Bank Savvy workshop, hosted by the Young Farmer Business Program at Moree Town and Country Club on Wednesday, May 22.
This was the third event hosted in Moree by the Young Farmer Business Program - previous events have included Getting Started: Bank Ready and Startup Stories.
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While the previous Moree events have proven popular, this was the biggest event the program has held to date, which Young Farmer Business Program manager Alex Hicks said shows just how hungry young farmers are for this type of information.
"We were pumped to see the number of young farmers show up in Moree," she said.
"It was our biggest crowd to date, and great to see the thirst for business knowledge."
The guest speaker was agribusiness finance broker Brad Sewell, who spoke about different pathways to farm ownership including vendor finance, guarantor sets up and leasing with an option to buy.
"Brad spoke about how to get the best out of relationships with banks and asking the right questions," Ms Hicks said.
"It's all about being proactive with your bank. He also showed how to create a proposal to take to your bank to pitch an idea. This is something that he's developed."
Ms Hicks said the presentation was well received by the crowd, many of whom are on a journey to become a farmer.
"People said there was a good mix of entertainment and business and that the case studies were very useful," she said.
The Young Farmer Business Program is funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The program provides access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers.
The target audience is 18 to 35-year-olds, and at the Moree event, 89 per cent of the crowd were between that age bracket.
The program runs on a grassroots level with local champions promoting events to their networks and choosing workshops that meet their business needs. Social media is also used to engage young farmers and fishers and spread the word online.
Young Aggies Moree invited the Young Farmer Business Program to town, and has already asked them to come back again in six months.
"We'll be coming back soon with another workshop for sure!" Ms Hicks said.