North Olympic Peninsula Agricultural Business Advising

Business Consulting for Farm and Food Businesses

Since 2020, the North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation & Development Council (NODC) has supported a vibrant farm and food economy in Clallam and Jefferson Counties by providing intensive, individualized business advising. This work is funded by USDA Rural Business Development grants. The funded projects are aimed at helping farm and food businesses increase revenue and retain or increase jobs.

Objectives include: 

• Providing intensive, in-depth, individualized assistance to 10–20 farm and food businesses
• Providing short-term assistance or referrals to 10 additional enterprises 
• Partnering with WSU’s Regional Small Farms Program to provide in-depth, specialized workshops

The programming successfully navigated the challenging years of COVID, pivoting to different methods including in-person, outdoor, masked sessions, phone, email, and Zoom. Despite the challenges faced during the height of the pandemic, the program managed to exceed its goal for businesses served during those years. 

Workshops span numerous topics, identified by agriculture business owners as the most critical to their success. These workshops are held both in-person across the two counties, as well as virtually via Zoom. Previous workshops have addressed topics including: 

• Applying for USDA Grants (2020 grant)
• Setting Your Farm Up for Employees (2020 grant)
• Employment Insurance (2020 grant)
• Costs of Farm Labor (2020 grant)
• Agricultural Leases 101 (2020 grant)
• Preparing for a Farm Loan (2020 grant)
• E-Commerce Marketing Strategies (2020 grant)
• WSDA Local Food Systems Infrastructure Grant technical assistance (2023 grant) 
• Navigating the Funding Landscape: An overview of grants available at the federal, state, and private levels (2023 grant)
• Refining bookkeeping techniques and methods (2023 grant)
• Farm taxes: being ahead of the curve come tax time (2023 grant)
• Marketing: telling your story and expanding your reach (2023 grant)
• Expanding market channels for farm and food businesses (2023 grant)
• Demystifying Debt: Leveraging smart loans to scale and grow your business (2023 grant)

For more information on the 2025 program contact Paul Schiefen, Farm and Food Business Development Program Manager at paul@noprcd.org.

This program is funded in part by an award from USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Development Grant program. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The webinars below have been recorded and are hosted on the WSU Extension Regional Small Farms Program YouTube channel.

Webinar – Farm Human Resources and Employee Management: Part 1

April 17, 2025

This webinar is ideal for farmers, farm managers, and anyone responsible for building and leading a farm crew, particularly for those at the beginning of hiring and managing crew (3-5 years or under). 

Running a successful farm business means growing more than crops. It means growing a strong, motivated team. Emily Asmus of Welcome Table Farm and Seth Hunt from NODC will dig into practical strategies for hiring, managing, and supporting farm employees.

In this webinar you will:

• Learn how to write compelling job descriptions.
• Recruit the right employees and build a positive, productive workplace culture.
• Participate in an interactive breakout session to share real-world challenges and successes around hiring, firing, and retaining employees.
• Learn how to turn past management struggles into tools for better leadership and a stronger farm team.

This program is funded in part by an award from USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Development Grant program. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Webinar – Farm Grants From Start to Finish: Budgets, Logistics, Reports

March 25, 2025

Webinar on how to approach grant funding for your farm business. Have you wondered if a grant is the answer to all your farm’s needs? Learn about the opportunities and realities of not only finding the right grant fund to match your needs, but also the administrative logistics required to fulfill the grant deliverables. The class will mix instruction with hands-on learning and practice to help you decide if grants could be right for you. Speakers include Angela Glore and Paul Shiefen from North Olympic Development Council. 

This program is funded in part by an award from USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Development Grant program. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Webinar – Understanding Crop Insurance for the Small Farm

March 10, 2025

Webinar on USDA Crop Insurance, covering how to assess farm risks and choose the right coverage to protect your crops from weather, disease, pests, and market shifts. Learn about available and underutilized USDA programs geared towards the small to mid-sized farm to safeguard your business.

This program is funded in part by an award from USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Development Grant program. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.