The Agricultural Viability Alliance’s Northeast Network Professional Development Days are professional development gatherings for business advisors working with farm and food businesses. Join us to refine your advising practice, improve your financial and soft skills, and ongoing awareness of relevant timely issues for your practice. These events are one-day, in-person events. Participants will engage in a mix of activities throughout the day, utilizing case studies and peer learning activities. For some meetings we will also make farm visits.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Participation is reserved for business advisors, defined as professionals working with farm and food financials in 1:1 settings. Participants should be actively working as business advisors and involved in the preparation or review of financial statements, or in a program manager role where they oversee such professionals.  These meetings are for advisors of all career stages. Advisors must be working within the six New England States, and/or New York’s Hudson Valley.  Advisors are strongly encouraged to attend ongoing meetings, as these sessions are part of an ongoing peer to peer network of advising professionals.

DATES, LOCATION & COST

October 15th, 2025, 10:00 – 3:00, Alnoba, Kensington, NH

Please join us next on October 15th, 2025, for “Assessing a Client’s True Needs & Using the Challenge Clinic Method In-House.”  by completing this form (link).

Agenda and Challenge Clinic directions.

The cost for the day is $38, which covers your lunch, coffee and snacks.

These meetings are held a few times per year in location central to transportation routes for our entire region.

For logistical questions, contact Marina Ortega,  mortega@thecarrotproject.org.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZER AND TRAINERS

The Agricultural Viability Alliance connects farm, food and forestry viability advisors in New England and the Hudson Valley. These advisors work with farmers to build resilient businesses, access markets and farmland, execute business transitions, and achieve other goals. Regionally, we offer a community for advisors to access professional development and mentorship, so they can do their best work. Nationally, the Alliance brings advisors together to advance policy that ensures consistent funding for business assistance — so the groundbreaking work our network members have spearheaded for decades will be built into the sector long-term. The Alliance is hosted by The Carrot Project. Together, we work toward a just and resilient farm and food system, guided by our shared commitment to an inclusive sector.

Sam Smith, Director of Business Assistance at the Intervale Center, is an instructor for our upcoming meeting: “Assessing a Client’s True Needs & Using the Challenge Clinic Method In-House.” Sam leads a team of business advisors supporting farms across Vermont. His work emphasizes financial analysis, farm viability, and resilience planning, with an approach rooted in applied learning and peer exchange. Sam contributes to programs that serve a diverse audience of farm producers raising different products at different scales.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education program under subaward number ENE25-194-AWD00001359, “Business Advisor Professional Development Through Peer Learning Improves Farm Financials and Resiliency.”