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Initial Orientation
Initial Orientation
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Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers
Initial Orientation
Objectives• Provide a brief background of TAA
E l i t ti l TAA b fit f li ibl• Explain potential TAA benefits for eligibleproducers
• Identify requirements that must be completed to receive TAA benefits
• Provide information so you can decide if you want to participate in the TAA program
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TAA for Farmers
Purposep
To help agricultural producers & fishermen adjust to foreign import competition
TAA for Farmers• TAA has always focused on training
• Since 1974 traditional TAA has provided job retraining to non-agricultural employees
• Farmers and fishermen were added to TAA in 2002
• In addition to training, farmers and fishermen gcan receive up to $12,000 to help implement a business plan and what they learned at the training sessions
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Commodity Eligibility
• A commodity must be certified as eligible b f d l f b fitbefore producers can apply for benefits
• Because your commodity has qualified for TAA, we are conducting this training.
Commodity Eligibility• For a commodity to be eligible
– The commodity must have experienced greater than a 15% decline in the:
• national average price or • quantity of production or • value of production
in the most recent marketing year compared to the previous three marketing years;
– And imports must have “Contributed Importantly” to this decline
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Producer Eligibility
• Individuals can apply for TAA at the local FSA ffi ithi 90 d ft thFSA office within 90 days after thecommodity is approved for TAA.
• We assume you have applied. If not, you can attend training but you are not eligible f th th TAA b fitfor the other TAA benefits.
Producer Eligibility
• If you listed an alternate on your li ti ith th lt tapplication, either you or the alternate can
attend training sessions and get credit for attending
– You cannot represent two participants
• While they won’t get credit, we welcome others to attend if they are interested in a topic
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TAA Benefits
• Training
• CashCash
TAA Benefits• Four phases of training
– Initial orientation training
– Intensive technical assistance
Initial business plan– Initial business plan
– Long-term business adjustment plan
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Initial Orientation Training
• An overview of TAA technical assistance Th f t i i h– The four training phases
– Options to receive training– Training topics available for you to choose
from– Requirements to get cash payments
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• This workshop will also provide:A b i f di i th dit ’ ld– A brief discussion on the commodity’s worldsituation
– Short discussion on:• Opportunities to improve production efficiencies• Alternative marketing opportunities• Evaluation of alternative enterprisesEvaluation of alternative enterprises
Phase 1• Phase 1 must be completed within 90
days after the end of sign updays after the end of sign up
• Must complete to proceed to next phase
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Phase 1• How will Orientation Training be delivered?
– Primarily through local workshopsPrimarily through local workshops
– It will also be available online for those who cannot attend a workshop
• You can use whatever method is most convenient for youconvenient for you
Intensive Technical Assistance
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• Phase 2 will offer a series of in-person or li k h t i l t tonline workshops on topics relevant to
improving your profitability
– You can choose the topics that are the most valuable to your operation
– 7 to 8 workshop topics will be available
– You may attend any or all workshops but must attend a minimum of 12 hours of training
• Training Options
– Most topics will be delivered at in-person workshops
– Some topics will be delivered both at in-person workshops and online
– A few topics will be delivered only online
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• As an example, to complete the required 12 h i ht ti i t i f12 hours you might participate in fourworkshops that are three hours each
• You may choose to participate in any combination of in-person workshops and
li k honline workshops
– Ex: Attend two in-person workshops, take two online workshops
• The Initial Orientation Training that you are tl tt di d t t t dcurrently attending does not count toward
the 12 hours of training
• The regulation states you must complete Phase 1 training before starting Phase 2
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Phase 2
• There are no specific deadlines to l t Ph 2 t i i tcomplete Phase 2 training except,
– You have three years from when a commodity is approved for TAA to complete Phases 2, 3 and 4
• The sooner you complete training the sooner you will get your cash payments
Phase 2
• Phase 2 in-person workshops will usually b d li d ithi 9 th ft th dbe delivered within 9 months after the endof sign up
– If you have not completed the required 12 hours of training by attending these in-person workshops, there will be some onlineworkshops, there will be some onlineworkshops available until the end of the three year eligibility period
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Phase 2
• Phase 2 workshop topics:
– Some were identified by industry representatives and will be very specific to your commodity
– Some are more general topics available to all TAA ti i tTAA participants
Phase 2
• General topics available to all TAA ti i t ill i l dparticipants will include:
– Direct marketing your products– Strategically positioning your business– Personnel management– Financial management– Transition/succession planning– Developing a business plan
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Phase 2
• We encourage you to attend the D l i B i Pl k hDeveloping a Business Plan workshop
• This workshop will help prepare you to complete Phases 3 and 4
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• After attending at least 12 hours of workshops you need to write an Initialworkshops, you need to write an InitialBusiness Plan
• The plan will be reviewed and, if approved, will qualify you to receive up to a $4,000 payment from FSAp y
• The Initial Business Plan must:
– Describe the skills you gained from the Intensive Technical Assistance workshops
– Describe how you will apply these skills to your business
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• An Initial Business Plan template is il bl t h l it th lavailable to help you write the plan
– The template only has six questions
– A copy of the template is in the workshop materials so you will know what is required
• The six questions are:
– Describe your business
– Identify the key challenges to your business that you need to address
– What skills did you gain from TAA technical– What skills did you gain from TAA technicalassistance workshops?
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• Questions (continued):
– How will you apply these skills to your business?
– What changes are you considering to improve your business profitability and to improve your
bilit t t ith i t ?ability to compete with imports?
– Do you intend to complete a long-term business plan?
• Developing a Business Plan workshop
– As part of this Phase 2 workshop, educators will be available to answer questions as you complete your Initial Business Plan
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• You do not have to complete the Initial B i Pl t th b i l iBusiness Plan at the business planningworkshop
– You can take a copy home and work on it
– Or you can do it all online
• Submit your Initial Business Plan
• After submission
– Plan will be reviewed
– Once approved you will get paid up to $4,000from FSAfrom FSA
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• Why is the government giving you a $4 000 t?$4,000 payment?
– The regulation states that the payment is to:• Implement the initial business plan or• Develop a long-term business adjustment plan
(Phase 4)
– To help you develop a plan to improve profitability and to better compete with imports
Long Term Business Plan
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• After completing the Initial Business Plan, you have the option to write a Long Termyou have the option to write a Long TermBusiness Plan
• The long term plan will also be reviewed and, if approved, will qualify you to receive up to an additional $8,000 payment from p , p yFSA
• You will be provided a business planning tool called AgPlantool called AgPlan
• You can look at AgPlan by using the login on www.TAAforFarmers.org
• To help you with your long term business plan, a business planning consultant will be provided to you at no charge
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• Business plan consultants will:
– Meet individually with you to help you develop a business plan
– Continue to interact with you as you develop your plan via phone email anddevelop your plan via phone, email, andonline.
– They will not write your plan for you
Benefits Summary
• Phase 1 - Initial Orientation
– Approximately one hour overview of TAA
• Phase 2 - Intensive technical assistance
– Attend 12 hours of training, you choose topics from a series of orkshopsfrom a series of workshops
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Benefits Summary
• Initial business plan
– Write a short plan using the six question template
• Up to $4,000 payment upon completion and approval of Initial Business Planpp
Benefits Summary
• Long-term business plan
– Develop a complete business plan using AgPlan
– You will be provided a business planning consultant
• Up to $8,000 payment upon completion and approval of the Long-term Business Plan
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TAA for Farmers Website
• www.TAAforFarmers.org
– This website gives you access to all TAA technical assistance information and resources
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TAA for Farmers Website
• You can Login to this site to:
– Take online courses
– Complete the Initial Business Plan online
– Use the online version of AgPlan to work on your Long Term Business Planyour Long Term Business Plan
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TAA for Farmers Website
• To Login:
• Go to www.TAAforFarmers.org
• Click “Login” in the upper right corner
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TAA for Farmers Website
• After selecting Login:
• You will need to Register if this is your first visit to the site
• Select “First time here” to register
– Only need to do this the first time you use this site
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TAA for Farmers Website
• To Register enter:– First name– Last name– Select your commodity– Zip code– Last four digits of your Social Security or tax
ID number– Click “Register”
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TAA for Farmers Website
• The second registration screen will ask tyou to:
– Enter a user name – choose your own user name
• You can check availability to see if someone else has already taken that user name
– Set up a password –choose whatever password you want to use
– Enter your password a second time
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TAA for Farmers Website
• To Register (continued):– Set up a security question and an answer
• You need to write the question
• This will let you get back into the system if you forget your password
– Click “Create User”Click Create User
TAA for Farmers Website
• To Login anytime after you have i t dregistered:
– Enter your user name
– Enter your password
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TAA for Farmers Website
• The Login feature will let you track your t d l ti th t i iprogress toward completing the training
requirements
• It will also let you update your contact information
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TAAforFarmers.org Help
• If you encounter issues while registering or i th tusing the system:
– Call someone at the numbers on the following slide
– Use the Feedback button
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Registration Help
Feedback
• Look for the Feedback button on the right
– Ask a question
– Find answers to frequently asked questions
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Travel Assistance
• For this Initial training session ONLY, you i il i b t fcan receive mileage reimbursement from
FSA
• A travel reimbursement form was given to you when you registered at this workshop
• If you want mileage reimbursement, fill it out and take it to a FSA office
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Travel Assistance
• In addition to mileage reimbursement
– If you traveled more than 35 miles round trip to this workshop and if you were gone from home more then 12 hours, you can also be reimbursed for your meals
Ch k ith th i t t if thi k thi– Check with the instructor if you think thisapplies to you
Thank You
• Thank you for participating in the Initial O i t ti f TAAOrientation for TAA
– For more information go to www.TAAforFarmers.org
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________________________ __ ________________________________FIRST NAME M.I. LAST NAME or BUSINESS NAME
________________________________________________________________ADDRESS
______________________________ __________ ________________CITY STATE ZIP
________ - ________ - ___________PHONE
Initial Business Plan The purpose of this short plan is to describe what you learned from the technical assistance workshops and how you plan to apply what you learned to your business.
1. Describe your business.
2. Identify the key challenges to your business that you need to address.
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3. What skills did you gain from TAA Technical Assistance workshops?
4. How will you apply these skills to your business?
5. What changes are you considering to improve your business profitability and to improve your ability to compete with imports?
6. Do you intend to complete a long term business plan? Yes / No
Contact your Regional TAA Center orUSDA Foreign Agricultural Service:
Southern CenterUniversity of Arkansas (501) 671-2165
Northeast CenterUniversity of Delaware (302) 831-7555
Western CenterWashington State University (509) 477-2176
North Central Center University of Nebraska (800) 535-3456
Center for Farm Financial ManagementUniversity of Minnesota(612) 625-1964
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (202) 720-0638
