THE BUSINESS OF AGRICULTURE

FISC 50

Course Description

Examines the five areas of risk management of an agricultural business: production risk, human risk, financial risk, market risk, and institutional risk. Discusses the internal and external contexts affecting the management of an agricultural business. Investigates the changing structures of agriculture, creating a unique landscape for today's agricultural businesses. Students are encouraged throughout the course to reflect on and discuss examples from their own experiences, and think critically about how these factors may impact their strategy for managing a business.

Prerequisties

Declared in the Farm Industry Short Course program

Satisfies

This course does not satisfy any prerequisites.

Credits

Not Reported

Offered

Not Reported

Grade Point Average

2.58

-5.24% from Historical

Completion Rate

83.33%

-2.78% from Historical

A Rate

16.67%

-41.67% from Historical

Class Size

-42.86% from Historical

Instructors (2025 Fall)

Sorted by ratings from Rate My Professors

Similar Courses

AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS LAW

FISC 136

This course will provide a basic overview of some of the areas of the law that may impact the farm or agribusiness, and assist students in identifying practices and activities that may impact their legal liability. Students will become acquainted with basic legal terms and concepts, understand basic techniques of legal analysis, be able to identify legal issues and be better equipped to explain issues to attorneys.

AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES MARKETING

FISC 121

This course focuses on the farm and its marketing environment and provides an overview of the economics of grain and milk markets. The course concentrates on developing skills for effective grain and dairy marketing analysis and strategies. It examines forward contracting, hedging on futures markets, delayed pricing and options trading. It will also examine farm policies and the impact on farms. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the commodity and futures markets, major trends and causes of trends in dairy and grain industries, market factors that influence farm commodities, risk tools and cooperatives.

AGRICULTURE, FOOD SYSTEMS, AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

FISC 56

Students will study how national economic and social policies affect farmers and rural residents. Topics include rural economic trends and issues; rural development policies; state and local taxes; local land use planning; farm financial stress and government intervention; farmer-natural resource use conflicts; and the impacts of international trade agreements and export policies.

FARM AND INDUSTRY SHORT COURSE FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR

FISC 55

Provides first-year Farm Industry Short Course students with an academic orientation to the FISC program. Topics include current agricultural- and consumer-related issues (e.g., food systems, agriculture advocacy, climate change, etc.), academic and career development, and an introduction to the academic resources and opportunities of the college and university.

BUSINESS PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT

FISC 51

An introduction to the working of a market economy and decision-making concepts; the role of prices and preferences in making production and consumption decisions; U.S. agricultural system and various economic policies that may be employed by government; Taxation, regulation, trade, and employment policies.