NCTA Entrepreneurship Programs Reach Adult Students, Main Streets

In a previous post, Nebraska Entrepreneur looked at two Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture – Curtis (NCTA) programs that help young people establish businesses in rural Nebraska: the 100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage Program and the 100 Acre Advantage Program.

In this post, Nebraska Entrepreneur reports on two additional NCTA programs that teach the “art of ownership”: the 100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage Outreach program, designed for adult students, and the Business Builders program, which encourages ownership among young Nebraskans of rural “Main Street” businesses.

100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage

The Outreach program enables adults with agricultural experience to benefit from the 100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage program without a traditional student’s two-year time commitment.

The goal is the same: To build collateral and gain experience in the business-side of farming and ranching through partnering with an established farmer or rancher. Banks typically require significant collateral and business experience for the large loans needed to purchase a farm or ranch.

Requirements for adult students are reduced since they have practical working and life experience that takes the place of some traditional courses, said Weldon Sleight, Ph.D., dean of NCTA.

Starting in mid-May, the adults take four courses over an eight-month period: a basic Farm & Ranch Management course delivered over the Internet;  the NCTA Cow/Calf College for three days in May; the Nebraska Ranch Practicum, which is approximately two days a month starting in June; and the Nebraska EDGE program that helps them put together a business plan and partnership agreement with an established farmer or rancher. They also apply for a low-interest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan for up to $300,000.

“So for these guys, it takes an average of two days a month for eight months, and then they have the knowledge that they will need to do the same thing as the younger students who come here for two years,” Sleight said.

NCTA Student Ambassadors

The Business Builder program will be piloted in two communities this year: Grant and Oshkosh.

Similar to how the Advantage programs pair students with established farmers and ranchers, the new Business Builder program will match students with existing “Main Street” businesses in rural Nebraska.

“The Main Street business owners are getting older, just like our farmers and ranchers, but there’s no one there to take their place,” Sleight said.

As part of a curriculum taught by NCTA instructors, high school seniors in Grant and Oshkosh will survey the demographics and business opportunities in their areas. In addition, the program will ask owners of community businesses when they plan to retire.

The program will match owners planning retirement with students interested in taking over those businesses. Students will develop a partnership agreement with the business owners who will mentor them. Each student will also develop a business plan specific to a business and apply for a loan to buy a part of the business.

Students will go to college but return home to work at their matched businesses during school breaks.

“It’s important that the original owner help that young person get established, get the customer base switched to her rather than continuing on with the older owner or going out of town for the same service,” Sleight said. “And so that’s that linkage thing that’s so critical in mentorship.  So we’re pretty excited about what can happen with that,” he said.

Funding for the Business Builder program comes from a rural business enterprise grant awarded by USDA Rural Development, NCTA and Perkins County and Garden County high schools.