Burlington--Farmers and agribusiness owners with at least five years' operating experience are invited to assess their progress and future direction with the help of "Taking Stock," a University of Vermont (UVM) Extension New Farmer Project course.

Sessions will take place on various farms around Chittenden County and include tours of those farms and conversations with successful farm owners. Dates are March 13, 20 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mary Peabody will teach the course, which is designed to help students review how well their operation is meeting their business, financial and personal goals. Peabody is the program director for the UVM Extension New Farmer Project and the Women's Ag Network.

Classes will focus on updating business plans, setting new goals and revisioning; instituting new policies and procedures to meet goals; cash management and future investments in the business; refining owner and manager roles and supervision of employees. As part of the course, participants will choose a project to help them achieve a specific goal within their business.

Registrations and requests for financial aid will be accepted online at www.uvm.edu/newfarmer until March 1. Click on "Classes." The fee is $135 or $100 if paid by Feb. 20.

If requiring a disability-related accommodation to participate, please contact Jessie Schmidt at (802) 223-2389, ext. 203, or (866) 860-1382, ext. 203 (toll-free in Vermont) no later than March 1.