Agricultural Management Institute

The use of benchmarking, business planning preparation and cost containment are all business management strategies which farmers can benefit from. The Agricultural Management Institute (AMI) is a not-for-profit organization whose goals are to increase awareness, understanding, and adoption of these and other beneficial business management practices by Ontario farmers. 

To achieve these goals, AMI will:

• Assess farm business management needs on an ongoing basis

• Encourage the development of farm management groups through which farmers can work together to address business management concerns and discover new opportunities

• Coordinate the tools, resources and information from a variety of sources, including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Farm Credit Canada (FCC), financial institutions, farm business advisors, commodity organizations and general farm organizations

• Continue to fund industry-led projects that capitalize on the creativity and innovative capacity of the agri-food sector. Examples of projects funded by AMI include:

1)      The Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens (UCFO) helped develop and promote tools to assist farmers with succession planning.  

2)      The AgriBusiness eCampus (ABeC) developed through the University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus, Business Development Centre is a web-based and face-to-face learning centre.  The centre has developed a range of topics to assist farmers in managing their farm business in today's increasingly complex environment.  The eCampus offers practical real-worked business solutions through life-long learning in agribusiness management and entrepreneurism.

3)      The Growing Your Farm Profits - Planning for Success is a voluntary awareness, education and self-assessment resource developed by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. This program helps farmers prepare business plans for their farm businesses in a group setting. It is now an integral part of the Growing Forward Business Development for Farm Businesses program.