ENTREFARM GAME
   (Basic Entrepreneurship Course for Farmers)

The ENTREFARM Game is part of a series of interventions on entrepreneurship development. The game is inspired by the CEFE (Competency based Economies thru Formation of Entrepreneurs) that cites experience is the best teacher. The ENTREFARM is primarily an entrepreneurship development intervention for the agri based sector specifically teaching farmers to view farming as an business or enterprise.

The entrepreneurship course for farmers revolves around the playing of the game.

Objectives:

The Entrefarm game enables farmers to learn about the implications of:

• Planning and budgeting money and time
• Land use, investment and crop options
• Planning the use of capital
• Maintaining a positive cash flow
• Keeping records
• Managing finances
• Negotiating with buyers, suppliers and neighbors
• Depending on middlemen
• Taking initiative in life

Module Descriptions:

It has the following stand alone modules:

Module 1: Basic Farming Cycle

The module is designed to enable participants to:

• Explain the business cycle as applied to the farm business
• Practice proper allocation of funds for business and personal expenses
• Analyze the importance of maintaining positive cash flow
• Analyze the importance of keeping accurate financial records
• Operate and manage a farm business profitably

In this module, participants are divided into 6 families who farm 3 hectares of land. Activities include planning , acquisition of equipment, land preparation, procurement of materials, spending for family and community needs, harvesting and selling of produce. These take place in a span of 8 months directed by the facilitator. Unpredictable life events occur, and these represent unexpected calamities, expenses and changes in family circumstances. Families compare their profits at end of the module.

Module 2: Negotiation and Cooperativism

This module enables participants to:

• Practice maintaining positive cash flow
• Keep accurate financial records
• Operate and manage a multi crop farm business profitably
• Formulate strategies to adapt to price fluctuations in the market
• Practice effective negotiation skills to obtain a good price for farm products
• Explore the value of a farmers' cooperative

Participants are divided into groups. The first six can be the same farming families from Module 1 and an additional group is formed out of those who wish to engage in trading of farm products as middlemen. Cooperatives may also be formed by any group consisting of five members, engaging in supply of fertilizers, pesticides, credit or marketing. The farmers produce any one or a combination of rice, corn, vegetable, fruits, or strawberries on their land. The module lasts for 8 months ending in the payment of income taxes to government. The winning family is that which registers the highest return on investments.

Module 3: Processing of Products

This module enables participants to

• Operate and manage a food processing business profitably
• Formulate strategies to adapt to price fluctuations in the market
• Practice effective negotiation skills to obtain a good price for one's product
• Realize the importance of adding value to one's produce

Farmers face additional options: continue with traditional farming, or process their products into finished goods, or give up farming and sell their land at a high price. Farmers who go into food processing have to submit a rudimentary business plan which facilitators rate for viability. Prices commanded in the market are dependent on the viability rating obtained.

Module 4: Livestock Production

This module enables participants to:

• Operate and manage a livestock business profitably
• Explain the value of investing in modern technology and scientific research to modernize and achieve breakthrouh in the livestock industry.
• To explore the advantages and risks of export business

Apart form regular farming and food processing, the farming groups are encouraged to go into livestock production business either for the domestic export markets.

Sample lessons around the ENTREFARM Game

1. Farm Cycle
2. Entrepreneurship
3. Looking at Farming as a Business
4. Personal Development Life Planning
5. Focus on Gender issues
6. Entity concept: The farm family and farm business
7. Record keeping: Cash Book
8. Record keeping: Double Entry Bookkeeping
9. Non-Financial Farm Records
10. Chart of Accounts
11. Accounting system in Farm Business
12. Record keeping ; the Journal
13. Combined Cash Journal
14. The ledger
15. The Trial Balance
16. The Income Statement. The Cash flow Statement
17. The Balance sheet
18. Interpreting financial statements for decision making
19. Break even analysis
20. cash budget
21. Farm inventories
22. Depreciation in Farm Accounting
23. Unusual losses of the farm
24. Risk insurance
25. Farm productivity
26. Market Research
27. Supply Demand analysis
28. Negotiating with Buyers and Suppliers
29. Preparing contracts
30. Cooperative Establishment and management
31. Credit Selling Buying on Account
32. Accounting system for a small manufacturing business