The economic turmoil in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of small agricultural business operators asking difficult questions about managing their finances.

“Farm business margins have always been tight, and now there are a lot of things in flux, even more than usual,” said Courtney Bir, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Oklahoma State University Extension specialist. “Making decisions when you don’t have a sense of what’s happening is difficult.”

OSU has several resources and events that may help. For example, Bir and other economy and finance experts will be featured in the upcoming Women in Agriculture and Small Business Conference, scheduled Aug. 5-6 in Oklahoma City. The annual event — which could not be held last year because of the pandemic – will offer four programming tracks highlighting agricultural production, alternative enterprises, business and finance, and beginning farmer interests. A sample of topics includes:

“There are a few opportunities where people can get help managing their farm finances, which is especially important during these uncertain times,” said conference event organizer Sonya McDaniel, Pottawatomie County Extension director. Conference registration is available online.

Other finance and agribusiness resources from OSU Extension include:

“One of the best ways to be prepared is to know your financial status, costs and budgets. That knowledge is invaluable for good financial health,” Bir said.