FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cape Fear Farm Credit is now accepting applications for the third class to participate in an online financial and business planning course. The Ag Biz Planner course is available to North Carolina and Virginia farm families and areas of study include financial and business planning, budgeting and other money matters essential to a farm’s success.

The e-learning program targets young, beginning, small, and minority farmers. Participants will be assigned a Cape Fear Farm Credit loan officer to serve as their mentor throughout the course. Highlights of the program include online modules that cover business and personal financial planning, understanding income statements, cash flow, and the smart use of credit on the farm. Each participant will have completed a business plan for their operation at the conclusion of the class.

Cape Fear Farm Credit is offering this course in conjunction with AgCarolina Financial, Carolina Farm Credit, Colonial Farm Credit, and Farm Credit of the Virginias. The program will begin in October 2011 and run through March 2012. Applications and program information are available at www.capefearfarmcredit.com. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 10. Cape Fear Farm Credit will select up to five participants, and the individuals selected for the program will be notified after Sept. 15. The course will begin in October 2011 and conclude with a group conference in Raleigh in March of 2012.

Cape Fear Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by its member-borrowers. It provides farm loans for land, equipment, livestock and production as well as rural home mortgages. Cape Fear Farm Credit has branches serving Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, New Hanover, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland counties. It is part of the national Farm Credit System, a network of financial cooperatives established in 1916 to provide a dependable source of credit to farmers and rural America. To locate a branch near you, visit www.capefearfarmcredit.com or call 1-800-368-5819.