This grant will fund up to one-half of the cost of 15 North Carolina farms participating in the 2021 Executive Farm Management Program. The EFM will improve the profitability of commercial southeastern U.S farms by building strategic business planning and management competencies in commercial farmers. Core competencies are built in strategic management areas of strategic planning, human resource management, financial management, marketing, risk management, and succession planning. The program will be conducted in 12 days of instruction over 3 intensive sessions during January and February 2021. Participants work in teams learning to apply business skills on realistic case studies of farms. They also receive information on agricultural outlook, relevant trends in agriculture and related sectors, and relevant policy developments. The program is led by NC State Extension in collaboration with NCSU College of Management, ECU College of Business, Clemson Cooperative Extension, and UGA Cooperative Extension.