Tocal Plan to Profit Course NSW - May 2027 Intake

For many NSW growers, mid May means sowing is under way, and the 2027-28 financial year starts on 1 July. The May 2027 intake of Plan to Profit starts on Monday 17 May and runs through winter to early August, so you build the budget for the new financial year while you learn, not after the fact. It is a 12-week farm financial planning course from Tocal College, delivered online and built around your own farm's figures.

Which enterprises are actually paying their way?

Whole-farm profit can hide an enterprise that is quietly costing you money. Plan to Profit starts at the enterprise level: you work out the variable costs and estimated gross margin for each enterprise, then your cost of production. With that in front of you, the course works through ideas for improving profit, reducing debt, or both.

A monthly cash flow for the season ahead

Knowing an enterprise is profitable is not the same as knowing when the money comes in and goes out. You develop an estimated monthly cash flow for the current season in P2PAgri cloud software, using your own data, and you can export it as a CSV cash flow budget. Starting in May means that budget lines up with the financial year you are about to farm.

Getting to understand what does and doesn't go into the different sections (cashflow-balance sheet-gross margins). Also learning more about the indicator ratios and how they relate to business health.

- a previous Plan to Profit participant

Then the bigger picture

• Return on Assets Managed and Return on Equity, the key ratios for the whole business
• An estimate of the current season's profit, equity, key bank ratios and business efficiency
• What banks need to know about your business
• Scenario analysis on what-if questions such as business growth, drought versus good seasons, or buying the neighbour's farm
• A business plan for the next three to five years

Course format at a glance

• 12 weeks, online via Zoom, with course books mailed out in week 1
• Five group interactive Zoom sessions on weekday mornings from 9am, two to three hours each, recorded and posted the same day
• Five confidential one-hour coaching sessions with your trainer, not recorded
• Five assessments: four financial reports from P2PAgri's PDF reporting and one set of short-answer business planning questions, with up to three attempts and feedback on each, all due by week 11
• At least six hours a week including homework
• Free access to P2PAgri for the 12 weeks, then a paid subscription unless you cancel under Settings > Subscription

Session dates for the May 2027 intake are confirmed by Tocal on enrolment.

Accredited units of competency

Plan to Profit is an accredited short course covering three units: AHCBUS517 Monitor and review business performance, AHCBUS516 Develop and review a business plan, and AHCBUS518 Prepare and monitor budgets and financial reports.

Your trainers

The course was designed by Mike Krause, owner of P2PAgri, who has 40 years in farm financial modelling and farmer agribusiness training and wrote the course text, Farming the Business, for GRDC. It is delivered by Mike and Tony Hudson, a former Director of Farm Business Management at Marcus Oldham College. Your trainer will be Mike, Tony or Peter Hudson, and James McRae marks the assessments.

Cost and entry

The indicative fee is $3,100 (GST free), fee free to eligible applicants, with eligibility confirmed by Tocal. A Tocal skills training coordinator can help with questions. This is not an entry-level course: you need basic experience with financial transactions and farm budgeting, a device with reliable internet, and a willingness to use your own farm data.

How to register

Enrol through Tocal's short course enrolment page, or see the full course details on the Tocal College website.

Prefer to finish before 30 June? The March intake starts on 8 March 2027. Want to start after the new financial year? The July intake starts on 13 July 2027. If you are not sure which suits your season, get in touch and we will help you decide.