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Virginia Cooperative Extension -
 Knowledge for the CommonWealth

Peter Callan is Virginia’s Newest Farm Business Management Agent

Farm Business Management Update, August/September 2006

By Gordon Groover, (xgrover@vt.edu), Extension Economist, Farm Management, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech

August 25 will be Peter Callan’s first day on the job as farm business management agent in Northern District.

Peter grew up on a 1,000-acre dairy and cash crop farm in western New York. As an undergraduate majoring in agricultural economics at Cornell University, he learned the skills required to own and operate a successful agricultural business, with a specific interest in dairy production. His early training was followed by a M.S. in agricultural economics from Michigan State where he focused on dairy farm management and completed additional finance courses that were part of the Master of Business Administration.

On the applied side, Peter has experience working on his home farm and 10 years as owner and manager of his own dairy farm in Wyoming County, New York. His firsthand experience as a farmer started with rebuilding the dairy farm ravaged by fire, managing a business in which net profit per cow was significantly higher than state average, and successfully managing full and part-time employees in a positive work environment.

Following his successful career as a farmer, Peter began a new career as loan officer with the Farm Service Agency in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. As a loan officer, he was responsible for making, servicing, and supervising loans.

Peter will be housed in the Culpeper Cooperative Extension office, please contact him there after August 25. We look forward to Peter’s experience and knowledge.

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