ASFMRA AAC study plan
ASFMRA AAC · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Agricultural Consulting Principles (AAC1)
Define each core agricultural consulting principle in your own words and map how they interlock
Build a one-page concept map linking economics, agronomy, and business principles to consulting decisions
Identify three real farm scenarios where two principles conflict and write how you would resolve each
Your checkpoint
A one-page concept map plus a 500-word write-up of three principle-conflict scenarios with resolutions
Agricultural Consulting Principles (AAC1)
Summarize the economic drivers of farm profitability and explain how each affects a consulting recommendation
Compare enterprise budgeting versus whole-farm analysis and note when each applies
Draft five practice scenarios requiring a principle-based recommendation and write model answers
Your checkpoint
A 10-question self-test on Domain 1 with answer rationales, scored at 80% or better
Agricultural Consulting Procedures (AAC2)
Outline the standard consulting procedure from client intake through recommendation delivery
List the data a consultant must gather before advising and explain why each item matters
Write a client intake checklist and a data-request template
Your checkpoint
A completed intake checklist and data-request template ready for field use
Agricultural Consulting Procedures (AAC2)
Practice structuring analysis from raw farm data into a defensible recommendation
Explain how to document assumptions and sensitivity-test a recommendation
Work through two full case exercises end to end under time pressure
Your checkpoint
Two completed case write-ups with assumptions stated and sensitivity ranges shown
ASFMRA Best in Business Ethics & Consulting report and project reports (work product submission)
Summarize the ASFMRA Best in Business ethics expectations and apply them to three dilemmas
Describe the required elements of a professional consulting report and its structure
Draft an outline of a work-product report that meets submission expectations
Your checkpoint
A three-dilemma ethics response sheet plus a one-page report outline for the work-product submission
AAC Electives (consulting-related education approved by the committee)
Select elective topics that reinforce weak areas identified in weeks 1-5
Complete a set of elective education modules and take structured notes
Connect each elective topic back to a Domain 1 or 2 principle
Your checkpoint
A notes log of elective modules completed with one linkage note per topic
AAC Electives (consulting-related education approved by the committee) & Agricultural Consulting Principles (AAC1)
Review elective material and re-test the weakest Domain 1 concepts
Complete a mixed practice set covering all domains and log every missed item
Rewrite missed-item rationales in your own words
Your checkpoint
A missed-item log with rewritten rationales and a retest score of 85% or better
Agricultural Consulting Procedures (AAC2) & Consulting report and project reports (work product submission)
Finalize and polish the work-product report to submission quality
Run two timed full-length practice sessions across all domains
Review the ethics and reporting checklists one last time
Your checkpoint
A submission-ready report plus two timed practice scores recorded with a final review checklist
Milestones
Week 2: Domain 1 self-test scored at 80% or better with rationales written for every item
Week 4: Two complete case write-ups finished with documented assumptions and sensitivity analysis
Week 6: Ethics response sheet and report outline complete; elective notes log started
Week 7: Mixed practice set completed with missed-item log and retest at 85% or better
Week 8: Work-product report submission-ready and two timed practice sessions completed