The Profitable Hobby Farm, How to Build a Sustainable Local Foods Business

by Aubrey, Sarah Beth

• ISBN13: 9781118265765
• ISBN10: 1118265769
• Edition: 1st
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2011-12-20
• Publisher: Howell Book House

Summary

Turn your hobby farm into a successful business

No experience in farming? No problem! The Profitable Hobby Farm gives you all the tools you need to launch a thriving hobby farm business. Based on the author's expert guidance and the motivating experiences of other small farmers, it shows you how to blend strategy, marketing, and money management in order to prosper.

The Profitable Hobby Farm provides sound, friendly start-up advice on a variety of topics essential to making an initial foray into a local foods venture.

• A must-read book for raising and selling local, sustainable foods
• Includes sample business plan, grant application, marketing and advertising plan, and other forms
• Lengthy resources section directs you to additional reading
• Also by Aubrey: Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm BusinessWhether it's growing heirloom tomatoes, raising free-range chickens for their eggs, or making organic wine or cheese, this book shows you how to turn your hobby into a profit.

Author Biography

Sarah Beth Aubrey was born into a family of farmers and was raised to believe, like Scarlett O'Hara, that it is land that sustains after all else. In addition to operating her company, Aubrey's Natural Meats, Sarah writes and speaks extensively on agriculture, the rural lifestyle, and small farm development.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Introduction vi

Part One: Creation and Veraison

1 The Case for Small-Scale Farming and Local Foods Ventures 2

2 From Idea to Inventory: Planning and Assessing the Market 24

3 Funding Assistance 41

4 Rules, Regulations, and Legalese 65

Part Two: Fresh Business Ideas

5 Creating a Cooperative 88

6 Agritourism: Recreation as a Business 103

Part Three: Selling, Marketing, and Prospecting

7 Wholesale and Retail Pricing Strategies 124

8 Where and How to Sell 149

9 Marketing Ideas  174

10 Keeping (and Keeping Track of) Customers 198

Part Four: The First Year of Your Journey

11 The Lifestyle Change and First-Year Transition Tips 224

Finale: The Prints You Leave Behind 247

Resources 248

Sample Business Documents 255

Index 269
About the Author 275
Photo Credits 276