Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business Small-Farm Success Stories * Financial Assistance Sources * Marketing & Selling Ideas * Business Plan Forms & Documents

by Aubrey, Sarah Beth

• ISBN13: 9781580176972
• ISBN10: 1580176976
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-16
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Summary

Locally grown produce and specialty farm products are finding eager new customers every season. Farmers' markets sprout up every spring, luring tourists and locals with pasture-raised meats, organic vegetables and fruit, artisanal cheeses, and a seemingly endless assortment of baked goods, handmade condiments, and craft items. Restaurants and grocery stores feature products from regional farms with pride. And direct-to-consumer marketing and selling is a reality for every farmer with an Internet connection.To help farmers position themselves well for the opportunities afforded by today's market, Sarah Aubrey, a successful farm-based business owner, shares her years of research and first-hand experience in "Starting and Running Your Own Small Farm Business". Here is everything readers need to know about launching a small agricultural enterprise, from initial start-up to consumer marketing. Begin by fine-tuning that bright idea into a viable business plan, and then learn how to go out and sell it. Secure financing, work out the legalities, follow the proper USDA guidelines, and a farming business is born. Aubrey explains every step of the process and even includes samples of the process and even includes samples of the required forms.Every small farmer must also become a skilled salesperson and marketing professional. Aubrey runs through all the selling options--from rural farmstands to Web sites to food service wholesalers--and explains the pros and cons of each. She also explains how to create and stick with an advertising budget, how to develop pricing strategies, and the importance of personal asset protection.Aubrey brings her business advice to life with profiles of farmers successfully crafting and selling everything from small batches of wine to exotic animals such as elk and alpacas. Their stories are minicourses in successful farming, sure to inspire every reader.

Author Biography

Sarah Beth Aubrey is the author of Starting and Running Your Own Small Farm Business. She holds a B.S. in Agricultural Communications from the University of Illinois and is the owner of Prosperity Consulting, LLC, a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

1 Build a Plan
Components of a Business Plan
Altering Your Business Plan
Profile: Sweeter Song Farm CSA

2 Test the Waters
Choosing Your Research Methodology
Questionnaire Development
Administering the Questionnaire
Profile: Leelanau Natural Beef

3 Get the Money
Financing Options
Simple Financial Statements
Profile: Evans Orchard and Cider Mill, LLC

4 Choose Your Business Type
Professional Financial and Legal Advisors
Business Entity Types
Profile: Chaney's Dairy Barn

5 Follow the Rules
Make the Rules Work for You
Common Practices and Where to Find Information
Food Safety
Profile: WaxinkMoon Artisan Goat Cheese

6 Protect Your Assets
Selecting Liability Insurance
Insurance Recommendations and Limits
Other Ways You're Covered
Profile: Tulmeadow Farm Store, Inc.

7 Price Your Products
Setting Your Prices
Wholesale versus Retail
Comparative Prices
Pricing for Breakeven
Money Collection Options
Profile: Lee Farms, LLC

8 Select Your Selling Venues
Types of Selling Venues
Profile: Homestead Growers, Inc.

9 Spread the Word
Creating a Marketing Plan
Effective Branding
Other Brand-Building Ideas
Profile: Huber's Orchard and Winery

10 Reflect and Revise
Years Two through Five
Profile: Chileno Valley Ranch

Epilogue

Appendixes
A: Business Plan
B: Sample Market Research Questionnaire
C: Simple Advertising and Marketing Budget for New Business
D: Press Release/Customer Correspondence
E: Sample Venture Capital Agreement
F: Profit and Loss Statement
G: Cash Flow Comparison
H: Resources

Index