BUSINESS PLANNING

Business planning is an integral part of owning and managing a farm. As sustainable and organic farmers move away from conventional farming models, business planning has become more important than ever.

Producers considering innovative management practices and immature markets use business plans to map out strategies for taking advantage of new opportunities such as organic farming, on-farm processing, direct marketing and rural tourism. A business plan helps producers demonstrate that they have fully researched their proposed alternative; they know how to produce their product, how to sell what they produce, and how to manage financial risk. Business planning is also required for those farmers looking to become certified.