So you want to start a farm. You’ve got the green thumb, the know-how, and the gumption to grow your own food. Now you’re ready to start selling it. Buying a little piece of land and starting a farm is the dream, right?
Speaking as someone who is in the middle of transforming a young farm into a profitable enterprise, I can tell you that it’s not just a matter of simple hard work. It takes planning, investment, complex decision-making, back-breaking work, and deep dedication.
根据我的经验,经营一个成功的农场有三个基本要素:土地、启动资金和市场准入。创建农场的第一步是清楚地了解如何利用这些元素。首先要制定全面的商业计划和预算。
Writing A Business Plan
One of the biggest mistakes I see aspiring farmers make is that they forget that while a farm is a lifestyle, it is also a business. Making a farm profitable requires planning and business savvy. Luckily, there are lots of resources to help you write a sound business plan.
There are online templates, webinars, and articles full of advice. Additionally, local universities and non-profits can be an incredibly beneficial resource. Many institutions offer workshops on business planning and some agricultural support organizations offer business workshopsspecifically for farmers.
There islots of advice onwhat to include in business plans. I find that the most important thing about a business plan is that it functions as a guiding document for you. Eventually, you may want to focus on polishing you plan in order to present it to someone else, but that is not the primary reason to have one.
A business plan for a new enterprise is beneficial for a few reasons. It reminds you of your inspiration and priorities, your short-term and long-term goals, and your timeline for projections and budgets.
Everyone’s business plan looks different, and it’s important to customize yours. The most important element of my business plan is a detailed 5-year sales and expenses projection. It’s flexible, given that I update it regularly to reflect changes in our business.
其他的元素可能是有帮助的,特别是对刚开始创业。其中包括一份创业预算,一份让你专注的使命宣言,以及一份1/3/5年目标清单。此外,当你遇到困难时,一份人事声明和一份教育资源文件真的会派上用场。
Keep in mind that your business plan is a living document. It will change and evolve as you refine your vision and streamline your operation. It should always serve you first, and all other purposes second.
Finding The Best Land To Farm On
Agriculture, by its nature, requires some access to land. The amount of land you need is directly related to what kind of farm you want to have, and how much money you want to make from it.
The trade-off generally goes like this:
- Direct market: diversified vegetables are the most profitable per acre, but they need the highest input of human labor hours. Direct market also requires you to be close to a town or city that will pay you a premium for those crops.
- 蔬菜批发业务:第二赚钱的每英亩。种植谷物或像玉米和大豆这样的大田作物每英亩利润中等,而且需要更少的时间。然而,在现代市场上竞争往往需要大量投资和昂贵的机器。
- Livestock: Animals tend to be the least profitable per acre, but the most profitable per human hour worked, with poultry being an exception. Livestock requires a large investment in land and animals up front, and variable investment in infrastructure depending on the size of the operation you are running. Conveniently, livestock doesn’t take much labor.
Part of your business planning process should be considering these options and deciding which is most accessible for you. Once you’ve decided how much land you need, you can go about searching for it. If you are trying to start a small CSA, it is very feasible to rent land on which to grow a quarter acre or more of vegetables. I know of farms which have been operational for decades that still rent most or all of their land.
请记住,很难找到能够容忍牲畜养殖和牧场的地主。我和我的合伙人发现,作为租客经营养猪场几乎是不可能的,这促使我们购买了自己的房产。取决于你住在哪里,你可以选择在公共土地上饲养牲畜。
It’s common in many parts of the western United States for ranchers to own very small pieces of property and run their cattle on federally owned land. That, of course, comes with its own challenges. Contact your local Conservation District for more information on public range land in your area.
Some resources you can use to find the right piece of land to rent include Craigslist ads, wanted postings at the grocery store, or word of mouth. Finding land to buy can be more of a complicated game. Farming is an aging industry, and many farmers are looking to retire and turn their land over to a new generation.
The majority of farmers would rather see their land inherited by someone else who will continue to work it, rather than a developer who will turn it into suburbs. Many farmers are willing to owner-finance and support young farmers. However, their financial situation may be limiting.
Finding these people can be challenging. There are lots of online resources for listing farm properties, although many of them are regional, likeTilth Alliance, which serves my state, Washington.
Related Post:Biodynamic Farming: What It Is and Why Do It
It is very likely these resources also exists in your area. Do a Google search, or ask other local farmers and members of the agricultural community what resources they know about. And of course, make friends wherever you can because word of mouth is always your best resource.
Even after you’ve found a piece of land, there are still a few things to consider.
First, what is the type and quality of the soil? Check out thenational soil survey, which is a great resource.
Second, how much does soil quality and composition matter? Depends on what you want to grow. Check outour article on soil scienceto find out some of the details on why dirt matters.
Third, how much water is there on the site and are there irrigation rights? How close are you to markets where you want to sell your product? If you are renting, what kind of modifications will the landlord let you make like building fencing and putting up greenhouses? What kinds of pests and predators are endemic to the area? These are just a few of the things to consider when looking for your ideal piece of land.
Building Start-up Capital
I once toured a state-of-the-art malting facility started by a retired Silicon Valley worker. Someone on the tour asked him what his secret was to starting a successful business in the agricultural field. He replied that the trick was to start with 3 million dollars. And although he was being comedic in a kind of obnoxious, unhelpful way, to some extent it’s true. The more money you can invest up front, the more profitable you will be more quickly. That’s just the nature of the game.
Starting a farm looks different for different people and the amount of investment capital required varies. Buying 50 chickens costs about $125 whereas buying 50 head of cattle is likely to cost upward of $50,000. You can get a used tractor for under $10,000 on Craigslist, but if you want to spring for the newest model, you could easily end up spending several hundred thousand dollars. Typically, the best course of action is to start small and leave yourself room to grow. Be intentional in your business plan. Aim yourself toward that goal, but be realistic about how much you can afford to spend up front.
Obviously, lots of money is hard to come by, especially in an industry like agriculture. Conventional banks don’t really understand and are suspicious of supporting agriculture with loans. Given this situation, there are specific farm loan resources available.
This includes some federal loans through theFarm Service Agencyand through businesses likeFarm Credit该公司专门为农民和牧场主提供贷款。这些贷款机构了解从事农业的独特挑战,无论是财务上的还是其他方面的。还有可能找到私人投资者,甚至是众筹。
Some business commentatorshave recently buzzed about investment in agriculture, which has sparked a renewed interest and willingness to get financially involved. There are lots ofunconventional options as well.
And when they say don’t quit your day job, believe them. Thevast majority of farmsrely on off-farm income for part of their revenue, and typically creditors are willing to recognize that income when considering making a loan.
Markets
Once you have a place to grow food and the money to get started, to get a return on your investment you need to be able to sell your food for profit. This is another place where business planning comes in handy. Since so many farm products are perishable, it’s important to know where you are selling your lettuce before you have it wilting in your waxed boxes.
Types Of Business Models
There are many different models for selling food of all kinds. To get an idea of which will work best for you there are a few factors to consider. These factors include the price point you need to break even and be profitable, your ability and willingness to hire employees to staff markets, and how much people in your area are used to paying for food.
One of the most common models for small beginning vegetable farms is the CSA operation. This is where community members buy a share of weekly produce. While this market model requires a larger investment of time on the farmers part, it typically yields the highest price point per item sold.
Other options include wholesaling to a store, restaurant, distributor, or a local co-op. Keep in mind that you need to be willing to sell at a lower price point. Sometimes this will involve jumping through corporate hoops, filling out paperwork, and potentially updating your insurance policy. Yet, it can be worth it to have a steady way to sell your product that is generally low hassle and doesn’t involve much time commitment.
对于出售牛奶、鸡蛋、奶酪和肉等其他商品,大多数选择仍然存在,尽管具体规定可能因州与州、行业与行业而异。
在规划你的营销策略时,要记住你要销售的地区的文化。通常,有机和可持续的农民必须做大量的教育和推广,告诉人们为什么花额外的钱直接从农民那里购买产品是值得的。
准备好支持你的产品质量,并要求你知道它值得的价格。与业务计划的所有元素一样,要随时准备灵活地响应更改和新数据。如果市场失灵了,不要害怕离开它,去寻找更好的市场。大幅降低价格不仅会损害你的利益,还会让其他农民无法和你一起出售。它造成了一场逐底竞争,降低了你所在地区所有美食的价值。你附近的其他农民会不高兴的。
这很重要,因为一个繁荣、成功的农场的最后一个也是最重要的因素是找到导师和社区来帮助你。无论你在农场工作有多有经验,经营自己的农场将以你从未想象过的方式挑战你。身边有经验丰富的人、支持你的朋友或家人给你建议、在你跌倒时扶你起来、在你进展顺利时给你加油,这是至关重要的。你确实在某些领域与其他农民竞争,但一个强大的农业社区有助于一个地区所有农民的繁荣。
Keep in mind that if you get stuck there are plenty of places to start looking for help. There are many resources aimed directly at beginning farmers includingfederal programs,farm incubators, non-profits likeBeginning Farmers, and theNational Young Farmers Coalition.
Additionally, the Washington State Department of Agriculture puts out asmall direct farm handbook,fondly called the green book, which is a great resource for farmers in all states, although some parts of it touch specifically on Washington policies. Check out your own State’s Department of Agriculture to find similar resources and information on local regulations.
Most importantly, behind each of those resources are real people who understand the challenges and joys of farming. They are often more than happy to take a little extra time out of their day to give you a word of advice or support. Other places to look for professional resources include yourlocal University extension service,a farm store, or your County Conservation District.
Take time to go to regional conferences and social events aimed at farmers. In some places in America, granges are still lively social hubs. In the busy, stressful, and often isolating life of a farmer, nothing is more important than finding a way to connect with people when you need them. Take time to make meaningful relationships that you can fall back on when you need them.
Mark Finchsays
嗨,这篇文章很棒!我想在几年前获得的一块土地上开个小农场。谁知道写商业计划也是计划的一部分。你的文章让我的计划重回正轨。