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This John Deere 4020 has been in the family for almost 50 years and is still a work horse on the farm!
I love working with the pigs, I love driving the tractors, I love attempting to fix the tractors, I love building fence, I love a lot about farming (even the dirty work), but I’m not a big fan of running the numbers and big time planning. What I’m trying to say is that I’m six years into my on-farm journey and I have never completed a business plan … although I have started a few times. My thoughts on farm business planning have changed recently, as in they’ve done a complete 180º turn, and I’m in the process of working on my plan. The big question is why have I had such a change of heart …
The main reason for the my heart of change can be summed up in one phrase, “Something needs to change.” I have some idea of things that could change on the farm that would help the business and the family, but I’ve come to the conclusion that a real life Farm Business Plan could really come in handy. I think it will be especially helpful when it comes to things like communication, taking emotion out of the decisions, goal setting, and plans for the future of the farm. There is one problem though … I feel completely incapable of making a business plan!
Luckily I have resources … here they are:
- Building a Sustainable Business Workbook from The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (This is the one that I’m using and I love it because not only does it have the information, but it has case studies from other farms as well)
- Online Worksheets from the workbook mentioned above …
Do you have any tips, tricks, or experiences when it comes to creating your Farm Business Plan? I’d love to continue the discussion in the comments below!
As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I’m thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn.
If you do enjoy the show, don’t forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five star rating and review (by clicking the link). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show!
I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with “The Beginning Farmer” and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links …
Helpful electric fence tips can be found at http://blog.kencove.com/10-most-common-electric-fence-problems-part-1/
Pay special attention to what type of lead out wire you use. The insulation on “normal” wire is only rated for 600 volts. You need to use wire with insulation rated for 20,000 volts. http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=414&cat_id=42
Paul, Thanks for those links!