Sarah Beth Aubrey - Starting & running your own small farm business: small-farm success stories

small-farm success stories

financial assistance sources

marketing & selling ideas

business plan forms & documents

BY SARAH BETH AUBREY

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Sarah Guare and Deborah Burns

Art direction and text design by Mary Winkelman Velgos

Cover design by Leslie Anne Charles, LAC Design, and Mary Winkelman Velgos

Text production by Liseann Karandisecky

Cover photograph by John Polak

Interior photographs by Steffen Knudsen Allen 68, 92; Nicole Barber 48, 49; Bowles family photo 91 top; Debra Bowles 89; Lynn and Marvin Carlton/2C imagery 2, 12, 115; Courtesy of Chaneys Dairy Barn, Inc. 76-78; James F. Church/www.angelscreations.com 98100; Nelly Bly Cogan 91 bottom; Mike Gale 153; Courtesy of Hubers Orchard and Winery 139141; Adrian Hughes/iStockPhoto 112; iStockPhoto 66; Siew Yee Lee/iStockPhoto 128; Courtesy of Lee Farms, LLC 113, 114; Adam Mastoon 10, 51; John Obrycki 88; John Polak 37, 101, 142; Courtesy of Judy Reinhardt and Jim Schwantes 35, 36; John Sarter/iStockPhoto 65; Courtesy of Steve Spencer, Homestead Growers, Inc. 126, 127; and Mark Weiss 79

Illustrations by John Woodcock/iStockPhoto and yiponsu/iStockPhoto, except for Debra Bowles 87, and Alison Kolesar 84

Questionnaire information on pages 4142 adapted with permission from AgriSelling: Principles and Practice by W. David Downey, Marilyn Holschuh-Leisure, and Michael A. Jackson (Doane Agricultural Services Company, 1983 [first ed.]).

Indexed by Andrea Chesman

2007 by Sarah Beth Aubrey

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

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Printed in the United States by Versa Press
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Aubrey, Sarah Beth.
Starting & running your own small farm business / Sarah Beth Aubrey.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-58017-697-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. FarmersVocational guidance. 2. Farms, Small. 3. Farm management.
I. Title. II. Title: Starting and running your own small farm business.
S494.5.A4A93 2008
630.68dc22

2007044954

I would like to thank those who have been most influential in developing both my love of agriculture and the written word: my parents, Charlie and Ann Potter, for giving me life on the farm, and especially my mother, who first edited and illustrated the handwritten books I wrote as a child; my Grandma, Dorothy Willard, for countless words of sound and practical advice; Mrs. Rita Tolch Dean, my high school creative writing teacher and my first useful writing critic; Dr. James F. Evans, retired professor of agricultural communications, the first professional to believe in my work and appreciate my drive to succeed; Dr. Thomas R. Carr, professor of meat science; my perennial favorite instructor and mentor, Mr. David R. Parker, the most supportive and enjoyable employer a belligerent girl like me could have; and, most of all, my beloved husband, Cary, whose pure devotion and love astounds me every day.

Additional people who were influential in the development of this resource are Nancy Baxter; Dr. Marilyn Holschuh-Leisure; David Bastin, CPA; Kristin Perry, Missouri Department of Agriculture; Janet Eaton, Kentucky Department of Agriculture; and the families who kindly allowed me to interview them for this work.

A special thanks goes to Storey Publishing, LLC, for the opportunity to write this book!

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At farmers markets, county fairs, and cattle shows, my fellow farmers often approach me and ask How did you do it? or I have this idea, but I dont know how to approach it. After four years of attempting to answer these questions, I decided to write about what Ive learned. Coming from generations of American farmers, I know one thing for certain: Farmers are nothing if not imaginative and resourceful. There does not seem to be a shortage of new business ideas or even creative takes on existing companies. Nor is inspiration lacking. It seems that what small farmers need to pursue their dreams is some guidance in how to get started. This book is designed to help you build your arsenal of business skills and pursue business ownership.

Youre probably reading this book for a myriad of reasons; some you can explain and others are inexplicable even to yourself. Dont worry: With time, clarity will come. Right now you have an idea and youre considering starting your own business. Ive been through all of the contemplative phases and know them well.

Maybe youre just at the idea point and you havent considered any concrete plans. Maybe youve put a name to your idea and your thoughts are occupied with how to build, market, and sell your grand plan. Or, perhaps youre at the blissfully frightening jumping-off point where your idea has a name and product and is part of a plan. Youre ready to commit to this idea, but youre still unsure of the nuts and bolts of a good business plan, so youre seeking information to help make informed decisions.

Wherever you are, youre not alone. Think of all of the other readers of this book and their unique ideas and plans; they share with you the same excitement and fears, the same early successes and imminent failures that make up the route to small-farm employment. I, too, share this journey with you because Ive taken it.

In late 2003, I finally realized that crying every morning when I left the farm to go to my executive town job was no way to live a happy, fulfilling life. I knew what I loved; I just didnt know how to make it support me. I knew, though I cannot say how, that I was a small-farm entrepreneur and that I was not cut out to work off the farm forever.