Starting A Farm? Well......... Start Prepared

            Star-ups are ever increasing with everyone willing to take on and test the entreprenueurship qualities and abilities. Entrepreneurs in Agriculture are needed now to advocate for the increase in agribusinesses in ensuring food security.
            When beginning any new enterprise, many decisions need to be made prior to planting or purchasing the first animal.  These decisions require research and developing an enterprise budget to be sure the venture will be profitable.  Depending on the scope of the enterprise, a business plan will assist with the decision making process, especially if this is your first venture into production agriculture.  To make the transition easier, think about what you have a passion to do.  Having a passion for the production makes the entire process more enjoyable.  A list of topics to consider prior to beginning include:

• Marketing
• Production
• Harvesting and storage
• Risk management
• Environmental regulations
• Where to find information

 Before beginning any production, you need to know if there is a market for what you plan to produce and where that market may be.  Another marketing decision is whether you are going to market wholesale or retail.  Wholesale marketing may be the easiest, but may not provide enough income to sustain your enterprise.  Retail marketing will take more time to develop as you will need to develop relationships with potential customers or find a farmers' market that has enough traffic to market you production.  One recommendation is to start small and grow into your market.

There are usually several production options for any livestock or crop you plan to produce.  For example, if considering producing beef cattle, will you raise grass-fed or a more conventional grain and hay program?  For horticultural crops, will you use plasticulture or be organically certified?

Do you have the time to produce and harvest what you plan to produce?  Even one acre of some crops requires 30-40 hours to harvest and many more to produce.  The production will need to integrate into your proposed schedule.  Also, will you need to store a portion of the crop prior to marketing and do you have these facilities?

Any production contains risk.  You are at the mercy of the weather, markets, and inputs that you cannot control.


Guy Kawasaki in his book "the Art of the Start" stated these 5 Important Steps to consider to start a business.


1.MAKE MEANING (inspired by John Doerr). The best reason to start
an organization is to make meaning—to create a product or service
that makes the world a better place. So your first task is to decide how
you can make meaning.
2. MAKE MANTRA. Forget mission statements; they're long, boring, and
irrelevant. No one can ever remember them—much less implement
them. Instead, take your meaning and make a mantra out of it. This
will set your entire team on the right course.
3. GET GOING. Start creating and delivering your product or service.
Think soldering irons, compilers, hammers, saws, and AutoCAD—
whatever tools you use to build products and services. Don't focus on
fetching, writing, and planning.
4. DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL. No matter what kind of organization
you're starting, you have to figure out a way to make money.
The greatest idea, technology, product, or service is short-lived without
a sustainable business model.
5. WEAVE A MAT (MILESTONES, ASSUMPTIONS, AND TASKS). The
final step is to compile three lists: (a) major milestones you need to
meet; (b) assumptions that are built into your business model; and
(c) tasks you need to accomplish to create an organization. This will
enforce discipline and keep your organization on track when all hell
breaks loose—and all hell will break loose.

"the Best Culture is Agriculture"
farmer Akwasi Tagoe.

source:

farmbusiness
the Art of The Start - Guy Kawasaki