This document provides guidance on evaluating the feasibility of starting a new rural enterprise. It discusses asking important questions about available resources, experience, markets, and profit potential. Key steps include assessing personal and business objectives, developing a business plan, financial plan, and marketing plan, and evaluating resources, markets, costs, labor needs, and potential profits using worksheets. Referenced guides provide more detailed processes and worksheets to help determine if a new rural enterprise is a good fit.
Organic Orchard, Vineyard, and Berry Crop Documentation FormsElisaMendelsohn
This document provides forms for organic orchard, vineyard, and berry crop producers to document practices, inputs, and activities required to demonstrate compliance with USDA organic regulations. The forms are intended to record routine information important for organic certification and farm record keeping, such as activities performed in blocks or fields, materials applied, establishment practices, and monitoring records. Seventeen forms are included to document activities like planting, fertilization, pest management, equipment use, and storage.
An Illustrated Guide to Sheep and Goat ProductionElisaMendelsohn
This document provides an overview of selecting and caring for goats and sheep. It discusses choosing animals that are healthy and productive. Key factors for selection include conformation, health, age and number of offspring. Goats and sheep should be fed a variety of foods including grains, forages and browse. Proper nutrition is important to keep animals healthy and their products high quality. The document also touches on housing, pasture management and general care for goats and sheep.
This document discusses nutrient cycling in pasture systems. It provides overviews of the water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and secondary nutrient cycles. Good pasture management practices can foster effective nutrient use and recycling. Specifically, managing pastures to enhance soil health, plant diversity, grazing intensity, and water quality can optimize forage and livestock growth while minimizing nutrient losses.
Season Extension Techniques for Market GardenersElisaMendelsohn
Market gardeners can extend their growing seasons through various cultural practices and technologies. Choosing sunny, south-facing sites located away from cold air pockets can provide a longer season. Maintaining moist soil and using mulches helps soils absorb and retain heat. Season extension structures like high tunnels, row covers, and plastic mulches allow harvesting earlier in spring and later in fall for higher prices and year-round income.
This document provides examples of farmers who have successfully transitioned away from conventional cash cropping systems to more profitable and sustainable agricultural enterprises. It outlines several principles of success, including producing differentiated products and taking small initial steps to diversify. Case studies describe farmers growing alternative crops like gamagrass seed and raising livestock like buffalo in regenerative systems. Diversifying farm income through on-farm stores, tourism, and value-added products is also discussed. Making the switch to organic production of traditional crops is presented as another viable option to move beyond conventional cash cropping.
This document summarizes organic hops production in the United States. It discusses the cultural requirements for growing organic hops including crop rotation, weed and pest management without synthetic pesticides. It also provides information on popular hops varieties grown in different regions as well as challenges with diseases like downy mildew. Recent research on organic hops production in New York is also mentioned.
This document summarizes steps for evaluating the feasibility of adding a new rural enterprise. It discusses evaluating personal and land resources, doing a financial assessment including a gross profit analysis, gaining experience and information, and developing a marketing plan. Key questions to consider include assessing time, skills, and objectives; determining land and facility suitability; estimating costs and profits; researching production requirements; and identifying target markets and competition. Several publications are recommended for more detailed guidance on evaluating potential new enterprises.
Organic Orchard, Vineyard, and Berry Crop Documentation FormsElisaMendelsohn
This document provides forms for organic orchard, vineyard, and berry crop producers to document practices, inputs, and activities required to demonstrate compliance with USDA organic regulations. The forms are intended to record routine information important for organic certification and farm record keeping, such as activities performed in blocks or fields, materials applied, establishment practices, and monitoring records. Seventeen forms are included to document activities like planting, fertilization, pest management, equipment use, and storage.
An Illustrated Guide to Sheep and Goat ProductionElisaMendelsohn
This document provides an overview of selecting and caring for goats and sheep. It discusses choosing animals that are healthy and productive. Key factors for selection include conformation, health, age and number of offspring. Goats and sheep should be fed a variety of foods including grains, forages and browse. Proper nutrition is important to keep animals healthy and their products high quality. The document also touches on housing, pasture management and general care for goats and sheep.
This document discusses nutrient cycling in pasture systems. It provides overviews of the water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and secondary nutrient cycles. Good pasture management practices can foster effective nutrient use and recycling. Specifically, managing pastures to enhance soil health, plant diversity, grazing intensity, and water quality can optimize forage and livestock growth while minimizing nutrient losses.
Season Extension Techniques for Market GardenersElisaMendelsohn
Market gardeners can extend their growing seasons through various cultural practices and technologies. Choosing sunny, south-facing sites located away from cold air pockets can provide a longer season. Maintaining moist soil and using mulches helps soils absorb and retain heat. Season extension structures like high tunnels, row covers, and plastic mulches allow harvesting earlier in spring and later in fall for higher prices and year-round income.
This document provides examples of farmers who have successfully transitioned away from conventional cash cropping systems to more profitable and sustainable agricultural enterprises. It outlines several principles of success, including producing differentiated products and taking small initial steps to diversify. Case studies describe farmers growing alternative crops like gamagrass seed and raising livestock like buffalo in regenerative systems. Diversifying farm income through on-farm stores, tourism, and value-added products is also discussed. Making the switch to organic production of traditional crops is presented as another viable option to move beyond conventional cash cropping.
This document summarizes organic hops production in the United States. It discusses the cultural requirements for growing organic hops including crop rotation, weed and pest management without synthetic pesticides. It also provides information on popular hops varieties grown in different regions as well as challenges with diseases like downy mildew. Recent research on organic hops production in New York is also mentioned.
This document summarizes steps for evaluating the feasibility of adding a new rural enterprise. It discusses evaluating personal and land resources, doing a financial assessment including a gross profit analysis, gaining experience and information, and developing a marketing plan. Key questions to consider include assessing time, skills, and objectives; determining land and facility suitability; estimating costs and profits; researching production requirements; and identifying target markets and competition. Several publications are recommended for more detailed guidance on evaluating potential new enterprises.
1) Entrepreneurship is defined as the capacity and willingness to undertake conception, organization, and management of a productive venture with all attendant risks, while seeking profit as a reward. It is a factor of production along with land, labor, natural resources, and capital.
2) The entrepreneurial process involves identifying and evaluating opportunities, developing a business plan, determining required resources, and managing the resulting enterprise. Opportunities are identified through consumers, business associates, distribution channels, or technical people. They must then be carefully evaluated.
3) After evaluating an opportunity, an entrepreneur develops a business plan to determine the resources needed. They then acquire the resources and implement the business plan by managing the growing enterprise
Writing a owesome winning business plan contents case studyBhawani N Prasad
This document outlines the key components of a business plan framework:
The People section addresses questions about the founders' backgrounds, experience, skills, commitment to the venture, and ability to recruit a strong team.
The Opportunity section profiles the business, including details about customers, pricing, costs, competition, growth potential, and risks.
The Competition section analyzes current and potential competitors' strengths, weaknesses, and likely responses to help develop strategies.
The Context section considers the external environment factors like regulations, economic conditions, and how management can influence these.
The Risk and Reward section discusses future uncertainties and exit options, with an emphasis on risk management strategies to mitigate threats and maximize the chances of success.
How to build your company vision & mission, brand platform and big idea for c...Rahmatullah Akbar
HOW TO BUILD YOUR COMPANY VISION-MISSION-BRAND PLATFORM-BIG IDEA OF
COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN It’s foundation of your business. So It must be strong.
Vision is question about.
what kind of product that will make you believe that you can do some contribution for better world ? Where? or How far you will gonna go?
Why you do these business? what do you stand for? When your business will arrive to your ‘far’ destination? Who’s people that will believe what you believe?
The mission statement reflects every facet of your business: the range and nature of the products you offer, pricing, quality, service, marketplace position, growth potential, use of technology, and your relationships with your customers, employees, suppliers, competitors and the community.
CHALLANGE
Write your business purposes and GOAL here.
OBJECTIVE
Imaging. Now your talking to your customer. then, what kind of reaction or response you expect to get.
TARGET MARKET
Who is you want to talk to?. What kind of gender?where she live?what kind of education she got?how much she spend for a month? what kind of behaviour she have?
INSIGHT
It’s a hidden need of your customer. You must be deep and beyond. why they buy a thing?
MESSAGE
It’s a combination of your insight and your objective
BIG IDEA
Simple inspiring word that can covered all of your message.
Business Pivots: Strengthening Your Region’s Economic Resiliencenado-web
During the 2020 NADO Annual Training Conference, Barbara Wyckoff and Milka Lopez Mercado provided training on supporting small businesses to pivot their existing business plan or develop a new business plan to stay in business. COVID-19 has created major business disruptions, but businesses can survive by building upon their assets.
This document provides guidance on developing a business plan to convert ideas into a business. It recommends:
1. Creating a business plan to think through your business ideas and gather important facts. The plan will reveal your knowledge and help fine-tune your product for customers.
2. Including key elements in the plan like your value proposition, revenue model, competitive environment, competitive advantages, marketing strategy, organization details, management team, fundraising strategy, and shareholders agreement.
3. Conducting market research like creating customer profiles and surveys to deeply understand customers' needs and pain points. The research will help design a product that customers will value.
This document provides guidance on developing a business plan to convert ideas into a business. It emphasizes that a business plan is important to think through your business concept and gather important facts. Developing a business plan will reveal gaps in your knowledge about the industry and help you fine-tune your product or service based on customer needs. The document then outlines key sections to include in a business plan such as value proposition, revenue model, competitive environment, marketing strategy, management team, and financial planning. Market research including creating customer profiles and surveys is also recommended to inform the business plan.
The document provides advice from entrepreneurs on common hurdles that startups face and how to overcome them. It discusses issues such as losing sight of market needs, not being open to change, allowing mediocrity, poor cash flow management, founder exits, impressing investors, retaining talent, and more. The entrepreneurs emphasize the importance of constantly validating ideas with customers, having a frugal mindset, prioritizing culture, and securing the right mentor for guidance.
The document provides information on running a business successfully, including:
- Key topics that will be covered are the meaning and definition of business, factors for business success, how to run a business, and tips for a successful business.
- Some of the most important factors that can impact business success are market demand, building the right team, leadership preparation, networking, competitive analysis, pricing strategy, and long-term goals.
- To run a business well requires skills like great marketing, drafting a clear business plan, innovating, developing a strong company culture, focusing on financial goals, refining processes, using the right tools, and having a support system. Maintaining organization, records, creativity, focus,
The document summarizes the story of Sudheer Nair, the founder and CEO of E-resource Infotech. Due to financial difficulties after his father's demise, Sudheer had to drop out of high school at 16 and take on various jobs, including as a cargo worker. Through self-study and learning on the job, he gained expertise in typing and computers. This led to an opportunity in ERP software, where he saw potential and started his own ERP company, E-resource Infotech, in 2006. The company has grown successfully with over 300 clients, 25,000 users, and annual revenues of Rs 8.1 crore. Sudheer credits his success to support from talented people, relentless
This document provides a business strategy guide for launching a cannabis product. It outlines steps to take such as completing an industry analysis, developing an elevator pitch, creating a mission statement, and conducting a SWOT analysis. Key target audiences in the cannabis industry are identified as cannabis users, retailers, commercial and home growers, and growing suppliers. The guide instructs the reader to define their target audience in more detail and identify potential brand advocates. It also discusses developing a sales strategy, setting up social media and a website, budgeting, and creating a timeline. The overall strategy is meant to help organize, research, plan and initiate a successful product launch into the competitive cannabis market.
Otto Freijser - Perpetulon - Lean Startup Night Warsaw - Feb 13th, 2018 Bartek Janowicz
Otto Freijser discusses scaling lean startup principles in large enterprises. He outlines how traditional product development differs from lean startup by emphasizing building without validating assumptions first. Freijser advocates adopting lean startup practices like customer discovery, minimum viable products, and continuous iteration to increase success rates for new products. Large companies can apply these principles through innovation teams, flexible structures, and empowering teams to launch smaller experiments.
Air Asia is Asia's leading airline that was established in 2001. It aims to make flying accessible to everyone. While Air Asia has experienced rapid growth, expanding to over 20 countries, it must prepare for and manage the challenges of continued expansion. This includes maintaining strong financial relationships as needs increase, hiring the right people, focusing on customers, and establishing quality control systems. Warning signs of growing too fast include borrowing to meet costs, overworked employees, mounting complaints, and tight profit margins. Careful planning is needed to successfully handle each stage of a company's growth.
Unwrapping the Package-Final Document-2.0Steve Haynes
This document provides an overview and analysis of business incubators and accelerators. It examines what business incubators and accelerators are, how they operate, where entrepreneurs come from, and how incubators provide training and support to entrepreneurs. The document also discusses factors that contribute to the success or failure of incubators, as well as strategic recommendations for incubators. Key points include:
- Business incubators and accelerators provide resources and support to startups and small businesses in order to help them grow and succeed.
- They offer services like training, mentoring, office space, funding connections and more. Entrepreneurs come from various sources, including universities and training programs.
- Success depends on factors like
Stepping into a role which requires business finance knowledge? Here is a short guide offering advice, tools, and expertise that you will need to equip yourself with to be successful. Check out our Diploma in Business Finance for more.
The document provides guidance on conducting a feasibility study for a new business idea. It discusses that a feasibility study identifies potential problems with an idea and determines if the idea is viable and worth pursuing. It then outlines key steps to take in a feasibility study, including assessing the market demand and competition, understanding what a feasibility study entails, and writing the market feasibility section to analyze the potential market. The overall document serves as a guide for how to properly evaluate a new business idea through a feasibility study process.
This document provides information about accounting and business management concepts relevant to a culminating activity on business simulation. It discusses key accounting concepts like the accrual, conservatism, consistency, economic entity, going concern, and matching concepts. It also outlines the five main functions of business management: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. Finally, it discusses identifying business opportunities by looking at market needs, technology, the product lifecycle, and coming up with ideas that solve problems in a long-term and flexible way.
Achieving Business Excellence (a ChangeThis Manifesto by John Spence)Samuli Pahkala
"There is no single strategy that will carry your company forever—just ask my buddy Tom Peters, who wrote the fantastic book In Search of Excellence back in 1982, only to watch more than half of the companies he highlighted go out of business! Markets shift, consumer preferences change, new competitors appear, technology advances—and so must you. Even though I can recommend which of today’s popular strategies I believe deserve your attention, there is no guarantee that these same strategies will still be as relevant in 20 years. I think they will, but no one can see that far ahead.
With all of that said, [these] are the six strategies on which all the great companies I studied were relentlessly focused."
This document provides a sustainability checklist for beef cattle farms. It includes questions about farm resources, management priorities, herd health, reproductive management, forage programs, grazing management, soil and water quality, energy and economic efficiency, quality of life considerations, and goals for improvement. The checklist is intended to help farmers critically evaluate the sustainability of their operations and identify areas for potential enhancement.
Garden Therapy: Links to Articles, Books, Profession Groups, DVDElisaMendelsohn
GARDENING THERAPY Resource List of Articles, Books, Manuals, DVD's, Training Programs and Professional Associations
TOPICS COVERED:
Horticulture Therapy
Healing Gardens
Sensory Gardens
Garden Therapy
Garden Therapy for the Disabled
Garden Therapy for the Mentally Challenged
Garden Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease
Garden Therapy for Depression
Garden Therapy for Autistic Children
Garden Therapy for the Blind and the Visually Impaired
Garden Therapy for Hospitals
Garden Therapy for Nursing Homes
Garden Therapy for Seniors
Garden Therapy for the Handicapped
Garden Therapy for Prisons, Jails and Correction Facilities
Garden Therapy for Botanical Garden
Garden Therapy and Community Gardens
Garden Therapy for Single Mothers
Garden Therapy for Stress
Garden Therapy for Veterans
Garden Therapy at Veterans Facilities
Garden Therapy for Soldiers
Garden Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorders
People Plant Connections
Gardening and Physical Fitness
Greenhouse and Garden Therapy for Disabled People
Accessible Gardening
Wheelchair Gardening
Vertical Gardening and Garden Therapy
Container Gardening and Garden Therapy
Adaptive Garden Equipment for Garden Therapy
Tools for Garden Therapy
Urban Trees and Mental Health
Parks and Garden Therapy
Nature and Learning
Greening School Grounds by Design
Garden Therapy for Schools
Plants in the Classroom for Enhanced Learning
Garden Therapy for Pre Schools
Garden Therapy for Daycare
Garden Therapy for Elementary School Bullies
Garden Therapy and Community Development
Garden Therapy and Food Security
Garden Therapy for Low Income People
Garden Therapy for Homeless People
Garden Therapy and Crime Reduction
Garden Therapy and Neighborhood Security
1) Entrepreneurship is defined as the capacity and willingness to undertake conception, organization, and management of a productive venture with all attendant risks, while seeking profit as a reward. It is a factor of production along with land, labor, natural resources, and capital.
2) The entrepreneurial process involves identifying and evaluating opportunities, developing a business plan, determining required resources, and managing the resulting enterprise. Opportunities are identified through consumers, business associates, distribution channels, or technical people. They must then be carefully evaluated.
3) After evaluating an opportunity, an entrepreneur develops a business plan to determine the resources needed. They then acquire the resources and implement the business plan by managing the growing enterprise
Writing a owesome winning business plan contents case studyBhawani N Prasad
This document outlines the key components of a business plan framework:
The People section addresses questions about the founders' backgrounds, experience, skills, commitment to the venture, and ability to recruit a strong team.
The Opportunity section profiles the business, including details about customers, pricing, costs, competition, growth potential, and risks.
The Competition section analyzes current and potential competitors' strengths, weaknesses, and likely responses to help develop strategies.
The Context section considers the external environment factors like regulations, economic conditions, and how management can influence these.
The Risk and Reward section discusses future uncertainties and exit options, with an emphasis on risk management strategies to mitigate threats and maximize the chances of success.
How to build your company vision & mission, brand platform and big idea for c...Rahmatullah Akbar
HOW TO BUILD YOUR COMPANY VISION-MISSION-BRAND PLATFORM-BIG IDEA OF
COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN It’s foundation of your business. So It must be strong.
Vision is question about.
what kind of product that will make you believe that you can do some contribution for better world ? Where? or How far you will gonna go?
Why you do these business? what do you stand for? When your business will arrive to your ‘far’ destination? Who’s people that will believe what you believe?
The mission statement reflects every facet of your business: the range and nature of the products you offer, pricing, quality, service, marketplace position, growth potential, use of technology, and your relationships with your customers, employees, suppliers, competitors and the community.
CHALLANGE
Write your business purposes and GOAL here.
OBJECTIVE
Imaging. Now your talking to your customer. then, what kind of reaction or response you expect to get.
TARGET MARKET
Who is you want to talk to?. What kind of gender?where she live?what kind of education she got?how much she spend for a month? what kind of behaviour she have?
INSIGHT
It’s a hidden need of your customer. You must be deep and beyond. why they buy a thing?
MESSAGE
It’s a combination of your insight and your objective
BIG IDEA
Simple inspiring word that can covered all of your message.
Business Pivots: Strengthening Your Region’s Economic Resiliencenado-web
During the 2020 NADO Annual Training Conference, Barbara Wyckoff and Milka Lopez Mercado provided training on supporting small businesses to pivot their existing business plan or develop a new business plan to stay in business. COVID-19 has created major business disruptions, but businesses can survive by building upon their assets.
This document provides guidance on developing a business plan to convert ideas into a business. It recommends:
1. Creating a business plan to think through your business ideas and gather important facts. The plan will reveal your knowledge and help fine-tune your product for customers.
2. Including key elements in the plan like your value proposition, revenue model, competitive environment, competitive advantages, marketing strategy, organization details, management team, fundraising strategy, and shareholders agreement.
3. Conducting market research like creating customer profiles and surveys to deeply understand customers' needs and pain points. The research will help design a product that customers will value.
This document provides guidance on developing a business plan to convert ideas into a business. It emphasizes that a business plan is important to think through your business concept and gather important facts. Developing a business plan will reveal gaps in your knowledge about the industry and help you fine-tune your product or service based on customer needs. The document then outlines key sections to include in a business plan such as value proposition, revenue model, competitive environment, marketing strategy, management team, and financial planning. Market research including creating customer profiles and surveys is also recommended to inform the business plan.
The document provides advice from entrepreneurs on common hurdles that startups face and how to overcome them. It discusses issues such as losing sight of market needs, not being open to change, allowing mediocrity, poor cash flow management, founder exits, impressing investors, retaining talent, and more. The entrepreneurs emphasize the importance of constantly validating ideas with customers, having a frugal mindset, prioritizing culture, and securing the right mentor for guidance.
The document provides information on running a business successfully, including:
- Key topics that will be covered are the meaning and definition of business, factors for business success, how to run a business, and tips for a successful business.
- Some of the most important factors that can impact business success are market demand, building the right team, leadership preparation, networking, competitive analysis, pricing strategy, and long-term goals.
- To run a business well requires skills like great marketing, drafting a clear business plan, innovating, developing a strong company culture, focusing on financial goals, refining processes, using the right tools, and having a support system. Maintaining organization, records, creativity, focus,
The document summarizes the story of Sudheer Nair, the founder and CEO of E-resource Infotech. Due to financial difficulties after his father's demise, Sudheer had to drop out of high school at 16 and take on various jobs, including as a cargo worker. Through self-study and learning on the job, he gained expertise in typing and computers. This led to an opportunity in ERP software, where he saw potential and started his own ERP company, E-resource Infotech, in 2006. The company has grown successfully with over 300 clients, 25,000 users, and annual revenues of Rs 8.1 crore. Sudheer credits his success to support from talented people, relentless
This document provides a business strategy guide for launching a cannabis product. It outlines steps to take such as completing an industry analysis, developing an elevator pitch, creating a mission statement, and conducting a SWOT analysis. Key target audiences in the cannabis industry are identified as cannabis users, retailers, commercial and home growers, and growing suppliers. The guide instructs the reader to define their target audience in more detail and identify potential brand advocates. It also discusses developing a sales strategy, setting up social media and a website, budgeting, and creating a timeline. The overall strategy is meant to help organize, research, plan and initiate a successful product launch into the competitive cannabis market.
Otto Freijser - Perpetulon - Lean Startup Night Warsaw - Feb 13th, 2018 Bartek Janowicz
Otto Freijser discusses scaling lean startup principles in large enterprises. He outlines how traditional product development differs from lean startup by emphasizing building without validating assumptions first. Freijser advocates adopting lean startup practices like customer discovery, minimum viable products, and continuous iteration to increase success rates for new products. Large companies can apply these principles through innovation teams, flexible structures, and empowering teams to launch smaller experiments.
Air Asia is Asia's leading airline that was established in 2001. It aims to make flying accessible to everyone. While Air Asia has experienced rapid growth, expanding to over 20 countries, it must prepare for and manage the challenges of continued expansion. This includes maintaining strong financial relationships as needs increase, hiring the right people, focusing on customers, and establishing quality control systems. Warning signs of growing too fast include borrowing to meet costs, overworked employees, mounting complaints, and tight profit margins. Careful planning is needed to successfully handle each stage of a company's growth.
Unwrapping the Package-Final Document-2.0Steve Haynes
This document provides an overview and analysis of business incubators and accelerators. It examines what business incubators and accelerators are, how they operate, where entrepreneurs come from, and how incubators provide training and support to entrepreneurs. The document also discusses factors that contribute to the success or failure of incubators, as well as strategic recommendations for incubators. Key points include:
- Business incubators and accelerators provide resources and support to startups and small businesses in order to help them grow and succeed.
- They offer services like training, mentoring, office space, funding connections and more. Entrepreneurs come from various sources, including universities and training programs.
- Success depends on factors like
Stepping into a role which requires business finance knowledge? Here is a short guide offering advice, tools, and expertise that you will need to equip yourself with to be successful. Check out our Diploma in Business Finance for more.
The document provides guidance on conducting a feasibility study for a new business idea. It discusses that a feasibility study identifies potential problems with an idea and determines if the idea is viable and worth pursuing. It then outlines key steps to take in a feasibility study, including assessing the market demand and competition, understanding what a feasibility study entails, and writing the market feasibility section to analyze the potential market. The overall document serves as a guide for how to properly evaluate a new business idea through a feasibility study process.
This document provides information about accounting and business management concepts relevant to a culminating activity on business simulation. It discusses key accounting concepts like the accrual, conservatism, consistency, economic entity, going concern, and matching concepts. It also outlines the five main functions of business management: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. Finally, it discusses identifying business opportunities by looking at market needs, technology, the product lifecycle, and coming up with ideas that solve problems in a long-term and flexible way.
Achieving Business Excellence (a ChangeThis Manifesto by John Spence)Samuli Pahkala
"There is no single strategy that will carry your company forever—just ask my buddy Tom Peters, who wrote the fantastic book In Search of Excellence back in 1982, only to watch more than half of the companies he highlighted go out of business! Markets shift, consumer preferences change, new competitors appear, technology advances—and so must you. Even though I can recommend which of today’s popular strategies I believe deserve your attention, there is no guarantee that these same strategies will still be as relevant in 20 years. I think they will, but no one can see that far ahead.
With all of that said, [these] are the six strategies on which all the great companies I studied were relentlessly focused."
This document provides a sustainability checklist for beef cattle farms. It includes questions about farm resources, management priorities, herd health, reproductive management, forage programs, grazing management, soil and water quality, energy and economic efficiency, quality of life considerations, and goals for improvement. The checklist is intended to help farmers critically evaluate the sustainability of their operations and identify areas for potential enhancement.
Garden Therapy: Links to Articles, Books, Profession Groups, DVDElisaMendelsohn
GARDENING THERAPY Resource List of Articles, Books, Manuals, DVD's, Training Programs and Professional Associations
TOPICS COVERED:
Horticulture Therapy
Healing Gardens
Sensory Gardens
Garden Therapy
Garden Therapy for the Disabled
Garden Therapy for the Mentally Challenged
Garden Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease
Garden Therapy for Depression
Garden Therapy for Autistic Children
Garden Therapy for the Blind and the Visually Impaired
Garden Therapy for Hospitals
Garden Therapy for Nursing Homes
Garden Therapy for Seniors
Garden Therapy for the Handicapped
Garden Therapy for Prisons, Jails and Correction Facilities
Garden Therapy for Botanical Garden
Garden Therapy and Community Gardens
Garden Therapy for Single Mothers
Garden Therapy for Stress
Garden Therapy for Veterans
Garden Therapy at Veterans Facilities
Garden Therapy for Soldiers
Garden Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorders
People Plant Connections
Gardening and Physical Fitness
Greenhouse and Garden Therapy for Disabled People
Accessible Gardening
Wheelchair Gardening
Vertical Gardening and Garden Therapy
Container Gardening and Garden Therapy
Adaptive Garden Equipment for Garden Therapy
Tools for Garden Therapy
Urban Trees and Mental Health
Parks and Garden Therapy
Nature and Learning
Greening School Grounds by Design
Garden Therapy for Schools
Plants in the Classroom for Enhanced Learning
Garden Therapy for Pre Schools
Garden Therapy for Daycare
Garden Therapy for Elementary School Bullies
Garden Therapy and Community Development
Garden Therapy and Food Security
Garden Therapy for Low Income People
Garden Therapy for Homeless People
Garden Therapy and Crime Reduction
Garden Therapy and Neighborhood Security
Sistemas Avícolas Alternativos con Acceso a PasturaElisaMendelsohn
Este documento describe y compara sistemas avícolas alternativos y convencionales. Los sistemas alternativos incluyen aves con acceso a pasturas a través de casas fijas, casas portátiles, corrales de pastura u otros diseños que permiten a las aves expresar su comportamiento natural al aire libre. Estos sistemas son comúnmente a pequeña escala e integrados a granjas diversificadas. El acceso al exterior es una parte importante del bienestar de las aves y permite producción extensiva en comparación con los sistem
Producción Orgánica de Lechugas de Especialidad y Verduras Para EnsaladaElisaMendelsohn
Este documento describe las técnicas de producción orgánica de lechugas de especialidad y ensaladas. Explica que el mercado de lechugas de especialidad ha crecido, pero que el aumento de la producción ha hecho bajar los precios. Describe diferentes tipos de lechugas y verduras para ensaladas, así como técnicas de preparación del suelo, propagación, control de plagas y cosecha. Resalta la importancia de planificar cultivos para mantener un suministro constante a lo largo de la temporada.
Este documento cubre el procesamiento de aves a pequeña escala, ya sea en la granja o en plantas pequeñas. Describe las etapas clave del procesamiento, como la inmovilización, matanza, sangrado, desplume, evisceración, enfriamiento y empaque. También compara el procesamiento a pequeña, mediana y gran escala, y explica cómo el acceso a instalaciones de procesamiento es crucial para los pequeños productores avícolas.
Planeando la Plantación de Vegetales para una Cosecha ContinuaElisaMendelsohn
Este documento ofrece consejos para planificar plantaciones sucesivas de vegetales con el fin de lograr una cosecha continua a lo largo de la temporada de crecimiento. Explica que es importante mantener registros de plantaciones y cosechas anteriores para determinar las fechas óptimas de siembra. También destaca que el clima y las condiciones de la tierra afectan el crecimiento de los cultivos, por lo que es útil considerar las temperaturas ideales de germinación de cada vegetal. El documento incluye una tabla con esta información y un
Este documento trata sobre la nutrición de rumiantes en pastoreo. Explica que los rumiantes como vacunos, ovinos y caprinos pueden convertir plantas no comestibles para humanos en alimentos mediante la digestión de la celulosa. También destaca que la mayoría de las tierras son aptas solo para pastoreo, no para cultivo, y que el pastoreo es una forma eficiente de convertir la biomasa vegetal en alimentos como carne y leche. Además, resalta la importancia de entender la nutrición de los rumiantes considerando fact
Este documento trata sobre los requerimientos nutricionales para aves de pastura y cómo cubrirlos a través de diferentes ingredientes alimenticios comunes y poco comunes. Explica el valor nutritivo de ingredientes como el maíz, trigo, avena, harina de pescado y frijol soya, y discute consideraciones como la molienda, la formulación de raciones y la nutrición aplicada para diferentes tasas de crecimiento y estilos de alimentación.
Nuevos Mercados para Su Cosecha (audio version)ElisaMendelsohn
Pedro quiere vender sus productos agrícolas pero no puede vender todo en el mercado local y los comerciantes le ofrecen precios bajos. José le sugiere vender a instituciones como escuelas, hospitales y asilos de ancianos. José introduce a Pedro con el comprador de alimentos del hospital local. El comprador está interesado en comprar productos de la granja de Pedro y pide detalles sobre sus productos, precios y disponibilidad. Pedro comienza a vender lechuga al hospital y el comprador pide un volumen mayor, pero Pedro no puede
Los Escarabajos del Pepino: Manejo Integrado de Plagas — MIP Orgánico y Biora...ElisaMendelsohn
Los escarabajos del pepino son plagas importantes de cultivos de cucurbitáceas en los Estados Unidos. Transmiten enfermedades bacterianas y virales y causan daño directo al alimentarse de raíces, tallos, hojas y frutos. Sus ciclos de vida y las medidas orgánicas de control como plantación tardía, cobertores flotantes, cultivos trampa e insecticidas botánicos deben ser comprendidos para implementar estrategias de manejo integrado efectivas.
Las Crónicas Orgánicas No. 1: No Tenga Pánico Vuélvase OrgánicoElisaMendelsohn
Este documento presenta la historia de Pedro, un agricultor, que aprende sobre los beneficios de la agricultura orgánica a través de una visita a una granja orgánica y conversaciones con agricultores orgánicos. Pedro descubre que la agricultura orgánica fomenta la biodiversidad en el suelo y los cultivos, lo que ayuda a controlar plagas de forma natural. Aprende que el uso de pesticidas químicos puede dañar a los organismos benéficos en el suelo y los cultivos. Finalmente, Pedro decide convertir
La Certificación para Granjas Orgánicas y el Programa Orgánico NacionalElisaMendelsohn
Este documento describe los requisitos para la certificación orgánica de granjas y el Programa Orgánico Nacional de los EE.UU. Los agricultores que quieran vender sus productos como orgánicos deben obtener la certificación de un agente acreditado. La certificación asegura a los consumidores que los productos cumplen con las normas orgánicas. El Programa Orgánico Nacional estableció normas uniformes para la certificación y acredita agentes certificadores. Los agricultores deben cumplir con las normas de producción e
Jardinería Comercial: Consideraciones para Producción de Frutas y VerdurasElisaMendelsohn
Este documento proporciona consideraciones para iniciar un negocio de jardinería comercial. Explica que se debe desarrollar un plan de negocios que incluya un plan de marketing enfocado en los mercados. También discute opciones de mercado como mercados de productores, ventas directas, restaurantes e instituciones. Finalmente, enfatiza la importancia de aprender técnicas de producción a través de talleres, conferencias u observando otros productores.
Guía Ilustrada para la Producción de Ovinos y CaprinosElisaMendelsohn
Este documento es una guía ilustrada para la producción de ovinos y caprinos. Proporciona información sobre la selección de animales, la alimentación y el pastoreo, el cuidado de animales jóvenes y de cría, la sanidad, el equipo y el manejo, y la comercialización de productos de ovinos y caprinos. La guía describe las características deseables para una buena conformación en ovinos y caprinos, y ofrece consejos sobre cómo proveer una dieta y pastoreo saludables para estos animales.
Este documento proporciona una guía sobre métodos orgánicos para producir fresas. Cubre técnicas como el control de malezas mediante acolchado de plástico negro, fertilización orgánica, y control biológico de plagas. También discute sistemas de producción como la plantación en camellones con plástico y la producción en túneles, y provee recursos adicionales sobre certificación orgánica y recomendaciones de variedades por estado. La producción orgánica de fresas puede requerir más esf
Este documento describe el equipamiento básico necesario para una pequeña granja avícola, enfocándose en los sistemas de bebederos y comederos. Explica que los bebederos son cruciales para el bienestar de las aves y deben proveer agua limpia de manera confiable para prevenir enfermedades y la muerte de los pollos. También discute brevemente consideraciones para cercos, perchas y cajas nido.
Este documento describe el proceso de certificación orgánica según las normas del Programa Nacional Orgánico del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos. Explica que la certificación permite vender, representar y etiquetar productos como orgánicos, y que involucra inspecciones anuales realizadas por un certificador acreditado para verificar el cumplimiento de las normas. También destaca algunos de los beneficios de la certificación, como mantener mejores registros que ayudan a identificar y resolver problemas de producción con mayor facilidad.
Este documento trata sobre el manejo sostenible de suelos. Explica las propiedades básicas del suelo y los pasos para mejorar y mantener la calidad del suelo de manera sostenible. Cubre temas como la importancia de la materia orgánica y los organismos del suelo, técnicas para mejorar el suelo como el compost y la labranza reducida, y ejemplos de agricultores que han tenido éxito mejorando la calidad de sus suelos.
El Manejo de Gallineros para la Producción AlternativaElisaMendelsohn
Este documento proporciona información sobre el manejo del medio ambiente en la producción avícola alternativa. Explica que tanto el área interior como el exterior son importantes para el bienestar de las aves. Detalla la importancia de la ventilación, temperatura, iluminación y lecho dentro del gallinero. Además, enfatiza que la producción alternativa a menudo ocurre a pequeña escala y puede ser certificada orgánica, requiriendo ciertas prácticas especiales en comparación con la avicultura convencional.
Este documento describe los cuatro pasos que los productores y procesadores orgánicos deben seguir para prepararse adecuadamente para su inspección de certificación orgánica anual. El primer paso es leer las secciones pertinentes de las Normas Orgánicas Nacionales según el tipo de operación. El segundo paso es revisar su Plan de Sistema Orgánico. El tercer paso es revisar la comunicación de la agencia certificadora del año pasado. El cuarto paso es organizar todos los registros requeridos usando las listas proporcionadas. La public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
إضغ بين إيديكم من أقوى الملازم التي صممتها
ملزمة تشريح الجهاز الهيكلي (نظري 3)
💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
تتميز هذهِ الملزمة بعِدة مُميزات :
1- مُترجمة ترجمة تُناسب جميع المستويات
2- تحتوي على 78 رسم توضيحي لكل كلمة موجودة بالملزمة (لكل كلمة !!!!)
#فهم_ماكو_درخ
3- دقة الكتابة والصور عالية جداً جداً جداً
4- هُنالك بعض المعلومات تم توضيحها بشكل تفصيلي جداً (تُعتبر لدى الطالب أو الطالبة بإنها معلومات مُبهمة ومع ذلك تم توضيح هذهِ المعلومات المُبهمة بشكل تفصيلي جداً
5- الملزمة تشرح نفسها ب نفسها بس تكلك تعال اقراني
6- تحتوي الملزمة في اول سلايد على خارطة تتضمن جميع تفرُعات معلومات الجهاز الهيكلي المذكورة في هذهِ الملزمة
واخيراً هذهِ الملزمة حلالٌ عليكم وإتمنى منكم إن تدعولي بالخير والصحة والعافية فقط
كل التوفيق زملائي وزميلاتي ، زميلكم محمد الذهبي 💊💊
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Elevate Your Nonprofit's Online Presence_ A Guide to Effective SEO Strategies...TechSoup
Whether you're new to SEO or looking to refine your existing strategies, this webinar will provide you with actionable insights and practical tips to elevate your nonprofit's online presence.
This document provides an overview of wound healing, its functions, stages, mechanisms, factors affecting it, and complications.
A wound is a break in the integrity of the skin or tissues, which may be associated with disruption of the structure and function.
Healing is the body’s response to injury in an attempt to restore normal structure and functions.
Healing can occur in two ways: Regeneration and Repair
There are 4 phases of wound healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. This document also describes the mechanism of wound healing. Factors that affect healing include infection, uncontrolled diabetes, poor nutrition, age, anemia, the presence of foreign bodies, etc.
Complications of wound healing like infection, hyperpigmentation of scar, contractures, and keloid formation.
Level 3 NCEA - NZ: A Nation In the Making 1872 - 1900 SML.pptHenry Hollis
The History of NZ 1870-1900.
Making of a Nation.
From the NZ Wars to Liberals,
Richard Seddon, George Grey,
Social Laboratory, New Zealand,
Confiscations, Kotahitanga, Kingitanga, Parliament, Suffrage, Repudiation, Economic Change, Agriculture, Gold Mining, Timber, Flax, Sheep, Dairying,
Andreas Schleicher presents PISA 2022 Volume III - Creative Thinking - 18 Jun...EduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills at the OECD presents at the launch of PISA 2022 Volume III - Creative Minds, Creative Schools on 18 June 2024.
Andreas Schleicher presents PISA 2022 Volume III - Creative Thinking - 18 Jun...
Evaluating a Rural Enterprise
1. Evaluating a Rural Enterprise
Marketing and Business Guide
Abstract: Evaluating an enterprise boils down to asking a series of good questions. Among these questions are: Do I
have the resources to do this? Do I really want to do this? Do I have the experience and information to do this? How
much profit can I make? How will I market the products? This publication seeks to provide enough information to help
you judge whether a new enterprise is right for your operation. Additionally, we provide a resource section of additional
information on relevant topics.
By Preston Sullivan and Lane Greer of land is different and there is no single pre-
NCAT Agriculture Specialists scription to tell you what enterprise is right for
May 2002 you. Any new enterprise will, however, require
an investment of your time, money, and other
resources. And there will always be risks in-
volved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
There are thousands of books, Extension materi-
INTRODUCTION .................................. 1 als, and people who can tell you how to produce
EVALUATING YOUR RESOURCES .............. 2 something, whether it’s baskets, bison, or blue-
FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT ...................... 3 berries. But these resources can’t help you de-
EXPERIENCE AND INFORMATION .............. 4 cide wheather that enterprise is right for you and
your farm.
MARKETING ...................................... 5
CHOOSING AN ‘ALTERNATIVE’ We reviewed many enterprise planning guides
ENTERPRISE .................................. 7 and have condensed their salient points in this
REFERENCES .................................... 8 publication. Most of these guides ask entrepre-
RESOURCES ..................................... 8 neurs to assess their personal and family objec-
tives. They all stress the importance of having a
business plan, a financial plan, and a marketing
plan. The business plan will outline how the
INTRODUCTION business should work and generate plans for
operation. Perhaps the best thing about a de-
This publication is for people who already live tailed business plan is that it causes you to think
in rural areas and want to add new enterprises in detail about what you are getting into. The
to their operations. New farm enterprises today Resources section at the end of this publication
are often non-traditional—everything from add- provides titles and ordering information for sev-
ing pastured poultry to a beef operation to start- eral useful guides to help determine the feasibil-
ing a bed-and-breakfast in the barn to making a ity of your new enterprise.
cornfield maze to attract tourists.
Two of the very best of these publications are
This publication won’t tell you what will make Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the
the most money. Every person and every piece Feasibility of New Farm Based Enterprises, a work-
ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service operated by the National Center
for Appropriate Technology under a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse products,
companies, or individuals. ATTRA is headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas (P.O. Box 3657,
Fayetteville, AR 72702), with offices in Butte, Montana and Davis, California.
2. book from Cornell University, and A Primer for Will the new enterprise complement my cur-
Selecting New Enterprises for Your Farm, a Ken- rent enterprises?
tucky Extension Service publication. These Do I have written objectives describing the
guides discuss alternative enterprises and intro- desired outcome?
duce a step-by-step process to assess the objec- Do I have the skills and experience necessary
tives, resources, markets, production demands, to do this?
and profitability of new enterprises. Both include Do I like to supervise people?
a lot of useful worksheets to help with these as- Have I managed a business before?
sessments. See the Resources section for more Do I have enough personal energy to do this?
information on how to order these publications. Can I count on my family members for sup-
port?
EVALUATING YOUR RESOURCES Do I care what the neighbors think about my
new enterprise?
Before committing to a new enterprise, there are Why do I want this enterprise?
always fundamental questions that ought to be
addressed. These may be practical (What are the After you have determined that the enterprise is
business/management skills of those involved?), something you really want to do, consider these
organizational (Does everyone involved agree on additional questions (for land-based enterprises):
how the business should be run?), or philosophi-
cal (Does everyone involved know, understand, Land
and agree on the objectives, both short- and long-
term?). The following are typical of the kinds of What is the water drainage like?
questions suggested in the sources we reviewed. Are the soils suitable?
What is the seasonal rainfall pattern?
Marketing What will happen to my enterprises during a
flood or drought?
Where am I going to sell the products? Are these plants or animals adapted to this
Who is the customer? climatic region?
What is the size of the potential customer Are there water resources available for irri-
base? gation or for watering livestock?
Where do the customers live, and how will Do I want concurrent uses for the land such
their location influence my selling to them? as wildlife conservation, fishing, or hunting?
What are the customers’ needs and desires?
Am I going to sell directly to consumers? Buildings and Machinery
Am I going to wholesale to the commodity
market? Do I have adequate facilities?
What are the seasonal price fluctuations I can What additional machinery will I need?
expect? Can I rent or borrow machinery or storage
What are the quality standards that I must facilities?
meet?
How many hours will it take to research di- Labor Needs
rect markets?
Are there legal or food-safety considerations? How much labor will be required?
What is the source of labor?
Personal How much will it cost?
Is seasonal labor available?
Do I have time to devote to this new enter- Will I need housing for my workers?
prise? Does this enterprise use existing labor in off-
Does the workload correspond with the time seasons?
of year I want to work?
PAGE 2 //EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE
3. There are many resources that can guide you in prise on a per-acre basis. Notice how only the
your search for the answers to these questions. costs directly related to that enterprise are in-
See the Resources section at the end of this pub- cluded in the gross profit analysis. Land rent
lication for more information. could also be included, but if the land is already
owned or mortgaged, it should be left out of this
FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT analysis and considered a fixed cost. With this
sweet corn enterprise we have $2,444 gross profit
After you have answered the above questions, left to pay overhead costs and, ideally, provide a
you’ll have a better idea of what costs will be profit, if a profit was initially projected.
involved in a new enterprise, and that informa-
tion will help you determine the profit potential.
It is advisable to do the following exercise be- Table 1. Gross profit for one acre of sweet corn.
fore spending more time or money developing
the logistics of production or a full enterprise Total Income Dollars
budget.
1,200 d o ze n @ $2.50 $3,000.00
One way to compare enterprises for profitability Variable C osts
is to calculate a gross profit analysis (Savory and
Butterfield, 1999), otherwise known as gross Se e d $ 50.00
margin analysis (Kay and Edwards, 1994) or a
Fe rti l i ze r $ 35.00
contributory margin (Zimmerman and
Villanueva, 2001). The gross profit or margin is We e d Control $ 18.00
the amount of money left over after all the new
Machi ne ry Use $ 83.00
costs associated with the new enterprise are sub-
tracted from the gross income generated by that Harve sti ng $ 345.00
new enterprise. These new expenses are sepa-
rate from the general overhead expense, because Hau l i ng $ 25.00
they are incurred only if the new enterprise is Total Variable C osts $ 656.00
implemented. In other words, these are the vari-
able costs associated with a new enterprise. Gross Profit/acre $2,444.00
To avoid confusing comparisons, do not prorate
the overhead (fixed costs) for enterprises in this To make valid comparisons between enterprises
exercise. You will get more accurate results by using gross profit or margin analysis, use a com-
assuming that the entire overhead cost must be mon unit of measure. A common unit for agri-
paid out of the gross profit from the enterprise. culture is gross profit per acre. For some other
For example, if you need to use your tractor in a enterprises, units to consider might be profit per
new venture, the cost of owning the tractor (pay- hour or $/bushel or $/cwt. Using a common unit
ments, insurance, etc.) is already fixed. But the will allow you to compare dissimilar enter-
direct expense of using the tractor in your new prises—such as broccoli for fresh market sales
enterprise (fuel, routine maintenance) can be as- and goats sold wholesale. A per-acre
signed to the operating cost of the venture that comparision shows the best return on the land.
uses the tractor. By subtracting these operating Another good use of the gross profit analysis is
costs from the total sales, you arrive at the gross to compare all your existing enterprises for their
profit. The gross profit from all enterprises com- contribution to covering overhead costs. The
bined must be at least enough to cover the over- results may surprise you. For example, you may
head or you will go broke. find that the principal enterprise is actually be-
ing supported by several secondary enterprises.
Table 1 shows the gross margin for a sweet corn
enterprise. Figures are generated on a per-acre In cases where there is no overlap between two
basis and so can be compared to any other enter- enterprises, a direct comparison may not be pos-
//EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE PAGE 3
4. sible. An example of this would be if you al- EXPERIENCE AND INFORMATION
ready had grazing and timber enterprises and
wanted to add a lease-arrangement hunting “The most salient requirement for farming is ex-
lodge to the same land. The only variable costs perience” (Nation, 1998). Practical experience is
associated with the enterprise might be legal fees, particularly important for a new enterprise, es-
renovation costs on the house, and maintenance. pecially if the enterprise is not related to what
In this case, if the gross profit was still high, and you normally do. You can gain a lot of the nec-
you responded positively to the personal ques- essary knowledge from people who are currently
tions above, you would go ahead with the enter- doing what you are considering. Apprenticing
prise. with someone who is already farming, or just vol-
unteering some time, is a good way to get expe-
The gross profit analysis does not preclude full rience. (See ATTRA’s resource list Sustainable
financial planning for each enterprise and for the Farming Internships and Appenticeships for more
whole farm. If, for example, the overhead costs information on experiential farm work across the
are in excess of all the income generated, you will country.) Also, start out small with your own
go broke. If you are buying new equipment enterprise until you learn the basics. Stockman
(fixed cost) specifically for an enterprise, that cost Grass Farmer editor Allan Nation (1997) suggests
can be assigned to that enterprise and amortized these four stages when considering a new enter-
over the useful life of the machinery. If you bor- prise:
row money to buy the equipment, the loan pay-
ment can be allocated as a variable expense for 1. Get the knowledge you need
the enterprise gross profit analysis. In the whole- to produce and market the product.
farm budget, all the income from all the various 2. Produce it for yourself and your
enterprises will be included, along with the vari- family.
able costs for each and the overhead expenses. 3. Produce it for your friends who have
tried it, like it, and ask you for it.
Full planning budgets used to estimate costs for 4. Do it as a business.
many farm enterprises should be available from
your local Extension service. Others can be found Although this approach may seem slow, it will
at: http://www.fbminet.ca/bc/budget.htm, a go faster and require a lot less startup investment
web site with enterprise budgets for a large num- than jumping in and trying to learn as you go.
ber of crop and livestock enterprises. The bud-
gets at this web site use the term “contribution Gathering information on specific enterprises is
margin” to describe gross profit. These budgets also an important step when considering diver-
are separated into contribution margin and build- sification. Your local Cooperative Extension Ser-
ings and machinery replacement costs (over- vice and other USDA agencies can provide fun-
head). The budgets are laid out in an easy-to- damental information about some alternatives,
read format with an overview preceding the as can non-profit organizations in your state. You
tables. Each enterprise budget contains market- can also contact Extension specialists at your
ing alternatives, cash flow timing, and key fac- state’s land-grant university. Other sources of
tors affecting profit, with margin estimates al- information include websites and publications
ready calculated. When calculating your cost of (books, magazines, and newsletters). The re-
production, be sure to use reliable estimates for source list at the end of this publication also pro-
your situation and include other costs that may vides helpful information.
not be listed in the budget. It is also useful to
project poor, average, and good production sce- Often, however, even though there is production
narios for each enterprise. If you cannot be prof- information for a specific crop, there is little in-
itable with poor production, consider another formation available on budgets or markets. Your
enterprise. best resource in a situation like this will prob-
PAGE 4 //EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE
5. ably be a farmer who is already raising, or some- • Marketing Options
one who is already buying, the crop or a similar These include any method used to sell
crop. A good way to find farmers is to attend or distribute your product (Grudens-
state or regional workshops or conferences that Schuck and Green, 1991). Examples are
are in some way related to your area of interest. selling directly to consumers from the
Extension puts on workshops throughout the farm; farmers’ markets; selling directly to
year that provide an opportunity to network with restaurants; cooperative marketing; sell-
your fellow growers. The approach to finding ing wholesale to a distributor, broker, or
buyers would be similar. For instance, if you processor; etc. Identify your most promis-
are interested in adding cut flowers to your ing options. Also consider transportation
farm’s mix, you might attend a statewide con- needs and distances to market.
ference for florists.
• Market Entry
MARKETING How will you introduce the product to
the market? Will it be marketed under
Author and business consultant Peter Drucker the producer’s or processor’s name?
says that only two activities produce results. One What will get the buyer’s attention (ad-
is innovation, and the other is marketing (Na- vertising and promotion)? (Schermerhorn).
tion, 1997). Marketing may take many forms,
ranging from passive marketing into the com- • Existing Market Demand
modity chain all the way up to marketing a re- How many potential buyers are included
tail product directly to consumers. Which mar- in your target market at this time? What
keting method you choose will have a profound is the average purchase or frequency of
effect on the price your product commands. service per buyer per year? What are the
Prices in many prepared budgets will typically total purchases or number of services per
be wholesale prices. Adjust these prices to your year?
local market (retail or wholesale) based on what
you can realistically expect to get paid. Visit with • Competition
other farmers in your area who are selling the Analyze your competition: business
same thing you want to sell, or go to the local name, estimated sales volume, quality
farmers’ market and check out prices. of product, price, customer satisfaction,
appearance, type of buyer targeted,
There are two important reasons for doing mar- strengths, weaknesses. “Direct competi-
ket research: tion” offers the same product you do; “in-
• You need to understand your market, your direct competition” is anything your tar-
competition, and consumer trends get market can substitute for your pro-
• You need to be able to project potential sales duct. Remember: alliances can be formed
volume and prices (Grudens-Schuck and with competitors.
Green, 1991)
• Market Trends
The Cornell Farming Alternatives guide men- Has consumption been increasing? Is the
tioned earlier has marketing worksheets that ad- number of competitors increasing? What
dress the following considerations: are your projections for market trends in
the next five to ten years? What are the
• Target Market Descriptions industry trends and emerging markets?
The demographics of people you want to
sell to (age, gender, family status, income • Expected Price
level, class, occupation, children, marital There are many formulas and strategies
status, location, ethnic group, education). for setting prices. What is the lowest price
you can expect to receive? What is the
//EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE PAGE 5
6. highest price? Ultimately, pricing will Customer Loyalty. When the consumer knows
reflect your competition, costs of produc- the producer personally, the relationship be-
tion, quality, service, the convience you tween them is not easily broken. Good sellers
provide, and the types of buyers you have know and use their customers’ names. Loy-
targeted. alty helps bring in repeat customers.
• Expected Sales Volume Lifestyle. As Salatin explains, “I think one of
What is the least number of units you the biggest differences between the pressures
might sell in a bad year? How many in a I encounter as a small operator and the pres-
good year? What is the expected sales sures encountered by the big operators is the
volume? How long will it take to build amount of control we have over the situations
the market to your desired sales volume? that cause pressure” (Nation, 1997).
Direct marketing involves personally connecting Balance. The first rule of business is that the
with consumers, determining what they want or customer is always right, but that doesn’t al-
need, and producing the products that meet their ways mean you have the right customer. In
needs. Author Joel Salatin, who raises pastured some instances, removing a name from your
beef and poultry in Virginia, suggests several customer list may help to balance the pro-
things to think about when deciding on pricing ducer–consumer relationship, so that you can
your products. First, don’t under–price them. concentrate on profitable sales, appreciative
Farm-produced products are superior because customers, people who “get with the program”
they are more environmentally friendly and hu- (Nation, 1997).
manely produced. Salatin suggests that produc-
ers set a rewarding and satisfying gross margin Allan Nation says, “If you are considering get-
and then stick to it. This will allow you to build ting into direct marketing, don’t bet the farm
a customer base with clients who appreciate the on it. Keep doing what you are doing for a
product for what it is, not for what it costs living and start learning and experimenting on
(Salatin, 1998). Your estimated price can be used a small scale. Try the food you produce on your
to calculate returns in any enterprise analysis. family and your friends first. If your family
and friends are not crazy about it there is more
Direct marketing depends on building relation- learning to be done. Nation adds that, “A new
ships with customers. In fact, the term relation- business needs virtually 100% customer satis-
ship marketing has been used to describe the best faction from day one to survive” (Salatin, 1998).
methods of direct marketing for family farms. In
an article in The Stockman Grass Farmer (Nation, So the bottom line is to establish markets before
1997) Joel Salatin sets out five advantages of re- you begin the enterprise. If you are direct mar-
lationship marketing. They are: keting, consider these questions before start-
ing production: What do the people in my area
Consumer Education. The producer has to tell want? What are their tastes? Are they accus-
the consumers why his farm products are differ- tomed to “store bought” eggs, meat, and veg-
ent from those bought in the grocery stores. This etables? What matters most to people in my
is not only good for business, it is also a small local area—convenience and price? Are they
step toward the development of the consumer’s willing to pay for the quality and freshness of
awareness about farm, social, and health issues locally grown food?
that affect our lives.
For more complete information on direct mar-
Product Quality. When the producer raises crops keting, call and request the three ATTRA pub-
or livestock in an environmentally friendly or lications entitled Direct Marketing, Farmers’
sustainable fashion, it is easier not to compro- Markets, and CSAs. The direct marketing pub-
mise the quality of the products. lication includes information about resources,
PAGE 6 //EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE
7. market development, market research, market- duce, it also reflects their desire to have a differ-
ing plans, niche marketing, product differentia- ent kind of food shopping experience. For simi-
tion, farmers’ markets, value-added marketing, lar reasons, community supported agriculture ar-
and examples of real farmers who have done it. rangements (CSAs) have become popular. Both
It also provides a list of recommended resources farmers’ markets and CSAs bring shoppers closer
to consult when considering your market plan. to farmers and to the land, an experience that is
largely lacking in today’s urban society. An ex-
CHOOSING AN ‘ALTERNATIVE’ ENTERPRISE tension of these encounters is a farm visit,
whether it’s for a hay ride, to go to a petting zoo,
There are many kinds of enterprises that can be or to attend an apple festival. Consumers like to
profitable in a rural area. Ken Scharabok’s book feel that they are helping to keep small, family
(see Resources) describes 300 specific rural en- farms alive. This kind of experience requires
terprises. Cornell University’s publication Farm- farmers to learn new skills: how to deal with the
ing Alternatives lists several broad categories: public, the ability to assess unique opportunities
on the farm, and the vision to produce a feeling
1. Nontraditional crops, livestock, and as well as a product.
other farm products
2. Service, recreation, tourism, food In his 1998 book You Can Farm, Joel Salatin rec-
processing, forest/woodlot, and other ommends ten enterprises that he considers ex-
enterprises based on farm and natural cellent: pastured poultry, eggs, salad bar beef, a
resources grass-based dairy, a market garden, a home bak-
3. Unconventional production sys- ery, a bandsaw mill, and a you-pick small fruit
tems such as organic farming and orchard. His criteria for recommending these
aquaculture enterprises are:
4. Direct marketing and other entre-
preneurial marketing strategies • Low initial start-up cost relative to the abil-
ity to generate income
When considering alternative enterprises, you • High gross profit margin
should look first at your farm’s underutilized • Relatively low maintenance requirements
resources and your area’s market opportunities. • High cash flow relative to expenses
Underutilized resources might include unused • History of high success rates among new en-
buildings, or manure that could be sold as fertil- terprises
izer. New market opportunities may arise as a • High demand, low supply in the current mar-
result of changing demographics in your area— ketplace
there may be an increase in immigrant families • High product distinctiveness
who want specialty foods, or of affluent • Relatively size-neutral profit potential
businesspeople who commute to a metropolitan
area (Grudens-Schuck and Green, 1991). “The goal here is to examine what the profitable
alternatives are in the current paradigm and how
One very important change in national demo- you can fit in the picture” (Salatin, 1998).
graphics is the number of people who have be-
come dissociated from the land. Few of the baby There are lots of places to find out more about
boomer generation and almost none of Genera- specific enterprises. The Missouri Alternatives
tion X have lived on and worked the land. In an Center’s website provides many links to specific
effort to re-establish that bond, young consum- production information for various alternative
ers are often eager to support small farms, and enterprises. This website is extensive and up-
they’re willing to put their money where their to-date <http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac>. Ad-
mouth is. The huge increase in the number of ditionally, we have listed many valuable re-
farmers’ markets around the country not only sources below.
means that consumers are interested in fresh pro-
//EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE PAGE 7
8. REFERENCES Polyface Inc.
Rt. 1, Box 281
Grudens-Schuck, Nancy and Judy Green. 1991. Swoope, VA 24479
Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating 540-885-3590
the Feasibility of New Farm-Based Enterprises.
Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering The book is also available for $24.50 from:
Service, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. 88 p. http://www.amazon.com
Kay, R.E. and W.M. Edwards. 1994. Farm Grudens-Shuck, N. and J. Green. 1991. Farming
management, 3rd edition. McGraw Hill, Inc., Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the Feasi-
New York, NY. 458 p. bility of New Farm Based Enterprises. Farm-
ing Alternatives Program, Cornell University,
Nation, Allan. 1998. Allan’s Observations. Ithaca, NY. 88 p.
Stockman Grass Farmer. Vol. 56, No. 6. p. 13. This publication uses a step-by-step process to
assess goals, resources, markets, etc. Includes
Nation, Allan. 1997. Paddock Shift. Green worksheets. Available for $8 from:
Park Press, division of Valley Publishing
Corp., Jackson, MS. 184 p. Media Services Resource Center
7 Business & Technology Park
Salatin, Joel. 1998. You Can Farm. Polyface, Cornell University
Inc., Swoope, VA. 480 p. Ithaca, NY 14850
607-255-2080
Savory, Allan and Jody Butterfield. 1999. FAX: 607-255-9946
Holistic Management: A New Framework for http://www.cornell.edu/
Decision Making. Island Press, Washington, publications.catalog.html
DC. 550 p.
Farming Alternatives: Innovation on Northeast
Schermerhorn, Richard W. No date. Is Your Farms. A 14-minute video produced in 1988.
Agribusiness Project Feasible? University of Explores the issues involved in the development
Georgia Cooperative Extension. <http:// of farm-based enterprises such as deer farms, farm
www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/b1066-w.html>. markets, bed and breakfast inns, herb gardens, pet
ting zoos, and farm-processed foods. Available
Zimmerman, K. and E. Villanueva. 2001. for $18.95 from the Cornell address above.
Fresh sweet corn direct marketed (Fraser
Valley). Planning for Profit. British Columbia Woods, Tom and Steve Isaacs. 2000. A Primer
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. for Selecting New Enterprises for Your Farm.
8 p. Cooperative Extension Service. University of
Kentucky. Agricultural Economics - Extension
No. 00-13. 28 p.
RESOURCES
Covers profitability, resources, information, mar-
keting, enthusiasm, and risk. Has many useful
Publications and Videos
worksheets from which accurate information can
be generated to guide your decision making.
Salatin, Joel. 1998. You Can Farm: The
Available online at:
Entrepreneur’s Guide to Start and Succeed in a
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AgEcon/publi-
Farm Enterprise. Polyface, Swoope, VA. 480 p.
cations/ext2000-13.pdf
Perhaps the best single resource for beginning
farmers, this book also provides good information
Scharabok, Ken. 1996. How to Earn Extra Money
on enterprise differentiation and evaluation.
in the Country. A Country Living Resources
Available for $30 from the author at:
Guide.
PAGE 8 //EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE
9. Contains over 300 descriptions of enterprises that Olson, Michael. 1991. Metro Farm: The Guide
can be pursued by rural residents. Each descrip- to Growing for Big Profit on a Small Parcel of
tion contains information on what the market Land. TS Books, Santa Cruz, CA. 520 p.
would be, how to start the business, and additional Contains information on marketing, selecting
resources on that particular business. Contains crops, organizing a business, selling, and produc-
many innovative business ideas. Available in tion. Available for $29.95 plus $5 S&H from:
electronic form only by e-mailing
<scharabo@aol.com>. Schatz Publishing Group
11950 W. Highland Ave.
Humphrey, Shirley (ed.). 1994. Small Farm Blackwell, OK 74631
Handbook. Publication SFP001. Small Farm Pro- 888-474-6397 (toll-free)
gram, University of California. 170 p. http://www.agventures.com/
Somewhat regionally specific to California, but
contains good information on finances, market- Savory, Allan and Jody Butterfield. 1998. Ho-
ing, enterprise ideas, growing crops, raising ani- listic Management: A New Framework for De-
mals, postharvest handling, alternative agricul- cision Making. Island Press, Washington, DC.
ture, labor management, and keeping the family 550 p.
farm healthy. Available for $20 from: Provides valuable information for goal setting, fi-
nancial planning and farming in tune with
Division of Agriculture and nature’s principles. Available for $30 (softcover)
Natural Resources (DANR) or $50 (hardcover) from:
University of California
6701 San Pablo Ave. The Allan Savory Center for Holistic
Oakland, CA 94608-1239 Management
800-994-8849 1010 Tijeras NW
510-642-2431 Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-842-5252
Small Farm Center. 1998. Specialty and Minor 505-843-7900 fax
Crops Handbook, 2nd ed. University of Califor- http://www.holisticmanagement.org
nia. Division of Agriculture and Natural Re-
sources, Oakland, CA. 184 p. Periodicals
Compiled and edited by scientists, University of
California Cooperative Extension advisors, and AgVentures: The Magazine of Agricultural Op-
growers, this handbook profiles 63 specialty and portunities is published bi-monthly. It features
minor crops, including information on produc- new and unusual crops and livestock to raise. It
tion and marketing. Available for $35 from is available for $21/year from:
DANR at the University of California (see ad-
dress above). AgVentures
11950 W. Highland Ave.
Thompson, Nancy C. 1994. Sustainable Agri- Blackwell, OK 74631
culture Enterprises: Opportunities for Employ- 580-628-4551
ment and Economic Development in a Sustain- 580-628-2011 fax
able Agriculture System. 21 p. http://www.agventures.com
Available for $8 ppd from: e-mail: agventures@aol.com
Center for Rural Affairs Ag Opportunities is a newsletter published by
P.O. Box 406 the Missouri Alternatives Center (MAC) that is
Walthill, NE 68067 devoted to the latest ideas and opportunities for
402-846-5428 those “who want to begin farming, diversify their
http://www.cfra.org current operations, or find ways to profit from
//EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE PAGE 9
10. small amounts of acreage.” Subscriptions cost The mission of CFAP is to support Agriculture
$10 a year (free to Missouri residents). An on- and Food Systems-based Community Develop-
line version is available free at MAC’s website ment in New York and the Northeast through
< http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac>. Contact integrated and multi-disciplinary teaching,
MAC at: research, and extension programs.
Missouri Alternatives Center NxLevel’s Alternative Agriculture series: Till-
531 Clark Hall ing the Soil of Opportunity
Columbia, MO 65211 A Training Course
573-882-1905 (No physical address)
800-433-3704 (MO only) e-mail: Info@nxlevel.org
http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac 800-873-9378
e-mail: kelld@umsystem.edu
The NxLevel agriculture program is designed to
Small Farm Today, published bi-monthly, fo- help a broad range of small to mid-sized farmers,
cuses on small farming, rural living, ranchers, food processors, distributors, retailers,
sustainability, community, and “agripreneurship.” food professionals, and others working in the agri-
The editor and staff hold an annual conference cultural sector take their business to the “next
in Columbia, Missouri (around the first week of level.” Educators in each region adapt the course
November) that concentrates on topics of con- to meet local needs. The materials used in the 10-
cern to small farmers considering diversification session course are specifically designed for those
strategies. The periodicial is available for $23.95/ searching for innovative ideas and better market-
year from: ing opportunities in the area of agriculture.
Small Farm Today Web Sites
3903 W. Ridge Trail Rd.
Clark, MO 65243-9525 Fact Sheets on Operating a Profitable Small
800-633-2535 Farm. University of Maryland.
573-687-3525 http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/frederick/
e-mail: smallfarm@socket.net pubs
Organizations Planning for Profit. British Columbia Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Center for Rural Affairs Numerous two page enterprise budgets.
P.O. Box 406 http://www.fbminet.ca/bc/budget.htm
Walthill, NE 68067
402-846-5428 Alternative Enterprises for Your Forest Land:
http://www.cfra.org Forest Grazing, Christmas Trees, Hunting
Leases, Pine Straw, Fee Fishing and Firewood.
The Center for Rural Affairs, a non-profit or- This is a 1988 publication from the University of
ganization, publishes The Beginning Farmer, Florida Extension Service.
a free quarterly newsletter. They also pub- http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/Extension/pubtxt/
lished a 118-page book entitled Resourceful cir810.htm
Farming: A Primer for Family Farmers, writ-
ten in 1987, available for $7. Missouri Alternatives Center. Links to specific
production information for numerous alternative en-
Community, Food, and Agricultural Program (CFAP) terprises.
216 Warren Hall http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-9832
http://www.CFAP.org
PAGE 10 //EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE
11. Enterprise Budget Analysis. Penn State’s Agri-
culture Alternatives website.
Sample formats are given.
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/ua258.html
Economic Analysis of a New Business—Doing
it Right. Kansas State University Cooperative
Extension Service.
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/agec2/
MF2184.PDF
By Preston Sullivan and Lane Greer
NCAT Agriculture Specialists
Edited by Paul Williams and Richard Earles
Formatted by Cynthia Arnold
062305
The electronic version of Evaluating a Rural
Enterprise is located at:
HTML
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/evalrural.html
PDF
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/evalrural.pdf
//EVALUATING A RURAL ENTERPRISE PAGE 11