5+ SAMPLE Small Farm Business Plan

What is a Small Farm Business Plan?

A small farm business plan is a document that states the project plan about a small farm business. It contains all the plans of the entrepreneurs for their farm business. It is specifically catered to small farm businesses. Some of its examples are small cattle farm business plan, small poultry farm business plan, small dairy farm business plan, small goat farm business plan, small solar farm business plan, small beef farm business plan, small mushroom farm business plan, and small pig farm business plan. The business plan has detailed descriptions about the farming business. It can be a good document that is used in getting investors and customers. One just has to see the business plan and they could have an idea on what the business is all about and how it is doing. The extent of your business can be measured on the business plan. It can also be used as you run your business. You can follow the plans that you have written in it, and it can be a pattern for all your decisions. Goals and objectives are needed in starting small farm business plan. You should have some purpose that you will soon achieve as you conduct your business. Your goals can be materialized after you observe the things that you have written in the small farm business plan. By following it as a roadmap, you may run your business in a good and prosperous way.

Examples of Small Farm Businesses

Some farmers or entrepreneurs has only something small to start with. In the field of sustainable agriculture, they might have a small capital that can be used in livestock farming, goat farming, or vegetable farming. But if you only have a small capital, what small farm businesses can be available for you to have? Well, here are small farm businesses that you can consider to start in your farm:

Fruit Farming: This kind of farming is the producing of fruit crops which can serve as foods for people. It deals with culturing of perennial plants. Fruit is defined as the fleshy or ripened, edible food around the seed of the plant. Fruit farming can have a steady yield when the climate is good. One of the technology that can be used in producing this kind of farming is propagation. The examples of the crops are grape, fig, olive, currant, blueberry, strawberry, black raspberry, apple, pear, peach, mango, and citrus. You just have to remember that with this farming, labour cost a lot for production. You should also wait for one or two years before you can have your first harvest. You can have variety in productivity if you can have some ways in cultivation.Fish Farming: Fish farming is an aquaculture where fish are produced in enclosures. These are sold as human food. Today, it is a widely known way of food production. Athough the raising is artificial, the fishes that are produced in the fish farming are consumed globally. The most common species that are produced in a fish farm are tilapia, cod, salmon, tuna, catfish, halibut, and trout. The research in United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows that 32% of fish in the world is overused. Because it needs rebuilding, the use of fish farming can be the solution. Though, the farm produces pollutants and can damage the ecosystem. But still, this is one good business for a small farm. You can have a great harvest with just a small space of land.Dairy Farming: This is a branch of agriculture that deals with raising and use of dairy animals. The primary livestock for this farming are cows. They are raised to produce milk. Milk is the main source of profit for this small farm business. Other animals that can be raised are water buffalo, goat, or donkey. The common dairy cows are Jersey, Ayrshire, and Guernsey. Breeding of dairy cows has been used for years. Farmers mate cows to make the milk better and to have butterfat production. Though, in dairy farming, you need a considerable amount of land because the cows feed on pasture. But this business is surely profitable because milk is expensive.Tree Nursery: With this farming, you need to grow trees seedling that you can later sell. Many big farms need young trees that they can plan in their farms. You can have a small farm that can provide this need. What you need to do is to plant the seedlings into nursery where they can grow a little until someone buys them. You need a flat ground with a good water source with this kind of produce. Your soil must be fertile and there should be no intruders to your farm. You need a good caretaker that can manage the tree nursery. The place for growing must not be cold and you can use germination. You can use either a seed bed or a pot bed.Crop Farming: Crop farming is the production of plants that can be used for food or commercial purposes. There are many techniques that can be used in producing crops. This is a common farm business that entrepreneurs enter through a family business. Some who makes this as a business are experienced farmers or those who earned a degree in agriculture. The profits can be unpredictable which can put some stress to farmers. But still, this is one kind of farm business that many farmers have. Some of the crops that can be grown are rice, wheat, and vegetables. Plants like alfalfa is also a possible crop that can be produced. There are also crops that can be used as sources such as fiber, fuel, and dyes.Herb Gardening: There are many herbs now that can be used in cooking. It makes a better fine dining. Farmers can plant herbs and make this as a small farm business. You just have to know what herbs are easy to be sold. Knowing this can make you succeed because you can have a great profit. Many homes used herbs in cooking, now that there are a lot of recipes that needs different herbs. In addition, you do not have to have a green thumb to produce herbs. It grows so easily without you managing it so much. It can be good for you especially if you are saving money that can be spend in labor.Vegetable Farming: This kind of farming is the production of vegetable crops which can be used for food. Vegetable means the edible part of the herbaceous plant. It can be eaten fresh or cooked. Some of the produce in vegetable farming are spinach, cabbage, parsley, sweet potato, carrot, taro, potato, asparagus, celery, garlic, onion, corn, eggplant, tomato, and broccoli. Mechanized farms in rich countries use technology in producing these crops. Vegetable farming produces vegetables that can be sold in fresh markets or can be used in canning. It can also produce seeds that can be used in seed planting.Mushroom Farming: Mushrooms are good to cultivate. It grows so easily so you can ensure good profit. This is good for a small farm because it only requires a small space for it to grow. It can grow wild and will still grow even with the worst conditions. You can maximize its production and you can become a continuous supplier to people who need it. Some of its examples are oyster and shiitake. You can have it to grow indoor but still you can have a big harvest. In 6 weeks, you can see its fruits. You can harvest 80 pounds per square meter. And you can sell it for $13 per pound.

How to Write a Small Farm Business Plan

Are you looking for small farm business plan example or small farm business plan template because you need to make a business plan for your small farm? Are wondering what a small farm business plan contains? Writing a small farm business plan may seem challenging. Even if you know how to start a small farm business, you may lack the skills in writing a business plan for it. Here, you can have some steps that you can use in writing a small farm business plan:

Step 1: Make an introduction.

In the introduction, you must tell what your business is all about. Introduce the business owners and tell a short story about them. State their level of experience. Through the introduction, you must give a small hint to the readers why your business plan is interesting. Use sentences that can capture interests.

Step 2: Have an executive summary.

Make an executive summary. Remember that it is a business profile that what investors are mainly looking for. If they do not want your executive summary, they might not read the whole document. So, be careful in making the executive summary. You have to make it great. Give a definition about your product and tell how you accomplish things. An executive summary is a good tool on how you can communicate to investors and customers. Use this to have an opportunity to get your business needs.

Step 3: State some goals.

You need to be objective. Tell your goals for the small farm. Just make sure that these goals are realistic or possible to achieve. Your goals can tell your purpose. If you have a good goal, it may be attractive for the investors or customers. Let them know your objectives so they will know that your business is a productive business where they will not waste their efforts.

Step 4: Tell a mission statement.

Aside from your goals and objectives, you must include a mission statement and a vision statement for your small farm business plan. You must show your values because it could mean your sustainability. You can draw people by telling your missions and visions. If you have particular qualities or standards, it is not wrong to mention them because it can introduce your business further. It is one way of showing how you can do farm management.

Step 5: Mention the history of business.

It will not be wrong if you will state a brief description about the history of your business. You may tell a story where your business came from. You may tell if your family has the farms for years. You may tell if you have bought it from another farmer. You can also share a story about your farm that can be interesting for the readers.

Step 6: State the company background.

Since the business is small, you must tell what type of business you have. You can tell if it is a startup. Give a brief description about the background of your company. Introduce your company in a few sentences.

Step 7: Cite things about competition.

It will be respectful of you if you will tell who your competitors are. Make a brief competitor analysis that can state how your business can stand out among the rest. You can briefly tell the assets of your company against your competitors.

Step 8: Provide a market analysis.

Tell your target market. You must also state your marketing plan or marketing strategy. Target market is very important because it is where you will sell your produce. Be sure that you can provide a solid market analysis for your small farm business plan.

Step 9: Give a description for your farm products.

The most important is how you can describe your farm products. Make a good presentation for this. You must also ascertain that your products have a good price. Make good packages or discounts for your products if possible. On the top of this section, you must put your best product first so that it can attract customers.

Step 10: Put organizational procedures.

You must explain the operational processes in your small farm. Tell things about your management. Introduce your key laborers and most skilled workers. Explain the whole procedure how your farm accomplish all its produce.

Step 11: Tackle financial projections.

Another thing in a small farm business plan is the financial analysis. You must state your financial projections and financial strategy. This is important in business because it will tell how you can profit from it.

FAQs

How Much is the Profit of a Small Farm?

The usual profit of a small farm is $50000 annually. This is possible with farms having 180 acres. Small farms are becoming lucrative and becoming a good business opportunity. So, if you have a certain amount of land, it is advisable to make it a farm so that you can have a good profit.

How Much Do I Need to Start a Farm?

You may need $600 – $10000. The need will vary according to the location of the farm, the size of the farm, the farm products, the cost of equipment, and the cost of labor. It is advisable that you make a small farm business plan first to assess everything that you need.

If you have a certain amount of land, why would you not convert it to a small farm? You can have a good harvest that can bring you profits. But before you start your business, you must make a small farm business plan that can be your roadmap to success. Are you decided now to start a farm? Well, this post can help you to make a small farm business plan. It has 5+ SAMPLE Small Farm Business Plan in PDF. You can choose a template and start making a business plan for your small farm. Do not think twice. Download now!