Description
Market Farm Strategic Plan
Note that this is a hypothetical exercise and will probably involve some imagination and creativity on several points. The structure is based on the concept of “whole farm planning,” or holistic planning systems which drew on publications by Elizabeth Henderson and Karl North as well as Allan Savory, with reference to the SARE publication Building a Sustainable Business. You can use that guide with worksheets if you wish to clarify things like values and mission statements, situation analysis, etc. You will not be graded on the reality of the enterprise but rather on your ability to apply principles learned in this class to think through the various issues and provide a practical, complete plan. 100 points possible
Introduction
Cover sheet: name, address, phone of the farm operator
Jon Rhodes, 108 SE Lexington Circle Blue Springs, Missouri, #868820208
Location (include important attributes: acreage, soil, and water, rent or own, lease or mortgage, other relevant characteristics)
Grain Valley Missouri, Less than two acres, small access to a pond on the property, owned by the family. Partially treed, Sloped from north to south 5-7%. Classified as farmland.
Values statement
Meaningful gain working on the land and providing food for our family.
Holistic Goals
Goals
A small vegetable garden to provide for my immediate family and relatives. Have family and relatives help assist on the farm and help install values while teaching our children a valuable lesson.
Quality of Life: what kind of life are you interested in, short and long term?
Forms of Production: what kind of production space and time would meet your goals?
Future Resource Base: what will you, your land, and your community be like in the long run?
Our land shall be passed through our family in hopes that it will be run continuously ran and grown within the family.
Mission Statement: One or two statements defining the purpose of the farm and what it will be known for
Situation Analysis: what is the current situation of your farm:
We currently have one small plot, approximately 25' deep by 50' long.
Physical and production resources
Human resources: skills and workforce
Current skills are from several family horticulturists and experiences from many years of growing small gardens.
Financial resources
Contributed from each adult member of the family, and a resource from the income of selling hay from another part of the property. Missouri farmer grants?
Existing marketing (products and methods)
We will not market, being that we will not be selling our product.
SWOT Analysis: internal and external for each
Strengths
Weaknesses/limitations: Limitations are there is not much room to grow and expand
Opportunities: Eventually grow and sell at local CSA
Threats: Native animals
Strategies
Scenarios: What will you produce and how will you market?
Produce Vegetables, Collards, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Tomatoes, Jalapeno, Bell Peppers, Onions. etc basically what our family needs.
Strategies
Marketing-Possibly weekend roadside stands on the property.
Marketing method: wholesale or retail, roadside stand, farmers market, value-added products, CSA, or some combination?
Primary customers
Family
Human Resources
Immediate family and other close family members
Management: who does what, your managerial training and experience
Jon Rhodes-overall maintenance, management of the farm.
Bryan Montez-assist with an overall maintenance
Marlana Rhodes- Planting, harvesting, Budget analysis
Pat and Bob Montez-Tillage, harvesting,
Manny Montez-weekly weeding and irrigation
Carlos Montez-weekly weeding and irrigation
Diego Montez-weekly weeding and irrigation
Chloe Rhodes-harvesting
Faith Rhodes-planting, harvest
Tanner Rhodes-planting, weeding
Personnel: current and future partners and/or employees, pay rates, training, and benefits, supervision
Finances
Assets: available and needed (facilities, equipment, or property improvements)
Property with pond and barn, farm tractor, farm truck, home on the property, Skidsteer, mowers, planters, spreaders, tillers, cultivators.
Sources of funds and how they will be used
Profit/loss goals for first 2 years
We expected a loss due to no future plan of selling our produce.
Income from selling hay will help supplement
This is basically a business plan for a local small farm that I plan on starting. The size of the property is 5 acres. 3 of which are used for selling hay, approximately an acre with the house, barn, and pond. Which leaves us with approximately 1 acre for the farm. We own the property and has been in our family for 40 years. Part of the property has a small pond and barn. The barn is currently in use for my lawn and landscape business but has plenty of room for other materials and equipment.
Sample Solution