By Amy Rose, edited by Barbara Adams. Wondering how to start a small farm? Re-creating an established farm? Both the aspiring and existing micro and small farming communities can have good reasons to write business plans. But writing business plans for the urban farm, rural micro farm, or those involved in very small farming is different than the conventional larger farm business plan. This article gives the steps it takes for writing business plans specifically for those involved in micro and small farming. It may also be applicable to other home based business and micro enterprises.

The farm business plan is a remarkable tool that focuses your energy and resources. It's like a customized, personalized roadmap that points to success and helps you see kinks and minor problems upfront so you can work them out on paper before plunging in. Farm business plans can re-organize, revitalize and help those already established in micro farming and small farming to clear the cobwebs, progress and expand their bottom line. (This article is © and written for www.microecofarming.com). And sometimes, farm business plans are needed to secure grant or loan money for the farm venture.

Step 1. Write business plans for specific reasons.

Decide upfront if the farm business plan is meant to create a personal roadmap to start a small farm, to add a new business segment to a current small farming enterprise (such as to add an agritourism element to a current market garden), or to convince a grant or loan service to offer funds for the farming venture. (This article is © and written for www.microecofarming.com) People can write business plans for more than one reason. For example, someone aspiring to start a small farm may want their own farm business plan to direct their own personal activity, and then a customized offshoot of that original farm business plan to present to grant or loan services. Some may even want an extra farm business plan written just to show extended friends and family what they're doing and to convince them to support the enterprise.

Step 2. Look over free sample business plans

Once the target of the farm business plan (or plans) is understood and clear in your mind, read free sample business plans as a way to ignite the deeper understanding for writing business plans. It can be overwhelming to see many examples without a clear vision first of your own farm business plan needs in your mind. But once you have that target for your farm business plan, as you look over free sample business plans, your mind will automatically start to edit what is and isn't appropriate for your farm business plan. Free sample business plans are rare for micro eco-farming and the small farming venture that overlaps with micro eco-farming. Most free sample business plans for farms are for larger conventional agribusiness. Because of this, be sure to look over free sample business plans for various micro enterprises, small home businesses, and especially any home based food business plans you can find. Go ahead and look over the occasional conventional farm business plan as well. The combination of conventional farm business plans along with home business and micro enterprise plans will give you a good education and foundation for writing your own custom farm business plan. (This article is © and written for www.microecofarming.com)

Links and Searches for free sample business plans include:

• Small winery from Cornell University
• Beekeeper example from Farm Centre, Canada
• Various free sample business plans including healing centers and small manufacturing: Search BPlans.com
• Four-acre micro farm herb business
• Ongoing source of various farm business plan samples: Search The Farms Beginning Program in Minnesota
• Huge assortment of many types of free sample business plans: The Business Plans Handbook (large expensive reference book, see if your public library has it or has a subscription to the online version for you to access from the library)

Step 3: Understand the differences in writing business plans for the micro farming and small farming communities vs. larger agribusiness

Every micro eco-farm, from the backyard urban farm to rural micro eco-farms (a fraction of an acre to 20+ acres) to those that overlap and enter into small farming size (20+ to 100 acres) is different. But in general, micro and small farming business plans usually call for less large-scale equipment leasing, maintenance and purchase, and less considerations for hiring large numbers of employees. However, unlike many conventional agribusiness plans which sell to a single established large national or international market, the micro farm business plan must have a solid, customized marketing plan for how the micro farm will reach and deliver its unique, local, seasonal, artisan or specialty crops to its own community or online niche market. (This article is © and written for www.microecofarming.com)

Step 4: Find free or low-cost help for writing business plans

Free online tutorials for writing business plans: When it's time to actually write business plans for your small farm enterprise, free online tutorials for writing business plans are available at: SCORE.org, and at (Small Business Administration) SBA.gov.

Free direct personal assistance for writing business plans: Free real life one-on-one mentors for writing business plans can be found through SCORE.org. Also, sometimes your local cooperative extension can give one-on-one assistance in writing your farm business plan. (This article is © and written for www.microecofarming.com)

Free or low cost live classes and workshops for writing business plans: You can also check with your local cooperative extension agent, your local SBA office, or your closest community college continuing education department to see if any classes or workshops for writing business plans are coming up. Business plan writing courses through the first source would be targeted to farm business plans. Courses through the first two are sometimes free or very low cost. There may be a higher (but probably still modest) fee for courses on writing business plans via a community college.

The book, Building a Sustainable Business: a Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses is offered by the University of Vermont, and is described by ATTRA and SARE in this way: "helps alternative and sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs to develop profitable enterprises. Sample worksheets illustrate how real farm families set goals, researched processing alternatives, determined potential markets, and evaluated financing options. Blank worksheets help producers to develop detailed, lender-ready business plans and map out strategies to take advantage of new opportunities."

Print copies cost $14 (plus $3.95 shipping and handling, see address below).
Free online copies can be found at: or the publication is available free of charge by clicking here.

Order print copies: (Since price changes can happen without notice, you may want to call to make sure this publication's price is still the same. Then send the amount needed, being sure to indicate the exact name of the publication).

Sustainable Agriculture Publications
210 Hills Building
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405-0082
802-656-0484
802-656-9091 FAX
sanpubs@uvm.edu