The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff - and Making a Profit

Every farmer--organic or not, beginner or experienced--should read this book."--Lynn Byczynski, editor and publisher of Growing for Market, a journal of news and ideas for local food producers"Many people become organic farmers because they love growing crops and working the land, but truth be told that's often the easy part. He argues that farmers should be well-compensated, and then he shows how to make that happen. This is a book that I will recommend to ANY farmer regardless of how long he or she has been in business. Farmers old and new will find great practical benefit from Wiswall's book."--Andrew Brait, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA"How could anyone hope to produce a business guidebook useful to one of the most diverse, independent, even contrary groups of people on earth? This essential book is overdue! While the princi

Known for his work on farm profitability and appropriate business tools, Wiswall consults with other farmers, and writes and speaks frequently on organic-farm business issues. Richard Wiswall started Cate Farm in East Montpelier, Vermont, where he has farmed since 1981. He is the author of book The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook and Business Advice for Organic Farmers, a practical workshop available on DVD. To lea

"Good information but it's not about organic farming" according to Philip Hopkins. I bought this book at a pretty high price looking for some advice about profitability unique to organic farming. Unfortunately the title is misleading in that regard. The book is about the business aspect of farming in general and the author throws in the word organic now and then. For example, I would like to know about the costs specific to purchasing OMRI approved products for pest and disease control, none of which were mentioned.The author goes a little far afield in writing of acc. Excellent resource for the beginning farmer!!! Plain and Simple For the beginning/want-to-be farmer this book is priceless!!! It answered many of our questions regarding what it means to be a farmer and helped us to develop the 'farm as a business' perspective, especially with respect to taxes, keeping track of farm income/expenses, plugging leaks, etc. The author presented a very simple and excellent method for keeping up with these necessary details. The example worksheets for budgeting/tracking the productivity of various farming ventures, discus. "Start here! Before you plant!" according to Judith Challis. Here you have the nuts and bolts no one tells you about. From figuring out your vision and what you want out of life to balancing your profit and loss this book covers it all. It is also very readable. Many books that address the practical aspects of life put you to sleep before you can glean much information from them, but not this one.

Farming offers fundamental satisfaction from producing food, working outdoors, being one’s own boss, and working intimately with nature. But, unfortunately, many farmers avoid learning about the business end of farming; because of this, they often work harder than they need to, or quit farming altogether because of frustrating—and often avoidable—losses.In this comprehensive business kit, Wiswall covers:Step-by-step procedures to make your crop production more efficientAdvice on managing employees, farm operations, and office systemsNovel marketing strategiesWhat to do with your profits: business spending, investing, and planning for retirementA companion CD offers valuable business tools, including easy-to-use spreadsheets for projecting cash flow, a payroll calculator, comprehensive crop budgets for forty different crops, and tax planners.. From his twenty-seven years of experience at Cate Farm in Vermont, Wiswall knows firsthand the joys of starting and operating an organic farm—as well as the challenges of making a living from one. What&rsqu