Our Business Plan - Shortened

Table of Contents

· Executive summary

· Company Overview

-Vision

-Purpose and Values

·Competitor analysis

-Direct & Indirect Competitors

-Competitive Advantage

·Product & service portfolio description

·Marketing & sales strategies

·Management/leadership overview

·Conclusion

Executive Summary:

Our goal is to achieve a sustainable and diverse farm, helping restore our environment in the process. Help spread awareness in hopes to start a new “trend” that used to be the way of living.

We will have a large variety of produce all year round as well as free range meats. Compost and natural fertilizers will be for sale. Doing everything the “natural” way, which will help feed our bugs, bees, soil, and other animals/biological friends who are needed to have a healthy, happy, and sustainable farm.

We will always have room to expand, and every year we will add either more variety of animals or products like canned goods and other manure or fertilizer options.

We hit a large age group, as everyone loves good healthy food, sustainable practices, and food security, which is what we will offer. We will be accessible to many by having both the opportunity for people to come to our farm to buy the products available (which even the kids will enjoy as they get to see animals while their parents buy food for dinner), as well as going out to Farmer markets and online sites to buy from.

Every year we will continue to grow, all while cutting yearly cost as the farm will just keep getting increasingly more sustainable as time goes on.

We will eventually have job opportunities available, for anyone who is knowledgeable or wants to learn. We want to share where we started and where we plan to go. We want more people taking a step into the farming lifestyle and help spread knowledge and awareness that if things do not change, there will be repercussions.

Vision Statement:

Our vision is to make a sustainable traditional farm with modern elements. Being self-sustainable and natural in the growing of fruits and vegetables will add rejuvenation of the soil, making compost tea, vegetation compost, worm compost, and lastly chicken manure compost, which will occur in the third year of operating.

A greenhouse will be utilized to extend the growing season and income potential. In the greenhouse we will have honeybees, bumble bees and ladybugs. This will increase pollination and decrease aphids. Additionally, there will be an outdoor garden and fruit trees as well as fruit tree propagation for sale. Our livestock (which will only be chicken in the first year, then cows, goats, sheep etc. in following years) will all be raised humanely which will offer income potential, pest control, and composting elements.

We strive to become respected members of our farming community and engage with them to learn from their expertise, while we continue to grow our bottom line.

Purpose and Values:

The most important objective in our lives is to change the way food is produced, which will ensure farming is sustainable for present and future generations. As we establish ourselves, we will purchase and create a sustainable traditional farm while we implement modern elements. We want diversity and will not build another monoculture; our farm will be fully operational year-round and offer a variety of opportunities for income throughout the year.

We value traditional holistic methods of propagating food and raising livestock, as well as ensuring the longevity of the environment. This in turn will provide a higher nutritional value to our consumers for better health. We define personal success as living true to our values on a daily basis.

The key benefits that our customers will enjoy are non-genetically modified food, natural fertilizers, and heritage seeds. Additionally, the education aspect of our knowledge of growing and raising animals in a way that coincides with the environment for a sustainable ecosystem.

Competitors:

1) (Small) Family Farms in the area: most similar to us but still mainly based on monocultures and rarely year-round operations.

Their Strengths: they are established in the area and have relations with the community.

Weaknesses: as of 2017 the average Canadian farmer is 55 years old, and most are 55-59 years of age. Many are going to retire or not be able to run their farms for much longer, as well the younger generations of said family are not going to want to take over, resorting to farms having to close or be sold. In the UN 180 000 people move from rural areas to the city a day. 68% of the world population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050.

2) (Mid-Size) Monoculture Farms: hard to differentiate from family farms in terms of market share

Strengths: Reasonably priced for sole product. Less overhead in terms of equipment, as less tools are required with only one product/produce.

Weaknesses: not as environmentally conscious. Few relationships in the community, as most products are shipped out of the country. Bee traffic is decreased, as they have less pollinating time due to the short flowering time of having one product.

3) (Large) Corporations: Majority of market share.

Strengths: Large and consistent availability of products.

Weaknesses: No community relations. High likelihood of genetically modified foods. Less environmentally friendly.

Which of my competitors' weaknesses can I improve upon? What will I do to protect my business against the competition to win customers?

The weakness of not operating on an annual basis will be countered as our farm will be offering products all year long. The weakness of providing one product (monocultures) will not be an issue with our farm as we have multiple income streams from our diversified product offerings. The diversity of our products has various times in season, which creates a sustainable production in our produce. The sustainability of our production will foster the natural habitats of the ecosystem making us a more environmentally friendly farm. All these practices tie into our competitive advantage of providing a sustainable, natural variety of products on an annual basis. By offering a variety of fresh products on an annual basis in conjunction with our education and passion, our customers will resonate with our mission. Thus, building a strong customer following.

Our Competitive Advantage is cost leadership. Producing our own soil, natural fertilizers, feed for chickens, composts, and the input products from other expansions, keeping our annual cost low. By operating annually, we will provide consistency to our consumers, which will build brand loyalty. Having this ongoing loyalty will keep our costs lower as we will sell more volume. Lastly, the vertical integration of all revenue streams will lower our bottom end, as they are interdependent.

Products and Services:

Products:

·Fresh produce with year-round access

·Heirloom/Open Pollinated seeds

·Fresh Meat- Chicken, Beef and Pork (by the 3rd -5th year)

·Fresh Eggs

·Natural fertilizers and Compost teas

·Compost & Manures

·Fruit trees, ornamental and seedlings

·Canned goods and smoked meats

Services:

·Campsite

·Wedding Ceremonies

·School Field Trips/Tours

·Consultations and Landscape/Garden Design Services

Farm to Table/Marketing strategies.

Our primary method of promoting our business will be through word of mouth and through the connections we have made over these past few decades. We will inform our customers of such and ask that they tell their friends and family about our business. Secondly, we will be promoting the business weekly at farmer’s markets selling our products and spreading awareness. Thirdly, our farm has its own business Facebook, Blog and Instagram page.

·Selling at Farmers Markets once a week

·CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes/Subscriptions

·On property fruit stand – 3 days a week for 1-3 hours each day

·As well through online sales

Management/leadership overview

Brittany is a Certified Landscape Horticulturist, currently attending her Greenhouse Technician Certificate. She also plans to get her agricultural diploma within the next five years. She has a decade of experience with growing and caring for plants. Culinary experience of three years in a restaurant environment. She also has many other certificates such as, Forklift class 5, Food safe level one, First aid level one, ladder and scaffolding safety, and WHMIS. Brittany also has a year of Heavy-duty mechanic experience, which will be useful in maintaining farm equipment and much more experience with her own vehicles.

Brittany has lived on farms three times for a total of three years. Six months on a chicken farm, eight months on a cow and chicken farm and the remaining time on a hay, chicken, cow and pig farm. She has maintained and operated a quarter of an acre Garden, as well she currently has two indoor greenhouses with edible and ornamental plants growing.

She will oversee the health and well being of all the plants and animals. As well as churning the natural fertilizers, posting on social media, promoting the business at farmer’s markets, and selling at the storefront.

Jeff has the two years of millwrighting, which provides experience and knowledge in installing, maintaining, and fixing equipment. Pumps, motors, hydraulics, conveyor belts, welding, and metal fabrication. He has ten years of carpentry experience, which provides the knowledge of building and maintaining the buildings and structures of the farm as well as operating heavy equipment such as telehandler, aerial work platform, loader, skid steer and excavators. Jeff will be responsible with planning the construction and upkeep of buildings, as well as maintaining tools and equipment.

Both will be responsible for everyday farming procedures example: checking for any leaks in irrigation, any burnt out light bulbs, feeding livestock, etc.

Conclusion

Climate change is affecting farmers across the globe the ability to grow the food we need to feed the expected 9.7 billion population expected in 2050. Increasing unpredictability of weather and more extreme events – like fires, floods, droughts, and change in the growing seasons. Theses limit the availability of water, allow weeds, pests, and disease to thrive, which can reduce the crop productivity.

Desertification is the gradual degrade in habitable land that eventually turns into a dessert. It involves both the physical loss (erosion) and the reduction in quality of topsoil associated with nutrient decline and contamination (from pesticides, and chemical fertilizers). Soil erosion is reducing the amount of land available for agriculture the world, it is estimated we are losing 12 hectares a year of valuable land. Common practices such as tilling the land are also factors in the depleted lands it also plays a huge factor in adding CO2 back into the atmosphere.

The massive decline in diversity of crops is affecting the pollinators, which then leads to poor pollination of crops resulting in less food production. Farmers are under pressure to conserve water and use fewer agricultural inputs, but without the knowledge or resources to do so.

There are also the questions: who is going to farm in the future? Can I get enough staff to help me build and expand? Millions of people from rural areas move to cities each year, 180 000 people leave these rural communities every day. Farmers need to inspire enough of them to remain and build a career in agriculture.

Agritech (Agriculture Technology) are finding ways to increase crop productivity and lessen the labor needed in both the field, greenhouses and with Vertical farms to help feed to growing population, however these new and innovated technologies are not helping to solve Climate change. Unless we resolve these issues to fix our food insecurities by changing the ways we do farming, there will not be enough food to feed the world.

I strongly believe I can help solve these issues, help build a more sustainable environment around me, strengthen food security, and save “The Birds and The Bees”. If you would like to help and support me in my dreams/Goals. Please contact me for more information and to further discuss becoming a part of this rejuvenation project.