The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook Reviewed

The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook: The Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops and Staff – and Making a Profit is by Vermont farmer Richard Wiswall. As Wiswall states, ‚”The biggest fallacy in farming is that there is no money in it.” Throughout this book Wiswall breaks down that myth for organic farmers with common sense and practical tools.

Organic Agriculture Business

Wiswall begins by illustrating life in the organic agriculture business. He relates his version of a perfectly run dairy farm where true sustainability is using what is freely available in nature to generate one’s definition of wealth. Subsequent chapters discuss more traditional farm management topics; farm profit versus production, crop enterprise budgets, and marketing strategies.

It is the inclusion of information on community-supported agriculture programs and the difference in production efficiencies related to organic farming that should make this handbook a focus for organic farmers. Other discussions cover row spacing, precise tractor cultivation and weed control.

Wiswall’s business writing is not without a sense of humor. It is found throughout the handbook; at one point the reader finds a section subtitled, ‚”Kill Your Rototiller.” Further on chiding himself for leaving the greenhouse door open, allowing the deer to walk in and eat off the benches at night, Wiswall advises his audience on how to train deer.

Vegetable Farm Crop Enterprise Budgets

Readers will find the Vegetable Farm Crop Enterprise Budgets in the appendix and on the computer disk. Also on the computer disk are business spreadsheets, comprehensive crop budgets and other office management tools geared towards the organic agriculture business.

Vermont Author

Richard Wiswall is a Vermont author who, along with his family, has operated Cate Farm in East Montpelier since 1981. Wiswall writes and speaks on organic farm issues and farm profitability.

Cate Farm is a certified organic farm with 22 cultivated acres and seven 100-foot long greenhouses. The family farm specializes in vegetables, medicinal herbs and flowers.

Organic Farm Business Book

The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff – and Making a Profit was written by Richard Wiswall and published by Chelsea Green Publishing Company in October 2009. The soft cover book has 200 print pages and a companion CD. Organic farmers interested in locating this book can use USBN 9781603581424.

Chelsea Green Publishing is a member of the Green Press Initiative. It is a nonprofit program dedicated to supporting authors, publishers, and suppliers efforts at reducing the use of fiber obtained from endangered forests.

Vegetable growers may be interested in reading Fresh Food from Small Spaces by R. J. Ruppenthal, another Chelsea Green Publishing book.