The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook by Richard Wiswall Summary

The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook provides a practical guide to running a profitable organic farm through efficient financial planning, crop management, and staff oversight. It emphasizes "farming smarter, not harder," with step-by-step strategies for budgeting, marketing, and operational workflows. The book includes downloadable tools like crop budget templates and payroll calculators to streamline farm management.

This book is essential for organic farmers, those transitioning to organic practices, and agricultural students seeking real-world business strategies. It’s also valuable for farm managers aiming to improve profitability or streamline operations using Wiswall’s tested frameworks for financial tracking and employee management.

Yes, reviewers praise its actionable advice for avoiding common financial pitfalls and improving farm efficiency. Farmers credit Wiswall’s templates, such as crop budgets and cash-flow projections, for simplifying complex tasks. The focus on balancing ecological sustainability with profitability makes it a standout resource.

Wiswall provides tools like customizable Excel spreadsheets for tracking expenses, projecting cash flow, and analyzing crop profitability. He stresses focusing on net profit over gross sales, offering frameworks to prioritize high-margin crops and reduce unnecessary costs. Case studies from his 27 years at Cate Farm illustrate these principles in action.

The book advises clearly defining roles, using timesheet templates, and implementing fair pay structures. Wiswall highlights the importance of balancing fieldwork with administrative tasks, advocating for regular staff feedback and streamlined communication to reduce burnout.

Key ideas include:

• “Farm smarter, not harder”: Prioritize efficiency over sheer effort.
• Profit-first mindset: Use crop budgets to identify high-value crops.
• Long-term planning: Allocate profits for investments, retirement, and risk management.

Yes, a companion CD (or downloadable toolkit) offers payroll calculators, crop budget templates for 40+ crops, tax planners, and sample job descriptions. These resources help farmers automate financial tracking and reduce administrative time.

He warns against neglecting financial planning, overprioritizing gross sales, and underestimating labor costs. Many farmers fail to separate business and personal finances, leading to cash-flow issues.

It suggests diversifying sales channels, such as wholesalers, farmers' markets, and CSAs. Wiswall advises conducting market research to align crop choices with local demand and avoid surplus.

He argues profitability stems from meticulous planning, not just hard work. By tracking expenses per crop and eliminating low-margin products, farmers can achieve sustainable profits without expanding scale.

Unlike guides focused solely on cultivation, Wiswall’s handbook merges agricultural expertise with business management—a gap many farmers struggle with. Its emphasis on financial tools and real-life case studies sets it apart.

With rising interest in sustainable agriculture, the book’s frameworks help farmers navigate volatile markets and climate challenges. Its profit-focused strategies remain critical for small-scale operations competing in corporate-dominated supply chains.