Agriculture > Agriculture Business Management
"Profits Preserve Passion" - Economic sustainability is key to the longevity of any ag enterprise.
All aspects of business management are crucial to reaching your goals in commercial agriculture.
It all starts with good planning and recordkeeping.
"Control the Controllables" - Risk management on a variety of small business issues is
also critical to keeping a small farm profitable over the long term. You can't control the weather, but
you can control how you manage your ag business.
You will also need Adobe Reader for opening pdf files.
Colorado State University Extension Ag Business Management Resources
- Strategic Planning
- Custom Rates Survey
- Enterprise Budgets
- Risk Management
- Tax Management
- Financial Ratios
- Business Organizational Structure
- And More
More Ag Business Management Resources
| Business Planning | Labor | Regulatory |
| Estate Planning | Recordkeeping | AgrAbility (physical accessibilty) |
| Marketing | Leasing | Prices |
| Food Systems and Policy | Financing | Taxes |
| Insurance |
Business Planning
Colorado Building Farmers program
“Building a Sustainable Business” entire publication: http://www.sare.org/publications/all_pubs.htm;
BSB sections found at: http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bizplan.html
Ag Plan - online business plan tool - https://www.agplan.umn.edu/ and register for Ag Plan and select an "Ag -Value Added" template
CSU Extension Ag Production and Farm Management factsheets
ATTRA - business planning and management factsheets
Colorado Business Resource Guide - Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Colorado Bar Assoc - for legal advice relevant to Colorado
Bradford Publishing - for legal forms relevant to Colorado
Estate Planning
Marketing
General
CSU Extension Ag Marketing factsheets
Colorado Department of Ag - Markets Division
Colorado Market Maker - list your ag product in this online searchable database
Direct Marketing and Value Added
2010 Colorado Farmers Market Association survey
Colorado Farmers' Market Association
Boulder County Farmers' Markets
ATTRA - marketing factsheets
North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association
Community Supported Agriculture
USDA AMS Grading Standards for fruits and vegetables
USDA AMS Farmers Markets and Local Food Marketing
Publications
Bountiful Colorado - Flyer - Poster
Direct Marketing Resource Guide
Challenges and Opportunities For Marketing Fruit From The Western Slope of Colorado, 2001
Market Reports
CSU Extension ABM fresh produce and meat market reports
Commodity Market Reports (scroll down for hay)
AMS Market Reports (includes wholesale prices for organic)
Food Systems and Policy
CSU Extension Ag Policy factsheets
Boulder County Food and Ag Policy Council
CSU Food Systems and Ag Policy
Insurance
Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance
Labor
CSU Extension Ag Labor factsheets
Ag Help Wanted - guidelines for managing ag labor
Postive Practices in Farm Labor Management
Recordkeeping
Quickbooks can be a great tool for tracking farm expenses and incomes and generating financial reports
Leasing
Leasing from Boulder County Parks and Open Space
CSU Extension Ag Lease factsheets
Holding Ground - book with lease considerations
Financing
CSU Extension Ag Finance factsheets
Colorado Agricultural Development Authority Beginning Farmer Program
The Farmers' Guide to Agricultural Credit (4.5 MB and 45 pages)
Taxes
Regulatory
Boulder County Public Health Department
Colorado Department of Health and the Environment
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) - CSU - Colorado Department of Ag - Cornell - UC Davis - Michigan Extension - USDA AMS
Northern Colorado and Denver Metro Farmers Market Prices
2011 reports can be view at the CSU Extension Agribusiness Mangement website under Market Reports
2010 by report release dates - August 13 - August 24 - September 15 - September 22 - October 6 - October 9