Farm Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Farm Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your farm business plan.

We have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their farms.

Below are links to each section of a small farm business plan template. It can be used to create a vegetable farm business plan, fruit farm business plan, agriculture farm business plans or many other types of rural businesses.

Sample Business Plan For Farms & Agricultural Businesses

  1. Executive Summary – The Executive Summary is the most important part of your business plan. It is a brief description of your farm, its products and services, potential market opportunity, and competitive advantage.
  2. Company Overview – Also called the Company Analysis, here, you will provide a detailed description of your agriculture business history, its products and other services, and business structure.
  3. Industry Analysis – In the Industry Analysis, you will provide an in-depth analysis of the industry in which your farm operates including industry trends, market size and growth, and government regulations.
  4. Customer Analysis – In the Customer Analysis, you will identify your target market and provide insights into their purchasing habits. You will also create customer segments and discuss your marketing strategy for reaching them.
  5. Competitive Analysis – In the Competitive Analysis, you will identify your direct competition and provide insights into their strengths and weaknesses. You will also discuss your competitive advantage and how you plan to stay ahead of the competition.
  6. Marketing Plan – The Marketing Plan includes a discussion of your marketing strategy and tactics along with your pricing strategy. You will also provide a budget for your marketing activities including attending farmers’ markets or advertising a farm stand.
  7. Operations Plan – In the Operations Plan, you will discuss your farm’s day-to-day operations. You will also provide your business goals that you plan to achieve and a budget for your operating expenses.
  8. Management Team – In this section, you will provide a brief overview of the farm owners and farm management team, their experience in the agricultural industry, and the organizational chart.
  9. Financial Plan – In this section, you will provide three-year financial statements for your farm. This will include your income statements, projected balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

Farm Business Plan FAQs

A farm business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your farm business. Among other things, a good agriculture farm business plan outlines your business concept, identifies your target audience, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your farm business plan using our Farm Business Plan Template here.

There are many types of farms. Some have commercial farms that produce crops and agricultural products for sale. Others have cooperative farms owned by people who pool their resources together and share profits among themselves. There are also vegetable farms, dairy, micro, organic, poultry, subsistence, or urban farms.

The primary source of revenue for a farm is the sale of its farmed goods such as rice, corn, milk, beef, chicken, depending on the kind of farm a business is.

Some key expenses for a farm are labor expenses, production costs like irrigation, fertilizer, water, and machinery maintenance.

Farm business plans often receive funding from bank loans. Financing is also typically available from grants offered by local and state governments. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are other funding options. This is true for starting any agricultural business.

Starting a farming business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

  1. Develop An Agricultural Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed agriculture business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  It should also include your business goals and mission statement. You can quickly complete your farm business plan using our Farm Business Plan Template here.
  2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your farm business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your farm business is in compliance with local laws.
  3. Register Your Agriculture Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your farm business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 
  4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your farm business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 
  5. Choose a Business Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 
  6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 
  7. Acquire Necessary Farm Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your agricultural business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 
  8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your farm business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful farm business and agribusiness planning:

You can download our free farm business plan template PDF here. This is a good farm business plan template you can use in PDF format.