The Farmer Entrepreneur

Have you ever desired, deep within your soul, to make a comfortable full-time living from a farming enterprise? Too often people dare not even vocalize this desire because it seems absurd. It's like thinking the unthinkable. After all, the farm population is dwindling. It takes too much capital to start. The pay is too low. The working conditions are dusty, smelly and noisy: not the place to raise a family. This is all true, and more, for most farmers. But for farm entrepreneurs, the opportunities for a farm family business have never been greater. The aging farm population is creating cavernous niches begging to be filled by creative visionaries who will go in dynamic new directions. As the industrial agriculture complex crumbles and our culture clambers for clean food, the countryside beckons anew with profitable farming opportunities. While this book can be helpful to all farmers, it targets the wannabes, the folks who actually entertain notions of living, loving and learning on a piece of land. Anyone willing to dance with such a dream should be able to assess its assets and liabilities; its fantasies and realities. "Is it really possible for me?" is the burning question this book addresses.

A lot is being said these days about farmers becoming ‘entrepreneurs’. But what is entrepreneurship? What does it take to be entrepreneurial? How can an entrepreneurial behaviour be created and sustained? How can entrepreneurial skills be developed? How do entrepreneurial farmers respond to the changing farming environment? What strategies do they use? What actions do they take? And how can extension workers help farmers develop entrepreneurial capacity?

Our roots lie in farming, yet we abandoned them in pursuit of white-collar jobs, solely relying on oil for sustenance. However, we must face the reality and confront the challenges head-on. The era of oil has faded into the past, and today, certain agricultural products hold a higher value than oil itself. Farming stands as the most reliable, noble, and indispensable occupation. In Africa, unemployment and underemployment rates soar, accompanied by severe food shortages. Astonishingly, over $35 billion USD is spent on importing food in a continent blessed with fertile lands and favorable climates. The glaring gap between food demand and supply makes agriculture an imperative, not only in Africa but also in Nigeria. This book stands as a modest contribution towards igniting and sustaining the agricultural revolution. It calls for agriculture to be treated as an industry that requires careful nurturing, rather than being left at the mercy of unpredictable weather or indifferent agricultural policies. It beckons upon farmers to rise as entrepreneurs, embracing the transformative power of agriculture. Furthermore, it challenges everyone, especially the youth, to shift their focus from pursuing elusive white-collar jobs and instead explore the vast potential of farming. "The Farming Entrepreneur" portrays farming as more than just a traditional occupation; it is a thriving business opportunity. While you don't need any special expertise to embark on this journey, you do need a guiding light. This book serves as that invaluable guide, leading you through the intricate world of modern farming. Discover the secrets of successful farming, unlock the potential of your land, and capitalize on the bountiful opportunities that agriculture presents. Learn how to navigate the challenges, seize the benefits of technology, and adopt sustainable practices. "The Farming Entrepreneur" empowers you to transform your farm into a profitable enterprise, providing nourishment not only for yourself but also for your community and beyond. It's time to revolutionize agriculture, viewing it as a prosperous industry that fuels economic growth and ensures food security. Embrace the call of the land, become an agricultural entrepreneur, and reap the rewards of a fulfilling and prosperous farming venture.

"Hunting in a Farmer's World is the award-winning book that celebrates the differences that drive entrepreneurs. It is filled with the stories of real business owners who overcame real challenges; including those that accompany success. From the ambition that captures an entrepreneur and drives him to take the plunge of starting up, to the unexpected pitfalls of a successful transition. Hunting in a Farmer's World examines why business owners are different from the people who work for them"--Author's website.

The agriculture sector around the world has experienced profound changes in recent years. This unique and path-breaking Handbook draws together the best current research in the area of entrepreneurship in agriculture, food production and rural development. Agriculture policy reforms have impacted farm incomes, while demand side changes have required the development of sophisticated market driven strategies. Farmers have demonstrated uneven abilities to adapt and adjust to these ongoing changes. The ability and propensity of farmers to engage in entrepreneurial behaviors is a key explanation of the different patterns of responses within the sector. This book examines these issues through three main themes. The first theme focuses on the firm and the individual entrepreneurs, exploring entrepreneurship within the farm sector. The second takes a sector and industry perspective, exploring new developments in food production and distribution systems. The third theme explores the inter-relationship between agricultural entrepreneurship and its spatial context. Contributions are drawn from international research settings (Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, North America, Australasia) and offer an interdisciplinary approach to the subject. This astute Handbook, which will challenge and enrich the current literature, will appeal to academics in entrepreneurship, small business studies, agriculture, rural studies, rural sociology and agricultural economics, as well as food industry economists, policymakers and all those interested in supporting agricultural and rural businesses.

A practical, how-to guide for farmers who want to achieve and maintain financial sustainability in their businesses When you decided to become a farmer, you also became an entrepreneur and business person. In order to be ecologically and financially sustainable, you must understand the basics of accounting and bookkeeping, and learn how to manage a growing business. Author Julia Shanks distills years of teaching and business consulting with farmers into this comprehensive, accessible guide. She covers all aspects of launching, running and growing a successful farm business through effective bookkeeping and business management, providing tools to make managerial decisions, apply for a loan or other financing, and offering general business and strategy advice for growing a business. Whether you've been farming for many years or just getting started, The Farmer's Office gives you the tools needed to think like an entrepreneur and thoughtfully manage your business for success.

The present book is a product of many brains, most of whom have practically been facilitators of agri entrepreneurship in one way or the other. The book will be helpful to aspiring and budding entrepreneurs who want to make it big in agri-preneurship. The book mainly focuses on how the challenges of startup agribusinesses can be overcome in a cost and time effective manner. The book will prove to be a facilitating campanion for everyone in startup agri-preneurship fraternity.

The entrepreneurship training presented in this manual is aimed at building the capacity of smallholder farmers in CA and AF thereby enhancing CGIAR’s Systems priority 3(Reducing rural poverty through agricultural diversification and emerging opportunities for high-value commodities and products) Priority 4 (Reducing extreme poverty and hunger) MDG 7 (Environmental sustainability and MDG 3 (Reducing the gender disparity). The development of this training manual is based on our experience and the extensive feedback received from different segments of entrepreneurs and trainers. The methodologies suggested here are being practised successfully in many fields. Efforts have been made to provide some significant information on the contents of each session. However, in the ever-changing economic scenario and information explosion, it is inevitable for the trainee to build upon the skills, update, give value addition and use the information here-in effectively to achieve the objectives.