I don’t know if you know this or not, but I live on a farm. It’s a small farm — a few acres at three thousand feet above sea level, nestled between pines and steep granite cliffs. Maybe I’ll show you more someday. But today, if your New Years resolution is to be like me, to live on a farm that produces most of your own food and and maybe generates a small profit, you should take a look at a new book called Farms with a Farms with a Future: Creating and Growing a Sustainable Farm Business.
What makes a farm sustainable and successful? And what special qualities and skills are needed for someone to become a successful farmer?
Rebecca Thistlethwaite addresses these and other crucial questions in this uniquely important book, which is a must-read for anyone who aspires to get into farming, or who wants to make their farm business more dynamic, profitable, and, above all, sustainable. Over an entire year, the author and her husband-experienced farmers themselves-took a sabbatical and traveled the length and breadth of the United States to live and work alongside some of the nation’s most innovative farmers. Along the way they learned about best practices, and a whole lot about what doesn’t work.
Farms with a Future shares this collective wisdom in an inspirational yet practical manner; it will help beginners avoid many of the common mistakes that first-time farmers make. Just as importantly, it discusses positive ideas that can help make any farm enterprise vibrant and financially profitable. Profiles of more than a dozen representative farms help round out the invaluable information and encourage farmers to embrace their inner entrepreneur. Younger growers, in particular, will benefit by learning about “the right stuff†from both their peers and longtime experts.
This book provides a useful reference for beginning and experienced farmers alike. While many other books address agricultural production, there are very few that talk about business management for long-term sustainability. Farms with a Future offers an approachable, colorful take on building a triple-bottom-line farming business.
[]: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1603584382/businesopp083-20/ref=nosim/