Posts Tagged: financial

Do You Know What Your Pension Fund is Doing in Africa?

In recent years, the private financial sector has already invested between $10 to $25 billion in farmland and agriculture with little to no oversight; given current investment trends, this amount might double or triple in the coming years. Although agricultural funds are portrayed as positive social investment to help alleviate hunger and the effects of climate change, evidence demonstrates that large land deals are often detrimental to food security, local livelihoods, and the environment--yet little is known about the specific firms and funds driving this investment. 

Betting on World Agriculture: US Private Equity Managers Eye Agricultural Returns, a new report from the Oakland Institute (OI), focuses on the private investment vehicles that advertise and manage investment opportunities in farmlands and agriculture for investors including pension funds, university and foundation endowments, and high net worth individuals. Based on months of research, involving literature review, interviews with fund managers, and examination of public as well confidential internal documents, the report casts a light on this hidden trend by profiling private investment vehicles that are either based in the US or aggressively promoting farmland and agriculture in the US.

Via Oakland Institute and Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director of the Oakland Institute and Global Food Systems Forum panelist. 

Free Courses for Young or Beginning Farmers/Ranchers

The following came to me via Paula Gaska at Mendocino Organics. It was to start up in February and I don't believe it's too late to participate. My appologies for the lateness as I was out of town when Paula sent it to me.

Grow Your Farm Business!

 

Establishing a farm or food business?

Taking your garden or homestead to the next level?

Need business planning help or production tips?

 

West Company is offering farm business development services in 2013

 

- No-Cost Individual Business Assessments

- No-Cost One-on-One Technical Assistance

- No-Cost Training through the Grow Your Farm Business Workshop Series

  

Starting in February 2013 - in Ukiah & Ft. Bragg

Intro to Business Planning and CSA

Financial Management and Enterprise Budgeting

Planning, Production, and Recordkeeping

Pricing and Distribution

Marketing I: Building Your Base

Marketing II: Growing and Retaining Members

Value-Added Production

Technology

 

**Complete all components of the training and receive a completion award - a cash stipend - to use toward your business plan!**

Contact Melissa Anderson, Program Coordinator at West Company (707) 964-7571 to sign up, or visit HYPERLINK "http://www.WestCompany.org" www.WestCompany.org to apply online

 

West Company is offering these no-cost business development services through the Strengthening CSAs by Building Capacity and Expanding Markets Project. Funding for this project comes from the United States Department of Agriculture, Farmers Market Promotion Program.

 

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact (707) 964-7571.

West company

Simplified Farm Records

You've chosen to be a farmer. You want to be outside, the sun on your back and the breeze in your face, working with your crops or your livestock. But your farm is a business, and to succeed, you need to keep and know your numbers. You need a farm record system that is more than just a shoe-box for receipts. There are computerized bookkeeping systems, or you could hire a bookkeeper, but both can be expensive. You need something that is cheap, reliable, easy to use, and fills your needs.

Step back for a second and think about what a farm records system should do. Certainly tax records, but also timely financial records for making business decisions. Good records will help you know your farm is making a profit, or what to change if it isn't. Work-time records will tell you which crops suck up time and return little profit. Are you keeping track of your cash, the check book, and the credit card charges? A good record system will do this as well.

I want to introduce the system I use on my farm. I have come to this system after trying computerized systems (both commercial programs and spreadsheets I built myself), as well as a full double-entry hand system. For the past several years I have used a simplified handwritten system. I keep all my financial and time records in a single 3 ring binder. I write everything down on columnar paper using 27 columns for accounting records and 14 columns for time records.

My sheets are simple: in the financial sheet, starting from the left of the sheet, there is a column for date, and a wide column for written notes. The next 4 columns are for expenditures, broken down by method of payment -- farm checking account, credit card, cash, and the rare occasions I use the family checking account. I write down every time I use any of these payment methods to pay for farm expenses. The next 18 columns are for my expense accounts (“accounts” are simply categories of expenses). These include vehicle expenses, equipment, chainsaws, feed, etc. The last 3 columns are for categories of income (firewood, livestock, etc). In this way I have been able to consolidate all my expenses and income in a single-spreadsheet. I have a similar sheet for time records, with columns for date and comments, and then several for categories of work.

This system can be put together for less than $10. My hand system works for me because I am more likely to write stuff down if I can just pick up my binder and do it – something I try to do daily. But whatever records system you choose, make sure it is comfortable for you – that way you will be much more likely to actually use it!

Allen Edwards, Edwards Family Farm, Colfax, California

 

For more details on this system use the link at the bottom of the page.

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