Materials below are produced by the Agricultural Business Team at ̽̽ Extension, unless stated otherwise.
If you need assistance accessing any resources, please contact Mark Cannella: 802-476-2003 mark.cannella@uvm.edu.
New England Farm Account Book
The New England Farm Account Book #2 ("Receipts and Expenses for Dairy Farms"; PDF) is available as a free PDF or for purchase in a hard copy.
Printed books can be purchased in person at the Berlin Extension office location with cash or check, or you can order a book by phone or email. To place an order please call or email first to confirm the postage costs. Hardcopy price: $20 plus postage.
̽̽ Extension: 802-656-4820 or Toll Free: (866) 860-1382. Email: Corinne.Cooper@uvm.edu
̽̽ Extension, 327 U.S. Route 302, Suite 1, Berlin, VT 05641.
Research Reports and Resource Guides
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- Conservation and Farm Viability on Vermont Small Farms. A Survey of Vermont’s Certified Small Farm Operations in 2019 (PDF).
- Water Quality Business Analysis – Best Practices for Project Planning (PDF).
- The Road to RAPS (PDF), by Annette Higby
- Guidelines for Transfer and Succession Plans (PDF). Made by Vermont Farm and Forest Viability (VHCB) with help from ̽̽ Extension Agriculture Business Program and Land for Good.
- Vermont Vineyard Feasibility Study (PDF, 2015). Contact Mark Cannella, mark.cannella@uvm.edu, directly for more information and access to the budget templates developed for this project.
- Scaling Up Egg Production (PDF) 2015. This resource guide explores business management of laying hens from 1,000 – 3,000 hens in size. Also see spreadsheets below.
- Broiler Demand at Small Grocers (PDF) 2012-2013
- Risk Management Strategies in use on Vermont Farms (PDF) 2012. Summary of farm owner strategies following Tropical Storm Irene in Fall 2011.
- Guide to Financing the Community Supported Farm: Ways for Farms To Acquire Capital Within the Community (PDF). Written with contributions from legal, tax and farm finance specialist, this in-depth guide highlights eight finance mechanisms and following four farm case studies.
- How to Determine the Right Farm Rental Rate (PDF). This guide provides relevant factors and specific calculations to establish rental rates and addresses assessing market rates, landowner costs, equipment and infrastructure, farm business returns and farmer contributions to an agreement.
- Business Valuation for Sale (PDF) 2012. This guide outlines key methods to evaluating the value of a business for sale including: capitalization rate, comparable analysis, assets based valuation, land use evaluation, goodwill and “real life” considerations.
Financial Resources and Spreadsheets
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- University of Maine Extension Farm Account Book (XLS). A version of the traditional farm account book for tracking sales and expenses – see instruction manual for help.
- Average Price Calculator (XLSX). Includes: 1. “Average Price Calculator” for selling the same product to different outlets at different prices and 2. “Whole Carcass Average Price Calculator” for livestock.
- Maple Finance Worksheets (XLS) 2010. (created by Glenn Rogers, Professor Emeritus, ̽̽ Extension)
- Scaling up Egg Production Spreadsheets (XLS). 2015 See also resource guides above.
- Small Flock Broiler Budgets (XLS) 2012
- Break Even Calculator (XLS). To determine the break-even point of your operation.
- Farm Viability Financial Workbook for Vegetable or Diversified Farms (XLS). Includes several spreadsheets for asset inventories, balance sheets, cash flow and income statement. Also includes finance scorecard with ratios for profitability, solvency and more.
- Farm Viability Financial Workbook for Dairy or Livestock Farms (XLS). Includes several spreadsheets for asset inventories, balance sheets, cash flow and income statement. Also includes finance scorecard with ratios for profitability, solvency and more.
- Farm balance sheet (PDF)
- Maple Sugaring Projected Earnings Worksheets (XLS) (Revised January 2010). Spreadsheet for calculating maple syrup production/profitability. Use with factsheet Maple Syrup Costs: What does it really cost to produce that gallon of maple syrup? (PDF).
Factsheets
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- Crowd Funding (PDF) 2012-2013. Summarizes tax considerations for crowd funding.
- Legal Risk Custom Operator Liability (PDF)
- Enforcement, Due Process and Administrative Process (PDF), by Annette Higby
- Risk Sharing for Today’s CSA Farmers (PDF) 2013. Summarizes major types of risk and considerations for CSA Farmers.
- Farm Business Entities and Conservation Payment Limits (PDF)
- Mark-Up and Margins to Set Prices (PDF) 2013 Compares mark-up and margin calculation and provides example tables.
- Farmer Employer Overview (PDF) 2013 Summarizes considerations for farmer employers including federal taxes, fair labor standards, worker’s compensation, contractor vs. employee regulation, and the Affordable Care Act.
Business Planning Worksheets
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- Managing Change Scenarios (PDF)
- Water Quality: Assessment and Action Sheet (PDF)
- Implementation Plan for Water Quality Change (PDF)
- Small Business Planning for Loggers (PDF)
- Logging Business Plan (PDF)
- Sample Lease: Multi-Year (PDF)
- Sample Lease: Short Form (PDF)
- Sample Lease: Maple Sugarbush (PDF)
- Dairy SWOT Analysis Worksheet (PDF)
- On Farm SWOT Assessment (PDF)
- Risk Management Worksheet (PDF)
- Sample Dairy Farm Business Plan (PDF)