{"product_id":"the-farmers-office-second-edition-9780865719934","title":"The Farmers Office Second Edition","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Farmer's Office, Second Edition \u003c\/em\u003eis the complete guide to starting, managing, and growing an agricultural or farm business. Fully updated and expanded to include tutorials on basic farm financial management, QuickBooks, business planning, navigating uncertainty, business growth, and thinking like an entrepreneur.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eFilled with excellent, real-life examples, this is the best book I've seen on the business side of running a small farm. Written by someone who clearly has first-hand experience and understands how market farmers think, \u003cem\u003eThe Farmer's Office \u003c\/em\u003eclearly illustrates the ups and downs and ins and outs of making the dream financially sustainable. This is a great book for both farmers just starting out, and experienced farmers looking to improve their businesses.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Josh Volk, Slow Hand Farm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis book will guide you from setting up your farm, to how to make tough business decisions when things aren't going so great, and to scaling up when things take off again. Whether you love spreadsheets or barely tolerate them, you should read \u003cem\u003eThe Farmer's Office\u003c\/em\u003e!\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Dan Brisebois, the Farmer Spreadsheet Academy, host, The Seed Growers Podcast, farmer, Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvery farmer aspiring to sharpen their business management skills should have this book in their toolbox. This latest edition offers a comprehensive overview of what to track, how to use data to make decisions and, most importantly, how to move forward with a minimum of pain and anxiety. All of which is illustrated with updated case studies of real farmers confronting real business challenges and figuring it out.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Mary L. Peabody, business coach, University of Vermont Extension professor emeritus\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis comprehensive guide, filled with detailwwed graphs, spreadsheets, and charts, offers a clear pathway to mastering your finances and truly comprehending your farming enterprise. This isn't just another business book, it's a farming financial masterclass.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Michael Kilpatrick, farmer, The Farm on Central, educator, Growing Farmers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIf you're dreaming of starting a farm, then \u003cem\u003eThe Farmer's Office \u003c\/em\u003ejust became your first official \"must read.\" I wish this book had existed thirty years ago when I started farming. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Forrest Pritchard, NYT bestselling author, \u003cem\u003eGaining Ground \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJulia's second edition is even better than the first. In addition to all its critically important and usable information, and its many new chapters, she's added an easy-to-use guide to help you decide what chapters are most important for where your business is now.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Dorothy Suput, founder, The Carrot Project\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhenever I encounter a struggling farmer, I send them off to read Julia Shanks's book. This is a must-read for anyone working in agriculture.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Lennie Larkin, author, \u003cem\u003eFlower Farming For Profit \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFarmers of every level of experience will find valuable ideas in this book.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Ellen Polishuk, Plant to Profit, author, \u003cem\u003eStart Your Farm \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJulia Shanks's new edition of \u003cem\u003eThe Farmer's Office \u003c\/em\u003egives us vital tools that can help new as well as old and experienced farmers survive, evolve, and hopefully thrive!\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e —Brett Grohsgal, owner\/farmer, Even' Star Farm, co-author, \u003cem\u003eThe Farmers Market Cookbook \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eForeword\u003cbr\u003e Gratitude\u003cbr\u003e Preface\u003cbr\u003e Disclaimer\u003cbr\u003e How to Use This Book \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 1: Introduction—Why Bother\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Understand What Makes You Money (and Why) \u003cbr\u003e Invest in Your Business\u003cbr\u003e Plan for Growth\u003cbr\u003e Plan for Slow Periods \u003cbr\u003e Avoid Out-of-Control Debt\u003cbr\u003e Weather Covid-Like Pivots and Other Disruptions\u003cbr\u003e Keep Your Eye on the Prize\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 2: Building the Foundation: The Financial Statements and Basic Accounting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Income Statement—A Summary of the Operations\u003cbr\u003e The Balance Sheet—What You Have and How You Got It\u003cbr\u003e The Statement of Cash Flows—Where Cash Rules the Roost\u003cbr\u003e Tying It All Together\u003cbr\u003e Underlying Principles\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 3: Planning Your New Venture\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 4: The Business Planning Process\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Getting Started\u003cbr\u003e The Business Planning Process\u003cbr\u003e Business Plan Writing Guide\u003cbr\u003e Creating Financial Projections\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 5: Financing Your New Venture\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Save Money\u003cbr\u003e Borrow from Friends and Family \u003cbr\u003e Outside Organizations\u003cbr\u003e Financing Sources\u003cbr\u003e Preparing for Investors\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 6: Setting up a Bookkeeping System (and QuickBooks)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e QuickBooks (and Bookkeeping) Best Practices \u003cbr\u003e Choosing a Bookkeeping Software\u003cbr\u003e The Initial Setup\u003cbr\u003e QuickBooks: An Overview of Things You'll Do \u003cbr\u003e Reports in QuickBooks \u003cbr\u003e QuickBooks Terminology\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 7: Day to Day: Using QuickBooks for Cash Management\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Create Your Annual Budget by Month \u003cbr\u003e The Bank Feed\u003cbr\u003e Regular Bookkeeping—Every Day-ish (10 minutes) \u003cbr\u003e Review, Refine, and Stay on Target—Every Month (1 hour)\u003cbr\u003e Big Picture Planning - Year End (1 to 2 hours, plus cleanup)\u003cbr\u003e QuickBooks Quick Tips\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 8: Digging into the Numbers and Beyond\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Section 1: Calculating the Cost of Production\u003cbr\u003e Section 2: Allocating General Production Costs and Enterprise Analysis\u003cbr\u003e Section 3: Marketing and Pricing Strategies \u003cbr\u003e Section 4: Benchmarking\u003cbr\u003e Measuring Success: Keep Your Eye on the Prize\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 9: Stabilizing Your Business \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Managing the Hole\u003cbr\u003e Should You Stop or Persevere?\u003cbr\u003e Key Takeaways \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 10: Growing Your Business \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Establish Goals \u003cbr\u003e Is \"Growth\" the Right Strategy? \u003cbr\u003e Deciding How to Grow \u003cbr\u003e Growing Your Team\u003cbr\u003e Marketing\u003cbr\u003e Key Success Factors\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 11: Building Resiliency into Your Business Model\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Process to Pivot\u003cbr\u003e Shifts vs. Pivots\u003cbr\u003e Building Resiliency into Your System\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 12: Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Mindset\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Entrepreneurial Mindset\u003cbr\u003e Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable \u003cbr\u003e Money Shame\u003cbr\u003e Mental Models \u003cbr\u003e Time Management\u003cbr\u003e Being the Employer of Choice\u003cbr\u003e Decision-Making \u003cbr\u003e In Summary\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEpilogue:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Final Words of Wisdom\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAppendix 1: Sample Income Statement Accounts\u003cbr\u003e Appendix 2: Sample Balance Sheet Accounts\u003cbr\u003e Appendix 3: The Business Plan \u003cbr\u003e Appendix 4: Suggested Accounts for Chart of Accounts\u003cbr\u003e Glossary\u003cbr\u003e Endnotes\u003cbr\u003e Index \u003cbr\u003e About the Author \u003cbr\u003e About New Society Publishers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Society Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48884846821719,"sku":"9780865719934","price":26.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780865719934.jpg?v=1722533734","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-farmers-office-second-edition-9780865719934","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}