Welcome Page

If you’re here, chances are you are passionate about agriculture. We are too! We also suspect that if you’re interested in agroecology, specifically, you’re already attuned to questions of how your practices relate to and support the ecosystem at large.  And perhaps you’ve felt tension between the viability of your enterprise and the big picture – something we call “right livelihood.” You’re not alone in this – while we love and are passionate about agroecology and work with plenty of others who feel the same, we understand that it’s far from easy to maintain the balance that this work requires.  Agriculture brings to life the fundamental elements of culture, stewardship and self-reliance. Agriculture is also often structured as a business enterprise that supports our livelihoods, provides employment for people in our communities, and provides a variety of products to consumers. 

One of the most important tools to help you approach the process of starting an agricultural business is a business plan. A business plan will guide your business from the developmental stages through maturity. In this course, we introduce the business plan structure as a framework that can help achieve enterprise viability. We look at the business of agriculture from a lens of ‘right livelihood’ so that we differentiate between an extractive mindset and an approach to business that is grounded in values.

Course Learning Objectives

Throughout this course, learners will:

1. Articulate the benefits of challenges of running a farm business that focuses on sustainable practices.
2. Identify the business considerations needed to run a successful and profitable agroecological operation.
3. Explain the value of financial health for business longevity.
4. Explain the unique relationship between agroecological principles – including resilience and design – and enterprise viability.
5. Practice using design principles to plan enterprise and its place in the wider ecosystem.
6. Practice using the business model canvas to refine a farm business idea and plan for financial health.
7. Identify crops to include in a farm operation based on market and community considerations.

Meet your instructor, Nayla Bezares Saker:

And if you find that you need support at any point during the course, feel free to post to the class forum, which you can access via the “Forums” icon on the dark green toolbar to the left.

If you have any trouble navigating the course, please contact lms@sterlingcollege.edu.