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ExpertWho Really Feeds the World? The Failures of Agribusiness and the Promise of Agroecology
Vandana Shiva
4.0Food
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Book summary
by Richard Wiswall
Premium summary · Opens in the app · 30 min read
Farming is one of the most demanding professions on earth. It requires physical stamina, mental agility, ecological knowledge, mechanical skill, and an almost unreasonable tolerance for uncertainty. Farmers work long hours in all weather conditions, manage complex biological systems, and produce something genuinely essential: food. Yet for all this effort and expertise, many small-scale organic farmers struggle to make a living.
By Richard Wiswall
**Estimated Reading Time:** 45 minutes
**What You'll Learn:**
- Why ecological sustainability and financial profitability must go hand in hand - How to plan for profit rather than simply maximizing production - The essential record-keeping systems that reveal what your farm actually earns - How to create crop enterprise budgets that guide smart decision-making - Practical marketing strategies that build steady demand and loyal customers - Production efficiencies that reduce labor costs and increase quality - How to build a business plan that serves as a living roadmap for your farm
**Who This Book Is For:**
This book is for organic farmers, market gardeners, homesteaders, and anyone who grows food with the intention of earning a living from it. It is for people who love farming but find the business side overwhelming. It is for growers who work hard yet struggle to know whether they are actually making money. It is for idealists who want to feed their communities without going broke in the process. If you have ever wondered why your farm feels successful but your bank account does not reflect that success, this book will show you what needs to change.
Farming is one of the most demanding professions on earth. It requires physical stamina, mental agility, ecological knowledge, mechanical skill, and an almost unreasonable tolerance for uncertainty. Farmers work long hours in all weather conditions, manage complex biological systems, and produce something genuinely essential: food. Yet for all this effort and expertise, many small-scale organic farmers struggle to make a living. Richard Wiswall knows this struggle intimately. He has been farming at Cate Farm in East Montpelier, Vermont since 1981. For decades, he and his family have grown organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers for markets throughout central Vermont. But Wiswall's path to farm profitability was not automatic. Like many growers, he started with a passion for the land and a vision of sustainable agriculture. What he lacked was a clear understanding of the business systems that would make that vision financially viable. The problem, Wiswall discovered, is not that organic farming cannot be profitable. The problem is that most farmers never learn how to run the business side of their operation. Agricultural education focuses heavily on production: how to grow healthy crops, build fertile soil, manage pests, and harvest at peak quality. These skills are essential, but they are only half the equation. A farm that produces beautiful vegetables while losing money is not sustainable, no matter how ecologically sound its practices may be. Wiswall wrote The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook to address this gap. The book is born from his own experience transforming Cate Farm from a struggling operation into a profitable business.…
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Get the complete summary in the appSustainable farming requires both ecological health and financial profitability.
Farm for profit, not production. Know what you need to earn and plan accordingly.
Track every sale and every expense. You cannot manage what you do not measure.
Create crop enterprise budgets that include all costs, especially your own labor.
Use the Index of Profitability to compare crops and make informed decisions.
Marketing is a core farm function. Answer the four Marketing Circle questions.
"The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook" is a strong fit if you want practical ideas around agriculture, business, finance, especially themes like sustainable farming requires both ecological health and financial profitability; farm for profit, not production. know what you need to earn and plan accordingly. The MinuteRead summary distills these concepts into a focused read, whether you're deciding whether to buy the book or applying its lessons at work.
Motivated to help readers with "True sustainability is thus made possible by recycling what nutrients are readily available, Richard Wiswall wrote “The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook” to package those ideas for a fast, focused read. In “The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook”, Richard Wiswall focuses on "True sustainability is thus made possible by recycling what nutrients are readily available. Through “The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook”, Richard Wiswall distills the core ideas on agri…
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