The Business of Farming

Advice and assistance in running your Canadian organic business

See also Farming Announcements

Current
"Green" business practices taking root: B.C. is becoming a mecca for "green" businesses.

General Information
Canadian Farm Business Advisory Services. access to a range of services
Industry Canada A wealth of general business information
Small Business Sourcing Guides for organic farmers: regulations, funding, stats. [PDF 66k]
BC Agricultural Land Commission and The Agriculture Land Reserve
Farm Check-Up Business articles, tips and links
Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism: innovative on-farm or on-ranch ventures.
Rural Development Strategies for W. Canada: research and public consultation initiative [pdf]

Employees & Training
Agricultural Labour Pool: Posts your job offers on the web.
Farm Workers: BC Government Employments Standards fact sheet.>
BC Government: Skills Development & Labour Employment Standards for Agriculture.
Worksafe BC: BC Workmen's Compensation Board
S.O.I.L.: Organic Farm Apprenticeship Program
International WWOOF Association: referral system for volunteers on organic farms.
Help Exchange: Free online listing of host organic farms for volunteer workers / farm stay.
Western Agriculture Labour Initiative: Labour solutions for your BC farm

Land
LLAF - Linking land and future farmers

Legal
* Acts, Codes & Regulations: for British Columbia and Canada.

Finance & Insurance
Farm Credit Canada
Greencover Canada - Financial assistance with improving your grassland management, protecting water quality, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, and enhancing biodiversity and wildlife habitat.
Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program - disaster and major crop loss relief

Taxation
Exemptions and Refunds: For livestock and crops
Part-Time Farming. Explanations, definitions, examples
BC exemption eligibility. On the purchase or lease of specific goods and services.
Tax Planning for Canadian Farmers - BDO Dunwoody

First-time Farming
Farm Center - New Farmer: Information to get started.
Business Start-Up: For British Columbia.

Export
Draft Canadian Position on US Bioterrorism Act regulations: [PDF 62k]
US Bioterrorism Act Registration: Required for exporting food to the USA

Agritourism
Agritourism FAQ BC Ministry of Agriculture

Tools
Planning and Assessment for Value-Added Enterprises (PAVE) Program: Assistance
Organic Crop Tracking System: Techniques of record-keeping
Farm Management Tools: Including spreadsheets, calculators and software
Interactive Business Planner Prepare a 3-year business plan.
Benchmark for Success CD - Assess the financial performance of your farm
Budgeting Certified Organic Versus Non-Organic Budgets.
One Year to a Better Bottom Line. A Farmcentre column offering practical advice.

see also USEFUL LINKS

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