Revenue and financing models for ecological farmers

Revenue and financing models

Marieke Karssen

November 27 2015

•  Entrepeneur since 1988 •  Busy with HTML/online since 1994 •  Burned out in 2001 •  Gardening ever since •  And spending more and more of my dayjob in the

green and green sector.

•  And, I want more of that.

Who am I?

•  About creating wealth for planet and people. •  About farmers claiming more of the food dollar. •  About being creative. •  About becoming/being free (from banks, boring

dayjobs etc). •  About earning an income.

•  And I guess we all want more of that.

What is the afternoon about?

•  Some inspirational models for revenue and financing,

including your and Mark’s reaction to it.

•  Working in groups working out the Mirror Forest/Spiegelbos case.

•  After presenting these we collect the best ideas of this day and week to share with the whole group.

The programme

•  Annual crops are much work, have a lot of input, do a

lot of ecological damage, etc etc •  But… they are easy to harvest, •  And easy to sell •  and it is also easy to calculate your living from it

(and banks like that).

Farming the traditional way

•  Ecological farming is better for the soil and ecology,

just because it is not one harvest. •  That’s great for your income because you do no

longer depend on one harvest. •  But, those smaller and diverse harvests are

more work to sell. •  And it is also up front

more difficult to calculate how much you will earn (and banks don’t like that)

Farming the new way

•  If we truly want the new way,

we have to tackle the wealth issue

•  Let take a look at some ways to market your produce.

Let’s become creative

•  Very often selling to local / farmshops is the first step.

•  In some regions shops work together successfully

Local shops

•  More and more research shows that being in nature has major health benefits for people.

•  Never forget: health the largest public expenditure. Local governments and insurance companies are very open for good ideas.

Mixing with care

•  Ecodiversity and recreation for the people are very well fundable. Both cities and nature organisations want to work with farmers.

•  There is a lot of boundaries to be taken though.

Nature & recreation

•  And offer companies some work-space in nature or on your place.

•  Create experiences for busy work people.

Get really creative

•  The new shop are online The new shop comes to the client in stead of the other way around

•  The new shop is more about service than about produce

•  Meal boxes are very popular •  This is no longer niche but already a prize

fighter market

The new shops

The collectives •  Online offers complete new ways of organizing…

practically everything. •  Amateurs can compete with restaurants •  Or hotels of even with you! •  But, you can also team up with the amateur!

The local currencies •  If something like that is happening in your region..

Say YES •  If it might happen.. Help it along, local currencies

are always good for polyculture farms.

The cooperations •  Yes, it is an old concept •  But online gives it new wings and, new forms

To summarize •  Polyculture farming is very much about

connecting with people (audience, care, customers, investers, city…)

•  Use the scale possibilities of online… or be used. •  If you are looking for investments, crowdfunding

brings you both money and fans.

Let’s make a plan •  Let’s make a plan for the Spiegelbos •  Bring it from the -50k towards the… 3 million in

15 minutes and 20 steps. •  Create groups with different colours.