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Free Agriculture Sample Business Plan PDF + How to Write

Elon Glucklich

6 min. read

Updated February 7, 2024

Free Download:  Agriculture Business Plan Template

As a farmer, you’re in the business of putting food on the table. Agriculture is one of the world’s oldest professions.

Today it accounts for over 5% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product, and 1 in 10 American workers are in agriculture, food, and related industries.

But starting a new agriculture business requires intensive planning and upfront preparation. If you’re looking for a free, downloadable agriculture sample business plan PDF to help you create a business plan of your own, look no further.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to find a sample business plan that exactly matches your farm. Whether you’re launching a larger agricultural business outside a bustling city or a smaller organic operation, the details will be different, but the foundation of the plan will be the same. 

Are you writing a business plan for your farm because you’re seeking a loan? Is your primary concern outlining a clear path for sales growth? Either way, you’re going to want to edit and customize it so it fits your particular farm. 

No two agriculture farming businesses are alike.

For example, your strategy will be very different if you’re a dairy operation instead of a soybean farm. So take the time to create your own financial forecasts and do enough market research for your specific type of agriculture so you have a solid plan for success. 

• What should you include in an agriculture farm business plan?

Your agriculture business plan doesn’t need to be hundreds of pages—keep it as short and focused as you can. You’ll probably want to include each of these sections: 

1. Executive summary

An overview of your agriculture business, with a brief description of your products or services, your legal structure, and a snapshot of your future plans. While it’s the first part of the plan, it’s often easier to write your executive summary last.

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2. Business summary and funding needs

Details about your farming operation, including how much capital you will need and the types of funding you’re considering. Include your business history, your current state, and your future projections. It should also cover your business location, the equipment and facilities needed, and the kinds of crops or livestock you plan to raise.

3. Products and services

Provide details on the types of crops, farming methods, and any value-added products you plan to offer, such as finished goods or even  agritourism offerings .

4. Marketing plan

Compile your market research findings, including the demand for your products or services, your target customers , and your competitors. It should also outline your marketing strategy—how you plan to attract and retain customers. 

5. Financial plan

Your revenue projections, cost estimates, and break-even analysis. Your financial plan and forecasts should demonstrate that your business has a path to profitability.

• Building on your farm business plan sample

With a free agriculture business plan template as your starting point, you can start chipping away at the unique elements of your business plan.

As the business owner, only you can speak to aspects of your agriculture operation like your mission and core values.

You’re putting in the long hours to start a thriving farm business, so aspects of your mission – like a commitment to sustainable farming practices – will be best explained in your own words. Authenticity will help you connect with a growing market of consumers who value transparency and environmental stewardship in their food sources.

As for more conventional aspects of business planning , you will want to take on things like your marketing and financial plans one at a time. Here are a few specific areas to focus on when writing your business plan.

Invest time in market research

Starting an agriculture operation requires significant startup costs. When you throw in the unique land use considerations involved, it’s crucial to conduct thorough market research before investing hundreds of thousands – or even millions – of dollars into a farm business.

Start by researching the types of farms operating in your locality and wider region, and the specific crops or livestock they specialize in. You will need to understand seasonal trends, including crop yields and livestock productivity.

Note the demographics of the local community to understand their buying habits and preference for local produce. Also, be aware of the competitive landscape and how your farm can differentiate itself from others. All of this information will inform your service, pricing, marketing, and partnership strategy.

From there, you can outline how you plan to reach your target market and promote your farm’s offerings.

Craft your agriculture go-to-market strategy

One of the things that makes an agriculture farm business plan different from some service-based business plans is that you might decide to work only with one or two businesses that purchase your goods.  

You may offer different tiers of products to different types of buyers, such as produce for an organic farmers market, and corn for another farm’s animal feed. If that’s the case, make sure you include ideas like setting aside land for organic growth and maintenance.

Discuss your advertising and promotional strategies, emphasizing channels relevant to your target market. Also, consider how partnerships with local businesses, farmers’ markets, and other industry stakeholders can enhance your visibility.

Include your pricing strategy and any special promotions or loyalty programs. Also, consider public relations and media outreach efforts that can raise awareness about your farm and its sustainable practices.

Prepare for unique farming challenges

Running an agricultural business comes with its own set of challenges, including weather-related disruptions and market volatility. Your business plan should identify these potential risks and present contingency plans to address them.

Include a plan to mitigate weather-related risks, such as crop diversification, employing weather-resistant farming practices, investing in appropriate infrastructure like greenhouses or drainage systems, or taking out insurance to cover weather-related losses.

Detail the operational aspects of your business , including land ownership, employee status, farm maintenance, and safety requirements. Also, illustrate your strategies for managing crop production, livestock care, land stewardship, and regulatory compliance.

Plan for the future

Contingency planning is important in all businesses.

But the unique challenges in agriculture of changing market dynamics, regulatory changes, and climate impacts make it especially necessary to plan for the future. Detail how you’ll measure success, and how you will be prepared to adapt your offerings if you need to change the focus of the business due to factors outside your control.

Also, be ready to discuss opportunities for scaling your business over time, such as introducing new crops, expanding farm operations, or opening additional locations.

• Get started with your farm business plan sample

There are obviously plenty of reasons farm owners can benefit from writing a business plan — for example, you’ll need one if you’re seeking a loan or investment. Even if you’re not seeking funding, the process of thinking through every aspect of your business will help you make sure you’re not overlooking anything critical as you grow.

Download this  agriculture farm sample business plan PDF  for free right now, or visit  Bplans’ gallery of more than 550 sample business plans  if you’re looking for more options.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Elon is a marketing specialist at Palo Alto Software, working with consultants, accountants, business instructors and others who use LivePlan at scale. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

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Agriculture Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Agriculture Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and farm owners create business plans to start and grow their agricultural companies.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating an agriculture or farm business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a good business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write an agriculture business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is an Agriculture Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your agricultural business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It is a valuable tool that explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.  

Why You Need a Business Plan for an Agriculture Business

If you’re looking to start an agricultural business or grow your existing agricultural company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your farm to improve your chances of success. Your agricultural business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.  

Sources of Funding for Agricultural Businesses

With regard to funding, the main sources of funding for an agricultural business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review a comprehensive business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for agricultural companies.

    Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for an agricultural business.

If you want to start an agricultural business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. A good farm business plan should include 10 sections as follows:

Executive Summary

Company overview, industry analysis, customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management team, financial plan.

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan. The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of farm business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have an agricultural business that you would like to grow, or do you have a farming operation that you would like to sell? Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the agricultural industry.
• Discuss the type of farm you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

In your company overview, you will detail the type of agricultural production you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of agricultural businesses:

• Animal feed manufacturing : the production and sale of food formulas for farm animals.
• Agrichemical and seed manufacturing : the production and sale of agrichemicals (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides) and seeds to farmers that support the growth of their crops.
• Agricultural engineering : development, testing, and implementation of new agriculture tools and machinery to improve the process for farmers.
• Biofuel manufacturing : the production of energy from biomass.
• Crop production : the process of growing and harvesting a variety of crops such as fruits, vegetables, and grains.

In addition, the company overview needs to provide information about the business history.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include reaching X number of harvests per year, the number of customers served, or reaching $X amount in revenue.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the agricultural industry. While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the agricultural industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies industry trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in this section:

• How big is the agricultural industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your agricultural business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

The customer analysis section must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, schools, families, and corporations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of agricultural business you operate. Clearly, schools would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target market into segments in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target audience. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other farms and agricultural producers.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes other types of farmers, wholesalers, and distributors.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What type of agricultural business are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you make it easier for your customers to engage with you?
• Will you offer products or services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For an agriculture business, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of agricultural company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you produce fruit, soy, or vegetable products?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your agricultural company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your agricultural business located on a small or large farm near your customer base? And, will you operate one or multiple locations? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Attend farmers markets
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your farm business, including scheduling employees, tracking inventory, accepting orders and payments, and meeting with customers.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to reach your Xth harvest, or when you hope to generate $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your farm business to a new region.

To demonstrate your potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing agricultural businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing an agriculture business, or owning their own farm.

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, how many pounds of each crop do you plan to yield each season? And what is your sales strategy to grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your farm business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a farm business:

• Cost of farm equipment and supplies
• Operating expenses
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up costs (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your farm’s location lease or a list of agricultural equipment and machinery used on your farm.  

Free Business Plan Template for a Farm or Agriculture Business

You can download our farm business plan PDF template here.  

Agriculture Business Plan Summary

Putting together a business plan for your agriculture business will improve your company’s chances of success. The process of developing your plan will help you better understand your target market, your competition, and your customers. You will also gain a marketing plan to better attract and serve customers, an operations plan to focus your efforts, and financial projections that give you goals to strive for and keep your company focused.

Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your business plan.  

Additional Resources for Starting an Agriculture Business

• How To Start a Farm
• Sample Farm Business Plan
• Starting a New Agricultural Business
• Small and Mid-Sized Farmer Resources
• Starting a Sustainable Agriculture Business
• Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans
• Business Resources for Those Starting to Farm or for an Existing Farm

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Click here to see how Growthink’s business plan professional services can help you create a winning business.  

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Business Plan

With goals and expectations in hand, a business plan is the written document detailing how those goals will be achieved.

The U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) aims to assist small businesses through access to capital and developmental resources. They define a business plan as “an essential roadmap for business success. This living document generally projects 3-5 years ahead and outlines the route a company intends to take to grow revenues.” ( SBA.gov )

This section will cover the following areas of a Business Plan:

• An executive summary of your business 
• Description of your company and product -- including what state and federal licensure may be required on both the business and food safety ends 
• Organization of the business -- leadership division/structure 
• Analysis of market 
• Plan of production, distribution 
• Marketing plan 
• Financial plan 
• Sales estimates including all assumptions 
• Additional needs or costs for your business- loans, insurance, taxes 

Remember, your business plan is a living document; continually update it as your business grows.

Additional details about business planning, marketing resources and food production resources can be found in additional resources or at: 

• Small Business Association: Writing a Business Plan 
• MDAR Food Processors Resource Manual 
• Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network 
• UMASS Libraries Business Research Guide 

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Thinking of starting your own farm? Make sure you have a detailed business plan to start with. Start your agricultural farming business with this sample business plan.

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ABOUT THE EXAMS:

Double award.

The examination is structured as follows:

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Format: 60 Multiple Choice questions, worth 1 mark each, with questions drawn from the syllabus as follows:

Sections A and D — 20;

Section B — 20;

Section C — 20

Time: 2 hours

Paper Format: This paper consists of three sections , for a total of 60 marks .

Section I: The Business of Farming consists of two (2) compulsory essay-type questions from Sections A and D of the syllabus worth 10 marks each (3 marks on Knowledge and Comprehension and 7 on Application ).

Section II: Crop Production consists of two (2) compulsory essay-type questions from Section B of the syllabus worth 10 marks each (3 marks on Knowledge and Comprehension and 7 on Application ) .

Section III: Animal Production consists of two (2) compulsory essay-type questions from Section C of the syllabus worth 10 marks each (3 marks on Knowledge and Comprehension and 7 on Application ) .

Format: This paper consists of three sections for a total of 60 marks .

Section I: Entrepreneurship and Communication consists of two (2) compulsory structured essay questions from Section F of the syllabus worth 10 marks each (4 marks on Knowledge and Comprehension and 6 on Application) .

Section II: Crop Management Technologies consists of two (2) compulsory structured essay questions from Section E of the syllabus worth 10 marks each (3 marks on Knowledge and Comprehension and 7 on Application ).

Section III: Animal Management Technologies consists of two (2) compulsory structured essay questions from Section E of the syllabus worth 10 marks each (3 marks on Knowledge and Comprehension and 7 on Application ).

Paper 04 (SBA)

Candidates will be required to integrate all the elements of the SBA for the Single Award in addition to the knowledge and skills in Sections E and F of the syllabus.

Therefore students will be required to complete a portfolio which comprises documentation for:

10 practical skills (5 on plant production and management and 5 on livestock production and management) based on Sections B, C, E and F of the syllabus.

A business plan for the establishment of a sustainable agricultural enterprise based on any one of the investigative projects below (20 marks);

One Investigative project that demonstrates the sustainable production and management of crops (worth 20 marks) and two Cost Analyses: one for their production and another for the production of their value-added products (worth 10 marks each);

One investigative project that demonstrates the sustainable production and management of livestock (20 marks) and two Cost Analyses: one for their production and another for the production of their value-added products (worth 10 marks each);

Total marks on the SBA will be 120.

See School Based Assessments for further details.

Note the importance of the SBA which is worth 40% of the total grade.

Note also the weight assigned to the application of skills.

Caribbean Examinations Council (2017). CSEC AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE SYLLABUS. Macmillan Publishers. London.

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Solar and agriculture are at a crossroads in Maine

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State leaders will discuss how to balance solar growth with agricultural uses when they update Maine’s climate change plan  this year.

The discussions will include undeveloped land as well, said Anthony Ronzio, deputy director of strategic communications and public affairs in the governor’s office of policy innovation and the future.

Although five years have passed since solar array projects began their rapid growth across Maine, the future of their relationship to agriculture in the state remains uncertain. Just one man has made a business out of grazing sheep under Maine’s solar arrays since 2020.

Some farmers have kept their land in production by leasing parts to developers to pay the bills. Others are alarmed by the industry’s impacts on farmland access in a strained agricultural economy facing rising land values.

“They’re used to driving around farmland seeing green fields, and now their fields are full of steel,” said Andy Smith, a dairy farmer in Monmouth.

“Dual use” — land used for both solar and agriculture — has been  touted  as a solution, but is growing much more slowly in Maine than elsewhere in the country.  

Michael Dennett, a shepherd based in Jefferson and a science teacher by day, started grazing sheep on solar projects in April 2020. This year, he hired his first subcontractors to help graze nearly 500 sheep on eight to 10 arrays spanning 225 to 250 acres.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be able to buy the farm I envisioned in my mind, but I really loved grazing animals,” he said.

In June 2019, Gov. Janet Mills signed  legislation  creating a boom in the community solar projects where Dennett’s sheep now graze. Incentives were pared down in  2021 , but solar continues to grow.

In 2019, 62 megawatts of solar capacity were installed in Maine; in April 2024, the governor’s office counted 977 . By the end of 2023, nearly 8,000 solar  installations  generated almost 10 percent of the state’s electricity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Growth in the sector is a central pillar of the governor’s plans to increase renewable energy use by 2030.

At the same time, land value and demand has risen — including for farmland, a prime option  for solar. In the 2022 agricultural census , an average acre of Maine farmland was worth $2,860, a 10 percent increase from 2021. ReVision Energy, a solar developer with 41 community solar  farms in the state, offers farmers about $1,500 per acre annually.

The Dennett family bought a homestead in Jefferson with just enough room to overwinter their 165 sheep, which graze on solar farms in summer. The contracts allow him to farm, and he sees possibility for other livestock like poultry to be added.

Dennett is responsible for mowing what the sheep don’t eat. He spends more time on some arrays than anyone else, and sees himself like a technician.

On a good day, Dennett said, his job is great. There is room for more grazers, but he doesn’t know how many.

“It’s a really formative time to show our effectiveness and present the value in keeping some of the land in agricultural use,” he said.

Grazing contracts are typically offered annually. People dependent solely on farming are reluctant to take risks for something that might not be there next year, he said.

Locally, he thinks people don’t know about solar grazing or fear the risks. The state’s sheep flocks are also smaller than in other states like in the Great Plains, where solar grazing is more popular.

From 2017 to 2022, the number of Maine farms dropped from 7,600 to 7,036 and acreage declined from 1,307,613 acres to 1,225,046. That trend predates the solar incentives, the country’s last agricultural census  found.

Some projects have been built on land that was forested . Others used farmland.

Solar developers BlueWave Solar and Longroad Energy, which operate projects in Maine, did not respond to interview requests.

Eighteen working Maine farms have ReVision Energy arrays on their properties, according to project developer Holly Noyes. More than 4,500 people have approached her since 2019, many hoping an array will provide them money to keep farming .

ReVision often turns them away because their properties are too far from three-phase power or local substations don’t have capacity for new projects.

Noyes said many projects are built on marginal land or parcels never used for farming, including the five or six sites where ReVision offers grazing contracts this year. The company expects grazing operations to double in 2025.

As for growing or grazing under panels, Noyes said ReVision is optimistic and planning for the future. Developers are following research  in Massachusetts on growing crops under panels. Blueberry research is also underway in Rockport, with mixed results  so far.

Sheep grazing is the main example of dual use in Maine to date. Goats are too destructive and cows are too tall.

“That’s pretty limiting, if that’s the only agriculture we’re going to engage,” said Andy Smith, who owns The Milkhouse dairy in Monmouth with his partner Caitlin Frame.

Smith joined a solar agriculture stakeholder group that issued recommendations to the state in 2022.

He is pro-solar — his farm is powered by it, with plans to expand capacity. Smith still sees the 2019 legislation as a net positive, but said project competition with farmland has surprised him. 

Smith and Frame talked seriously to a developer about adding dual use to their farm. They wanted to pasture cows under panels, which would require raising the array’s height. The developers decided those modifications were too expensive.

Smith even purchased sheep to enter solar grazing, but grew frustrated with the process and sold his flock to an employee now subcontracting for Dennett.

“If you want to graze sheep, I think there is potential here,” Smith said. “That’s the problem. It’s the only sector of agriculture that seems to be able to access that farmland.”

Shared interest in Maine’s limited farmland by solar companies and farmers has created tension. Livestock farmers in particular often lease much of their land. Developers can pay more for leases than most farmers. The Milkhouse alone has been approached by at least 15 developers, Smith said.

In farming circles, he’s seen resistance against this dynamic, which he thinks could hinder the progress of renewable energy.

Balancing those considerations when determining solar project sites is a priority for the Maine Farmland Trust. The trust supports renewable energy development if it doesn’t significantly reduce food production capacity, according to its policy and research director Shelley Megquier.

“As we see an expansion of renewable energy infrastructure in Maine, we also must make sure that we have the land base to support a robust local and regional food system — and food security for Maine residents,” Megquier said.

Solar grazing could drive rural economic development and become part of local food systems, said Nick Armentrout, who raises sheep in Lyman. Armentrout is president of the American Solar Grazers  Association board and consults  with solar developers nationwide.

“In Maine, it’s been quite modest growth,” he said. “Outside of Maine, it is a practice that has grown exponentially.”

With much more support and effort, solar grazing could support new farmers and even backyard producers here, Armentrout said. Sheep tend to have twins or triplets and their populations can scale up quickly to meet demand.

He will graze his animals on solar in Maine for the first time this year if his permit  applications are approved. Overall, he remains optimistic.

“I want to treat it as something that’s hopeful, because we kind of have to,” Armentrout said.

More articles from the BDN

Elizabeth walztoni.

Elizabeth Walztoni covers rural life for the Homestead section. She came to the Bangor Daily News from the Damariscotta/Newcastle desk of the Lincoln County News. Before becoming a reporter, she worked... More by Elizabeth Walztoni

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MSU’s Veterans Business Outreach Center named VBOC of the Year

Contact: Aspen Harris

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Veterans Business Outreach Center was named the Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration as part of the 2024 National Small Business Week, which runs through May 4.

One of only 28 VBOCs in the country, MSU’s center was awarded the honor by SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, a member of the U.S. Cabinet. Celebrated for more than 60 years, NSBW recognizes the economic contributions of small business owners, advocates and lending partners.

“We are thrilled with this recognition for the Veterans Business Outreach Center. The team does excellent work with their clients, and we’re proud to see them honored for what they do,” said Scott Grawe, dean of the MSU College of Business. “Entrepreneurs and small business owners are an important part of the MSU business community, and we have resources in place to help them succeed.”

Established in 2015, MSU’s VBOC serves the U.S. military community in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. The center provides active duty-transitioning service members, veterans, reservists, National Guard members and military spouses with programs and services to start, grow and expand their small business.

The center provides services including business training, mentoring and referrals. It also offers a two-day Boots to Business Introduction to Entrepreneurship course for transitioning military members, as well the Boots to Business Reboots Introduction to Entrepreneurship course for veterans already separated from the military.

To learn more about the U.S. Small Business Administration, visit www.sba.gov .  For more information on MSU’s Veterans Business Outreach Center, visit www.vboc.msstate.edu .

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu .

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