My Business is Farming 2: Vision Statements and Core Values

We sat down and made a list of all the things we wanted to do on the farm - how is that list by the way? - and we narrowed it down to our core enterprise.  This is our money maker.  The enterprise onto which all of our other farm enterprises will be built and funded.  We need to think about what we want to do with our core enterprise.

This is where a mission/vision statement comes into play.  We need to dream big here.  What is it you want your farm to be?  What do you want to provide?  It can be several things.  Here's what we want to do at Imagines Farm.

• Make organic food the most affordable food out there.  This is the only true way toward food justice.  Additionally it will force chemical growers to abandon their ways as our way will be more profitable.

• To follow Nature's lead and help her produce that food.  Not imposing our will and forcing things to grow but allowing Nature to do what it does best.  

• To create and improve our local economy so that it directly benefits the community in which we live and do business.

• To steward a place of beauty for our family and yours.

So how do we boil all that down into one or two sentences?  Typically the visions statement is one sentence of about 15 words.  I say try and get it in no more than two sentences and you'll be doing great.  Besides you can always refine it as you get going.  Plus you want it to be inspiring.  This is your beacon that you'll start measuring everything against.  How does doing this on the farm contribute to our overall vision of the farm?  That is an important question and one rarely asked.  By not asking is how a farm ends up with a bunch of enterprises that are disjointed and aren't producing the maximum income if any.

Our first shot at it we came up with:  "To change farming for the better and create a healthy family, farm, and community along the way."  Will it stay?  I don't know.  We'll see how we feel about it when we start looking at our guiding principles and setting goals.  But the important thing to know here is that it is OK to change it if we need to. 

This is also a good place to take a look at your core values.  What qualities about life do you value the most.  What things, if they didn't exist in your life, would make life unbearable?  Our list included:  self sufficiency, freedom, environmentally conscious, frugality, social responsibility, stewardship, integrity, and honesty. 

Every successful business has been able to meld their core values into their business dealings.  It helps define your business and it shows.  We all know businesses out there who seem like they don't stand for anything except to get your money.  Doing business with them is never a pleasure.  In the end everything we do is about building relationships.  We want to make sure that we build positive relationships.  Identifying your vision and core values is a great start!