The Certified Organic Associations of BC provides support for this site: encouraging organic and alternative food production in Canada by improving accessibility to organic farming content online.

The Business of Farming

Advice and assistance in running your Canadian organic business

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]
Young and Beginning Farmers: Business information site on farming. (AAC)
BC Agricultural Land Commission and The Agriculture Land Reserve
Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism: Farming for Profit and Sustainability Resource Manual [USDA]
Rural Development Strategies in Canada: "the search for solutions." [PDF, 250k]
The Business Of Organic Farming: Vermont Public Radio - audio.

Employees & Training
Courses in Organic Agriculture (OACC)
Student employment opportunities in organic agriculture (OACC)
Organic Farming Apprenticeship Program Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm
Farm Workers: BC Government Employments Standards fact sheet.
BC Government: Ministry of Labour Information for Agriculture Workers and Employers.
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
Good Work Canada Green job site for job seekers and employees

Legal
* Acts, Codes & Regulations: for British Columbia and Canada.
A Guide to Farmland Access Agreements Leases, Profits à Prendre, Licences and Memoranda of Understanding.
Environmental claims: A guide for industry and advertisers

Finance & Insurance
Federal and Regional Farm Grants - a wiki-site dedicated to making Canadian farm-related grants accessible to farmers
Farm Credit Canada
Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) Program
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 & Estate Planning
Tax Planning for Canadian Farmers (BDO Dunwoody)
Estate Planning Checklist for Farm Families (BCMAL)
Farm Succession Planning Steps And Checklist (Ont. MAFRA)
Working Together - transferring the farm (CFBMC)

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

Export
Draft Canadian Position on US Bioterrorism Act regulations: [PDF 62k]
FDA'S Food Terrorism Regulation: Registration of Food Facilities Protecting the Food Supply

Tools and assistance

Free, Interactive business planner
Interactive Business Planner Prepare a 3-year business plan.
Farm map-making
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
Benchmark for Success CD - Assess the financial performance of your farm
Budgeting Certified Organic Versus Non-Organic Budgets.
Farm Advisory Services. Canadian Farm Business Management Council
Farm Energy to facilitate successful energy business decisions (CFBMC)

see also USEFUL LINKS

A farm includes the passion of the farmer's heart, the interest of the farm's customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm — it's everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism.” — Joel Salatin

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