dairy farming business plan samples

Dairy Farm Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Dairy Farm Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Dairy Farm business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Dairy Farms.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Dairy Farm business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm is a startup dairy farm located in Cashton, Wisconsin. The company is founded by Jon and Susan Hartford, former managers of a corporate dairy farm business. Jon and Susan managed the production of milk, cheese and yogurt on ten farms within their former business and successfully grew the business in eight years from 1M to 4M in yearly revenue. They are known for their respectful, flexible and visionary management style.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will provide a fresh alternative to corporate dairy farming. Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will provide a one-stop shop for artisan cheeses, goat and cow milk, goat, sheep and cow cheeses, and a variety of garden fresh produce. All are organically processed and prepared for individual customers who are seeking the purity of organic, wholesome milk, cheese and produce.

Product Offering

The following are the products and services that Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will provide:

• Organic cow and goat milk
• Organic cream and half-and-half
• Organic artisan cow, sheep and goat cheeses
• Organic fresh daily produce from the Pleasant Hill garden
• Garden and farm tours for guests
• Event venue: garden and farm locations
• Volunteer “Farmer for a Day” Program

Customer Focus

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will target all residents and visitors within the region. They will target consumers seeking artisan cheeses and vendors who sell the cheeses. They will target wedding planners and other party organizers. They will target volunteers for special programs that highlight the community importance of privately-owned farms.

Management Team

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be owned and operated by Jon and Susan Hartford. They’ve recruited their former associate, Tom Watkins, to be their new Field Manager. In addition, they’ve recruited Sheila Watkins to be the Office Manager and caretaker of forms, filing and administrative tasks.

Success Factors

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team of Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm
• Unique artisan cheeses, organic milks, fresh produce and other farm-fresh items.
• Event venues for small or large parties and weddings, each with sunset views, garden patios and comfortable seating for guests.
• Opportunities for consumers to experience small farming via “Farmer for a Day” and other introductory experiences.
• Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm offers the best pricing in town. Their pricing structure is the most cost-effective compared to the competition.

Financial Highlights

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm.

Company Overview

Who is pleasant hill dairy farm.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm is a newly established, owner-operated dairy farm in Cashton, Wisconsin. Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be the unique, cost-effective, and engaging authentic dairy farm for visitors from the city and the surrounding communities. Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will provide a comprehensive menu of artisan cheeses, milks and product for all customers to purchase. Their unique approach includes an offer for visitors to become a “Farmer for a Day” to better understand the importance of private farming by families rather than large conglomerates.

  Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be able to produce a variety of flavorful organic cheeses, organic milk from cows and goats, and a dairy selection of fresh produce from the farm. In addition, visitors can experience the joys of farming and get a “hands on” feeling for the occupation by becoming farmers for one day. The addition of offering event venues captures the beauty of the farm and will add to the revenue of the farm by maximizing the use of the land and natural beauty of the area. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in dairy farming and the hospitality industry.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm provides exceptional artisan cheeses not to be found elsewhere and organic milks that consumers are searching for. The staff prides itself on delivering the best customer service as they engage with enthusiasm on behalf of their private farm-based business.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm History

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm was purchased in 2018 by Jon and Susan Harfford. They have grown the 20 acre farm and animal population to include 5 acres of farm produce available year round and livestock including 45 sheep, 22 goats and 35 dairy cows. The Hartfords built barns, tack rooms, offices and a small store to accommodate all that is necessary to provide and sell products to the general public. They also constructed event venue areas for special occasions to add to the revenue stream for their business. Their approach is that consumers will love the artisan flavors of organic cheeses and appreciate their organic milks. The produce sold will be fresh from their gardens every day, which is appealing to consumers.

Since incorporation, Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm, LLC to transact business in the state of Wisconsin.
• Has a contract in place for a 10,000 square foot office near the entrance of their farm Reached out to numerous contacts to include Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm as an event venue.
• Contacted wholesalers with invitations to sell Pleasant Hill cheeses and milks.
• Began recruiting a staff of six and office personnel to work at Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm Products and Services

The following will be the products and services Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will provide:

• Uncured fresh artisan cheeses
• Cured and aged artisan cheeses
• Goat, sheep and cow yogurt
• Fresh farm produce harvested daily
• Farm tours for visitors
• “Farmer for a Day” guest program
• Event venues for weddings and parties

Industry Analysis

The dairy farm industry is expected to grow over the next five years to over $66 billion. The growth will be driven by consumers’ interest and consumption of organic dairy products and produce. In addition, the growth will also be driven by the consumers’ interest in sustainable farming methods. Many, if not most, consumers also look toward future farming practices that embrace advanced agricultural practices and technology, while at the same time minimizing the ecological footprint.

While some of the costs will increase due to the expense of livestock welfare requirements and farming supplies, including feed, the costs will decrease as artisan cheeses are introduced and consumers become familiar with the specialized, rich flavors of organic cheese, milk and yogurt products. Farms will become more valuable as land ownership shifts, however the farms that include a variety of uses for their farms, such as event venues, community outreach programs and other offers, will see appreciation for farms by consumers also grow.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market, customer segmentation.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• All residents and visitors in the region of Cashton
• Consumers shopping for organic produce and dairy products
• Consumers shopping for artisan cheeses
• Event organizers and wedding planners
• Consumers seeking a farming experience or expanded knowledge of the land

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

PureBloom Dairy Ranch

PureBloom Dairy Ranch is owned and operated by the Granger Corporation, a C-corporation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company includes over 100 employees, along with multiple ranch managers and field staff. PureBloom Dairy Ranch is owned in conjunction with 56 ranches within the corporation, where milk and milk products are derived from large herds of Holstein cows. The corporation sells the milk and milk products primarily to chain retail grocery stores within Wisconsin and several neighboring states.

PureBloom Dairy Ranch provides milk and milk products to grocery stores within the Cashton region and also provides milk to the school district and state government eateries under yearly contracts. The milk and milk products are the products of cows that have ingested antibiotics; the milk and milk products are not organic.

Evergreen Dairy Farm

Evergreen Dairy Farm is owned and operated by Tracy Hanson, who specializes in providing cheeses for aficionados around the nation. The cheese is made from the milk of goats and sheep and is often cured for over one year while ripening. Flavors of the Evergreen Farm cheeses include Blue River cheese, French Pastry Cream Cheese, and other select artisan cheeses. The cheeses sold by Evergreen Dairy Farm are offered at twice the price of Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm cheeses, due to long ripening times and the costs associated with creating small batch cheeses for ecommerce returns. The company was founded in 2018 and has a small, faithful following of cheese lovers from around the nation.

Townsend & Hatch Farms

Larry Townsend and Gerry Hatch formed the Townsend & Hatch Farms in 2015 to carry on their family tradition of dairy farming. The 126-acre farm holds sheep, cows, goats and llamas, all prized for their rich, creamy milk products. Townsend & Hatch Farms has a primary focus of providing high-end consumer goods to specialty providers within the US dairy industry. As such, they do not offer sales within the local area, but provide bulk orders of milk products to select customers in restaurants, upscale spas and resorts. Their pricing of products is generally 150% higher than that of other organic milk farmers. The reputation of Townsend & Hatch Farms has grown exponentially over the past eight years and the company has grown to a 3M enterprise with several ranch and field managers and office staff.

Competitive Advantage

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of skilled employees who are able to provide pure, organic milks and milk products at reasonable prices.
• Unique artisan cheeses available only at Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm
• Opportunities for community learning and engagement via “Farmer for a Day” programs and guest tours of the farm
• Farm fresh, organic produce offered daily
• Event venues of weddings and other occasions located in serene, beautiful surroundings
• Unbeatable pricing for their customers; they will offer the lowest pricing in the city.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategies for Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm are as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm has built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise in their former managerial roles. The contacts will follow Jon and Susan Hartford to their new company and help spread the word of Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm.

Professional Associations and Networking

Jon and Susan Hartford will join various community and trade associations. This will increase their visibility within the artisan and organic milk products market.

Print Advertising

Two weeks prior to launch, a direct-mail piece will be sent to all Cashton city and regional residents, inviting them to visit Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm to tour the farm. They will also be offered discounted pricing for milk, yogurt and artisan cheeses. During the launch, visitors will be offered taste-testings of cheeses to encourage purchases.

Website/SEO Marketing

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm provides. The website will also list their contact information and list their available products for sale. The website will engage in SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “organic milk” or “Dairy farm near me,” Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm. Operation Functions:

• Jon Hartford will be the owner and President of the company. He will oversee all staff and manage client relations.
• Susan Hartford will be the Vice President of the company. She will oversee the growth of the business in property development and herd growth. Jon and Susan have spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Tom Watkins, their former Ranch Manager, will become their new Field Manager.
• Sheila Watkins, a former associate, will become the Office Manager and caretaker of forms, filing and administrative tasks.

Milestones:

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to build office space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm wholesale clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at association and trade events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm office
• 7/1/202X – Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm opens its doors for business

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm will be owned and operated by Jon and Susan Hartford. They recruited Tom Watkins to be their new Field Manager. In addition, they’ve recruited Sheila Watkins to be the Office Manager and caretaker of forms, filing and administrative tasks.

Jon Hartford and Susan Hartford were formerly employees of a large conglomerate dairy ranch company. Together, they managed fields and operations for eight years. During that time, they became convinced that dairy farms could operate more efficiently and produce better quality milk and milk products by becoming smaller and privatized, while concnetrating on organic farming methods. Together, they took certification courses at the University of Wisconsin in Organic Farming Practices and both won their certifications.

Jon and Susan Hartford recruited Tom Watkins, a former associate Field Manager, to become the Field Manager for their new business. Tom is known as an exemplary field manager, highly-knowledgeable about the livestock in the fields, and responsive to all requests and needs within his position.

Sheila Watkins was also recruited to become the Office Manager. She worked with Jon and Susan for eight years and is known for her honesty and highly-organized administrative skills.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm are the fees they will charge to consumers for their products and services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Pleasant Hill Dairy Farm is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its dairy farm. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and association memberships. The breakout of the funding is below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Customers Per Month: 205
• Average Revenue per Month: $30,250
• Office Build Out Costs: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, dairy farm business plan faqs, what is a dairy farm business plan.

A dairy farm business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your dairy farm business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Dairy Farm business plan using our Dairy Farm Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Dairy Farm Businesses? 

There are a number of different kinds of dairy farm businesses , some examples include: Freestall dairy farm, Drylot dairy farm, and Pasture-based dairy farm.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Dairy Farm Business Plan?

Dairy Farm businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Dairy Farm Business?

Starting a dairy farm business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Dairy Farm Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed dairy farm business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your dairy farm business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your dairy farm business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Dairy Farm Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your dairy farm business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your dairy farm business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Dairy Farm Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your dairy farm business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your dairy farm business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

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FREE 5+ Dairy Farm Business Plan Samples in MS Word | Google Docs | Apple Pages | PDF

Many people consume dairy as part of their staple food to consume almost daily. Products with dairy such as milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, and other dairy products came from cow’s milk To obtain the milk from these cows, dairy farms are established to milk them and then sell their milk to manufacturers who use cows milk to produce food products such as mentioned above. If you have the capacity and interest to start a dairy farm, one of the things you need to prepare is a business plan. A business plan will serve as your guide to running your business efficiently. Read the article to know how to make a dairy farm business plan.

Dairy Farm Business Plan

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A dairy farm is where female livestock , particularly cows but also including goats, buffalo, donkeys, and other livestock, are raised to produce milk to use to produce dairy products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and milk. Their milk is also used for non-food purposes too. Farmers who work in dairy farms do the following activities almost daily:

• Milk the cows
• Feed the cows
• Help mother cows give birth to baby calves

The first page of your business plan is your cover page where you write down the name of your business, the address of your business, your name as the owner, and the date when the business plan is completed.

The next page, which also serves as the first section of the business plan, is your  executive summary . This section must give an overview of every section of your business plan without exceeding more than one page. It should highlight your business’ mission statement, the legal structure of your business, the scope of work, goods or services you offer, your requested amount of funding from investors or lending companies, your financial investment in the business, and your long-term goals.

Describe your  business  by including comprehensive details such as the location of your dairy farm, its business entity, the products or service you sell or offer, the size of your business, the history of the whole business your mission, values, and goals statements, and the nature of your business. Describe your dairy farm’s location such as its topography and zoning details.

Transition then to describe your target market, the purpose why your business exists, and your competitive advantage against your competition. Attach all the permits, certifications, and licenses you acquired that let you operate your business legally and ethically.

Describe your everyday tasks and operation in your dairy farm. You can use a process map to make it easier to understand your processes and procedures. Don’t forget to describe your productivity rate, and the equipment, vehicles, tools, fixtures, furniture, and other inventory items that are required to run your business.

You also need to include details of  risk management  and assessment. This is important to include in your business plan since your risk management prevents your business from falling apart.

Describe your organization using an organization chart where you list down the names of each of your staff and their responsibilities in the dairy farm. List also their background information. Include information about your contractors such as your suppliers who provide you equipment or other products that you will need for your farm.

Write down the details of your marketing strategies. Your marketing strategies are crucial processes to successfully bring customers to your farm. Describe how your strategies can bring you profit and attract your target market.

Your financial plan should describe your 3 or 5-year  financial statement . It must include your income statement, the current capital, profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and projected cash flow statements.

Your costs of starting a farm depend on the location and size of the farm, the number of animals you have, the food and water that you will feed to them, and the equipment and gear you use to till the land and create a barn and milking system to house and milk your cows.

The profit a dairy farm earns depends on the size and the number of cows they have. Large farms earn more than $270 while farms with less than 200 cows earn around $160 or even less.

According to the  Census of Agriculture , there are 54,599 dairy farms in the United States in the year 2017.

Once you’re done writing your business plan, make sure to review it and revise any errors and inaccuracies you’ll spot. Make sure your business plan not only looks professional but also it is clear and comprehensible enough for your readers to understand it right away. To help you get started on making a business plan for your dairy farm business, download our free sample templates provided above!

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Dairy Farm Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Dairy Farming Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their dairy farming businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a dairy farming business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Dairy Farm Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your dairy farm as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Dairy Farm

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

Sources of Funding for Dairy Farming Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a dairy business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your 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 confirm 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 dairy farming businesses.

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How to write a business plan for a dairy farming business.

If you want to start a dairy business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below we detail what should be included in each section of your dairy farming business plan:  

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your dairy farming 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 type of dairy farm you are operating and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a dairy farm that you would like to grow, or are you operating dairy farming businesses in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the dairy farm industry. Discuss the type of dairy farm you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of dairy farm you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of dairy farming businesses:

• Freestall dairy farm : this type of dairy farm provides plenty of ventilation for ultimate comfort for the cow as well as freestall barns which allow the cows more freedom to eat, drink, and rest wherever they like.
• Drylot dairy farm: this type of dairy farm is suitable for drier climates and cows are given access to shade and shelter on a large dry-dirt lot for relaxation. The cows have plenty of room for feed and water and free reign to eat and drink as they please.
• Pasture-based dairy farm: this type of dairy farm is a more traditional setup where cows receive an “all access pass” to green pastures to graze and rest when they are not being milked in the milking parlor. This type of dairy farm also provides cows feed and water in the barns and provide enough cover for inclement weather when needed.

In addition to explaining the type of dairy farm you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your dairy farming business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

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

Industry Analysis

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

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

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

The third reason for market research 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 the industry analysis section of your dairy farming business plan:

• How big is the dairy farm 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 market for your dairy farm? 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.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your dairy farming business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: grocery retailers, families, and individual buyers. 

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of dairy farm you operate. Clearly, families would respond to different marketing promotions than grocery retailers, for example.

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

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

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Competitive Analysis

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

Direct competitors are other local dairy farms. 

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes grocery stores, farmers markets, milk alternatives (vegan), etc.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other dairy farming businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be dairy farms located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses 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 type of dairy farm are they?
• What areas do they serve?
• What types of customers do they serve?
• 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 provide dairy farm products that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will your cows be raised in a better facility?
• 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.  

Marketing Plan

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

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of dairy farm that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific services you will be offering. For example, in addition to dairy farm products, will you provide a petting zoo, cheese making training, and any other services?

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

Place : Place refers to the location of your dairy farm. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your dairy farm located in a rural setting, on the outskirts of a metropolitan area, the countryside, etc. Discuss how your location might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your dairy farm marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Commercials
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising
• Word-of-mouth

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your dairy farming 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 dairy farm, including cleaning and maintaining the dairy farm and cows, milking the cows, bottling of milk, cheese production, marketing, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to obtain your XXth customer, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your dairy farm to a new location.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your dairy farm’ ability 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 dairy farms. 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 like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a dairy farm or a large profitable farm.

Financial Plan

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 revenues 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, will you start with X number of cows or will you expand your cow inventory slowly ? And will sales 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 dairy farm, 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 bank 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 make sure 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. 

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a dairy farm:

• Cost of dairy farm construction and barn build-out
• Cost of dairy farm supplies, cows, and equipment
• Cost of marketing the dairy farm
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

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 list of products your dairy farm will offer, types of customers you will be targeting, and the areas your dairy farm will serve.  

Putting together a business plan for your dairy farming business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the dairy farm industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful dairy farm.  

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