Our farm is at a crossroads. Do we carry on at our small scale on rented land, or do we take the plunge (and take on a lifetime of debt in the purchase of land) and fulfill our potential growth with the security of long-term occupancy… I’m wondering if anyone can recommend an advisory service or suggest a means of finding a mentor who might aid us in finding clarity in making such a decision. It appears EFAO used to offer an advisor / mentor service, but that is not currently in operation. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Hey Andrew. I feel for you! Although I haven’t taken all of the training, I have worked a bit with Holistic Management, and have really appreciated the mentoring of Tony and Fran McQuail, the Holistic Management trainers in Ontario. It’s an approach that really helps you discern your core values and goals as a foundation for making difficult decisions in a thorough and systematic way. I think you should be able to google Holistic Management to learn more, or reach out to the McQuails to see if they’ve got a course or a mentoring opening sometime soon.
Hey Val. Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into that!
For now, I’ve been in touch with the Fair Finance Fund. They offer a mentorship service to help with business planning and financial management. A credible and objective opinion is really what I’m looking for, and from our conversations so far, I think I’ve found that.