Good Roots blog

Regenerative Certification Won't Raise Your Price

tymothe@growgoodroots.com (Tymothe Meskel) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 21:59:39 GMT

You run 180 cow-calf pairs. In March, the buyer who takes roughly 40% of your finished animals called and said they'd need you certified regenerative by next season. They were friendly about it. They did not mention paying you more.

You've been turning it over since. Everyone at the co-op has an opinion, the certification websites are all upside, and nobody has given you a number.

So let's find one.

I'm going to skip the part where I tell you regenerative commands a premium, because I can't show you one I'd defend in front of your banker. What I can do is show you where the money actually moves when a certification lands on your operation — and give you two calculations you can run this week on your own books.

Certification Is a Cost Center Until You Prove Otherwise

Start by treating this like any other capital decision, because that's what it is. The costs arrive in four buckets, and only the first one shows up on an invoice.

The fees. Application, annual certification, and the audit. These are the numbers the certifier will quote you, and they're the smallest part of the total.

The practice change. Cover crop seed, fencing for rotation, a water line to a paddock that doesn't have one. Real capital, spent before any of it is verified.

The paperwork. Soil tests, records, the whole-farm plan. Someone has to produce all of it, and that someone is usually you, at nine at night, in the season when you have the least room for it.

The labor floor. Some certifications carry wage requirements. If yours does, that's not a one-time cost — it's a permanent change to your cost of production.

Say the fees run $3,000 a year, the practice change costs $18,000 up front, and the paperwork eats 120 hours of your time. Price your own hour at $35 — most producers price it at zero, which is its own problem — and here's what year one looks like:


Certification fees	$3,000
Practice change, year one	$18,000
Your time, 120 hrs at $35	$4,200
Year-one cost	$25,200

Hypothetical numbers, but the shape is right, and the shape is the point. You are looking at a five-figure decision, and the premium column is empty.

The Savings Are Real. They're Just Not on the Invoice.

Here's the part the cost math above misses. Producers who make this transition often spend less afterward — less fuel, less fertilizer, less irrigation, sometimes less labor. Those reductions are genuine, and for some operations they've been the difference between staying in business and not.

But I can't tell you what they'll be for your ground, and neither can anyone selling you a certification. Soil, rainfall, and what you're already doing determine it entirely.

So don't estimate. Measure. Pull your last three years of fuel, fertilizer, seed, and irrigation spend per acre. That's your baseline. Any honest projection of savings starts there and nowhere else.

The Number That Actually Decides This

Now go back to the phone call. Your buyer takes 40% of your finished animals. That reframes the whole question.

This was never premium versus cost. It's revenue-at-risk versus cost. If saying no means that buyer sources elsewhere next season, the relevant figure isn't the $25,200 — it's what 40% of your annual revenue is worth, and how long it would take to replace it.

4% net operating margin. Year to date across Good Roots' own direct-to-consumer benchmark cohort, Q3 2025.

At a margin that thin, a $25,200 cost is not a rounding error — but neither is losing your largest account. That's the trade, stated plainly. And you cannot evaluate it without knowing your cost of production per head, which is the number this whole decision rests on and the one most operations don't have.

Watch out. That 4% describes Good Roots' direct-to-consumer clients, not American agriculture, and not necessarily your operation. It's a reference point for how little cushion these businesses run on — not a target, and not a forecast for your books.

Run This Today

Run this today. Two calculations, about an hour. First, your cost of production per head: total costs for the enterprise, divided by head finished. If you've never separated the cow-calf enterprise from everything else on the operation, do that first — a profitable enterprise can hide a losing one for years. Second, your revenue at risk: annual revenue from that one buyer, and how many seasons it would honestly take to replace them. If the second number is larger than your year-one certification cost, you have your answer. If it isn't, you have a negotiation to open instead.

Quick Takeaways

Certification is a cost decision, not a pricing strategy. Evaluate it that way and the math gets clear fast.

Four cost buckets, and three of them never reach an invoice. Fees are the small one. Practice change, paperwork hours, and any wage floor are where the real money sits — and the paperwork lands in the season you can least afford it.

Measure your input baseline before you project any savings. Three years of fuel, fertilizer, seed, and water per acre.

The deciding number is revenue at risk. Not the premium.

Your buyer isn't the adversary in this. They're responding to their own retailers, and they called you because they want to keep buying from you. But they can't tell you whether this pencils out on your operation, and it isn't their job to. That's yours — and it's exactly the kind of decision that gets easier when you know your numbers cold and harder when you're guessing.

What would it cost you, this year, to say yes? If you can't answer that in under an hour with the records you have, that's the more urgent problem.

Dragonfly Hill Farm & Kitchen: Turning a business into a brand

Admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:48:18 GMT

Careful planning and creative branding turned the idea into a reality.

From product packaging to market signs to wholesale materials, the brand is now consistent and polished everywhere it goes. The result is instant curiosity and more trust, all before customers ever take a bite.

"The new branding makes people really curious to see what I’m selling. EVERYONE loves the whole concept of it, from the logo to the table runners to the flyers and the postcard. It makes it easier to sell—I don't have to do as much talking!”

How We Helped

When Wandy came to Good Roots, she had a million ideas for her new business. Our first step was to help her focus on a step-by-step plan to get the brand off the ground before exploring other options.

Given her limited growing space, Wandy needed a strategy to maximize her revenue. Simply selling raw garlic crops wasn't enough. By expanding into value-added products like butters, pesto, and ice cream, she could significantly increase the value derived from her field crops.

We helped her determine the cost of creating these value-added products, which in turn informed her pricing strategy, allowing her to confidently take her products to market.
Once the foundation was set, we turned our attention to branding. From product packaging to market signs to wholesale materials, the brand is now consistent and polished everywhere it goes. The result is instant curiosity and more trust, all before customers ever take a bite.

To expand her reach, we provided social media coaching, helping Wandy spread the word and engage with a broader audience.

Today, Wandy has transformed from a one-woman show into a small business that has hired its first part-time help—a significant milestone. This journey from idea to brand shows how strategic planning and strong branding can turn a vision into a successful business.

Why Farm Profitability is Central to Resilient, Regenerative Agriculture & Food Systems - Good Roots

Lindsey Sorah — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:27:08 GMT

A featured interview with Lindsey Sorah of Good Roots.

Achieving farm profitability can be a barrier for organic and regenerative farmers at all scales but is essential for long-term sustainability. Farm and food business consultancy, Good Roots, is working to address this. Director of Business Consulting, Lindsey Sorah, spends much of her time working closely with farmers and food business leaders to ensure their businesses can thrive both in the field and in the office. RFSI spoke to Lindsey about some of the barriers that farmers and agricultural businesses face, how Good Roots supports them, and why potential capital, strategic and value chain partners need to pay attention.

Sarah Day Levesque, RFSI: Tell us a little bit about who Lindsey Sorah is – in your role at Good Roots and back home on the farm?

Lindsey Sorah, Good Roots: As the Director of Business Consulting at Good Roots, I help farmers and agribusinesses build profitable, sustainable operations. My work is deeply personal, rooted in my grandparents’ farm in Southern Illinois, where I learned the value of land and community and what is at stake for family farms and our food system as a whole. On our 10-acre farm near Athens, Georgia, my family and I have grown vegetables and cut flowers over the past 8 years utilizing regenerative practices like no-till and cover cropping. At Good Roots, I combine this hands-on experience with strategic consulting to guide farmers toward financial resilience, ensuring they can thrive while stewarding the land.

Lindsey Sorah, Director of Business Consulting, Good Roots

RFSI: What brought you to farming and business consulting?

Lindsey: Growing up, I learned how my grandparents’ farm sustained their family but also faced economic pressures. That inspired me to study agriculture and business, eventually leading to my own farm. I started consulting because I saw too many passionate farmers struggling with cash flow, market access, or operational inefficiencies—not because they lacked skill, but because they needed better business tools. At Good Roots, I found a platform to blend my love for farming with my knack for strategy, helping others succeed in sustainable agriculture while scaling impact.

RFSI: At the Women Transforming Food & Finance event last month, you shared what that journey into farming was like for you. Can you tell us a little about your journey to becoming a farmer was like?

Lindsey: The early years were a steep learning curve. I faced challenges like understanding soil health, managing cash flow, and navigating unpredictable weather. There were plenty of failures, like my first attempt at growing tomatoes which ended with a high tunnel that was closed up during a heat wave and left us with charred plants just as they were fruiting – a disaster for sure. This was my first lesson on humility and persistence in farming but certainly not my last. But there were also successes, like harvesting our first crops and seeing the community embrace our produce. My background in business gave me tools to approach farming strategically—whether it was creating budgets or marketing our farm’s story. Over time, I built a sustainable operation that balances profitability with regenerative practices, like cover cropping and crop rotation, to care for the land.

What’s been most transformative is the community I’ve found in agriculture. At the Women Transforming Food & Finance event, I connected with other women leaders who share this passion for reshaping food systems. Their stories of innovation and resilience reminded me why I started: to create a legacy of sustainability. Farming has taught me that it’s not just about growing food—it’s about growing a future where everyone has access to healthy, ethically produced food.

RFSI: Can you tell us briefly who Good Roots – and you, in your role – serve and how?

Lindsey: Good Roots serves small to medium-scale farmers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses with revenues ranging from $250,000 to $20 million, and all committed to sustainable and regenerative practices. As Director of Business Consulting, I work with clients to strengthen their operations through tailored strategies—whether it’s Fractional CFO coaching, leadership development, improving financial planning, or accessing new markets. We provide hands-on support, from marketing to succession planning, ensuring farmers have the tools to achieve profitability while aligning with their values of environmental and community stewardship.

RFSI: You mention “Fractional CFO Coaching” can you explain what this is and what businesses you work get out of it?

Fractional CFO Coaching is a hybrid service where Good Roots, as a fractional Chief Financial Officer, provides part-time, strategic financial leadership to businesses while also coaching their leaders or teams to build financial acumen and implement sustainable financial practices. Unlike a full-time CFO, we work on a contract basis offering high-level expertise without the cost of a full-time executive. The “coaching” aspect focuses on empowering business owners, managers, or staff with the skills to understand and manage their finances and teams effectively, so they can make data-driven decisions independently over time. This includes guiding them through budgeting, cash flow management, financial forecasting, leadership training and strategic planning, tailored to their unique needs.

RFSI: It sounds like Good Roots provides a wide range of services – why not focus on one thing, like marketing or business accounting?

Lindsey: Profitability isn’t a one-trick pony. A farm might have great branding but still struggle with high input costs, or solid accounting but no market access. Good Roots takes a holistic approach because farms are complex systems—success requires aligning production, finances, marketing, and operations. By offering comprehensive services, we address the interconnected challenges farmers face, helping them build resilient businesses that can weather economic and environmental uncertainties.

RFSI: What do you see presenting the most barriers for farmers/farms as they try to achieve profitability?

Lindsey: Small to medium-scale farmers face significant financial hurdles that threaten their profitability. Cash flow is a critical issue—most farms fail because they run out of cash, unable to cover operating expenses during lean seasons or while waiting for crop or market returns. High input costs, such as seeds, equipment, and labor, strain budgets, while volatile markets create uncertainty in revenue streams. Limited access to capital further complicates their ability to invest in growth or weather economic challenges. Many farmers also lack the time or expertise to navigate complex financial systems or secure premium markets, trapping them in low-margin cycles.

RFSI: What are things you focus on when you work with a farm or farm business to address this?

Lindsey: We start by diving into the financial story of the farm business—where it’s been and where it’s going. Our goal is to operationalize the financials to build a clear path to profitability. This means creating realistic budgets, conducting margin analysis to identify high-return products or practices, and managing cash flow to ensure liquidity during lean periods. We also perform market assessments to connect farmers with premium buyers or direct-to-consumer channels that boost revenue. By aligning these strategies, we help farmers reduce costs, diversify income, and build financial resilience to sustain their operations long-term.

RFSI: In the investing space, there is often a (false) perception that mission and margin are mutually exclusive. Do you think farmers face the same tension between their mission-driven work on the farm and profitability?

Lindsey: Farmers absolutely face this tension. Many are driven by a mission to feed communities, steward the land, or build resilient food systems, but profitability is the fuel that keeps that mission alive. Without profit, farmers can’t invest in their operations, hire skilled labor, or expand their impact. At Good Roots, we show farmers that mission and margin are not at odds—sound financial practices, like disciplined budgeting, cash flow management, and strategic market positioning, can increase returns over time. These profits enable farmers to scale their mission, whether that’s growing more food or mentoring the next generation, proving that financial success and purpose go hand in hand.

RFSI: Why do you think it is important to demystify the conversation about profitability and around asking for help for farmers?

Lindsey: Farmers are often proud, independent folks—it’s part of the culture. But avoiding tough conversations about money or hesitating to seek help can lead to burnout or farm loss. I want to normalize asking for support, whether it’s consulting, financing, or peer networks. Profitability isn’t about greed; it’s about ensuring farmers can keep farming. By demystifying these discussions, we empower farmers to see business strategy as a tool for resilience, not a betrayal of their values.

RFSI: Why should investors/funders/ financiers be mindful of this? And how can they and others in our community recognize this and support this?

Lindsey: Investors and financiers must recognize that farm profitability is the foundation of resilient food systems—without it, we lose the farmers driving sustainable agriculture. Many farmers find financing intimidating, with complex applications and terms that feel burdensome. To support them, investors should offer flexible financing, like low-interest loans or extended repayment terms, and simplify the process with clear guidance and hands-on support to reduce barriers. Investing in infrastructure, such as processing facilities or market access programs, also helps farmers thrive. Community members can advocate for policies that reward sustainable practices and fund farmer training. By making financing more accessible and supporting farmers through the process, investors and communities ensure investments deliver both environmental and financial returns.

RFSI: Zooming out a little, what do you think the connection is between on-farm profitability and the agricultural system/farm community’s ability to transition more sustainable and regenerative practices?

Lindsey: Profitability is the backbone of a sustainable agricultural system. Farmers need financial stability to invest in regenerative practices like cover cropping or agroforestry, which require upfront costs and time to yield benefits. Stable profits allow them to take risks, adopt new technologies, and build resilience against climate shocks. A profitable farm community also fosters collaboration—farmers can share knowledge, form cooperatives, or mentor new growers. When farmers thrive economically, they drive systemic change, scaling regenerative practices that benefit soil, biodiversity, and food security.

Read the original post here.

What to Expect When You Work with Good Roots

Jackson@growgoodroots.com (Jackson Baker) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:18:05 GMT

Your roadmap to clear finances, stronger operations, and sustainable growth

Working with Good Roots is designed to be supportive, structured, and built around the people doing the work. Whether you're looking to clean up your books, build a brand that sells, or turn things around fast, our goal is to help you get clarity, reduce stress, and make confident decisions about your farm or food business.

Here’s how we support our clients, step by step.

Step 1: Get clarity with a free consultation

It starts with a free consultation focused on you, your business, and what feels most urgent right now.

Clients begin by filling out this form. Within two days, a team member will follow up to schedule an introductory call.

Before the call, we’ll send a mutual NDA so we can speak openly about your finances, operations, and challenges. If you already shared details in the form, we may ask for relevant financial or planning documents so we can come prepared. If not, that’s okay. We can use the introductory call to figure out what information would be most useful.

On that call, you can expect:

A conversation about your goals, constraints, and timeline.
Clarifying questions to understand where things stand today.
Practical guidance and next steps, even if we’re not the right fit. We can point you toward helpful tools and resources depending on your needs, such as grant writers, non-profit sponsors, and partner organizations in our network.

There’s no pressure or obligation in having a call. Our goal is to help you leave the call with more clarity than you had going in.

Step 2: Define the right path forward

If it feels like a good fit, we’ll bring in the right experts from our team to help shape a clear plan.

This usually includes a discovery call with someone from our Client Relations team and a director from our Marketing, Accounting, or Business Consulting teams. Together, we’ll:

Refine your goals
Clarify priorities
Identify the services that will best support your goals.
Define what success looks like for you.

By the end of this step, we’ll have a shared understanding of your business, your goals, and what kind of support would actually be useful. Before we wrap up, we’ll schedule a 30-minute proposal review call to walk through the recommended plan and next steps together.

Step 3: Review a plan built for your business

Next, we’ll share a written summary of the recommended path forward. Depending on your situation, this may be:

A Pre-proposal with high-level scope, project timeline, and estimated cost or
A full proposal if the path forward is clear

During the call, we’ll walk through the document together, answer your questions, and adjust anything that doesn’t feel quite right.

After the call, you’ll receive the finalized proposal within 2–3 business days.Signing it confirms your spot on our team’s schedule and allows us to prepare so your project starts smoothly and stays on track.

Step 4: Meet the team supporting you

Once the proposal is signed, we will introduce you to your lead service provider and project team via email.

Your lead consultant will schedule a kickoff call to:

Review project goals and deliverables
Meeting rhythms
Shared folders and resources
Anything else to keep your project on track

You’ll know exactly who you’re working with and how to reach them.

Step 5: Get consistent, accountable support

This is where the work happens! The cadence and type of work depend on your project, but you can expect:

Zoom meetings to review progress and make decisions.
Clear communication, even during your busy season.
Shared files so everything stays organized and accessible.
Accountability to keep things moving forward.

We’ll also check in with quick pulse surveys throughout the project to make sure you feel confident, supported, and heard. If something isn’t working, we want to know so we can adjust..

Step 6: Walk away with clear next steps

When the project wraps, your lead service provider will send:

Final files and deliverables
Clear instructions on what to do next

You’ll have time to review everything, ask questions, and make sure you’re confident using what we’ve built together.

Step 7: Share your experience

After your project, we’ll ask for your feedback in a short survey. Your input helps us improve how we support the people building a better food system.

Why we do this work

Good Roots exists to support farmers and food business owners with practical guidance to build a resilient, profitable business. We believe clear finances, strong operations, and numbers-backed strategy are tools to help you grow your legacy.

Multigenerational Craft Meets Modern Tech: 4 Takeaways from AAMP

Jackson@growgoodroots.com (Jackson Baker) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Earlier this month, our team at Good Roots traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the 87th American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers Exhibition. As our third time exhibiting and sponsoring this event, returning to the Baird Center felt like a true homecoming.

AAMP brings together independent meat processors, packers, and suppliers from across the country. While the tradeshow floor was packed with impressive equipment displays, the real value came from seeing how the independent meat sector is navigating shifting markets, economic pressures, and rapid technological shifts. Catching up with our current and past clients face-to-face—like Zimmerman Meats, Paradise Locker Meats, and Cypress Valley Meat Company—reminded us just how resilient and vital this community is.

The convention also gave us a macro view of where the market is headed. In the keynote presentation by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics, data showed that meat department sales hit a record $113.9 billion, with consumer perceptions shifting meat from "villain" to "vital" as shoppers prioritize protein and nutrient-dense whole foods.

Here are four key industry takeaways from our time in Milwaukee and what they mean for the future of independent meat processing.

1. Radical Transparency and Sharing Financials Lifts the Entire Industry

If there is one thing that sets AAMP apart, it’s the sheer openness of its members. In an industry where you might expect folks to hold their operational secrets close, meat processors do the exact opposite.

At dinner one evening, our team looked around a table representing a collective few hundred years of processing experience. As an industry peer pointed out, nobody gets upset when helping another processor improve, even if that person is technically a competitor. That tone starts at the top: Board President and Good Roots client Louis Fantasma of Paradise Locker Meats sets an incredible example of vulnerability by sharing his plant’s financial performance open-source with the community—no NDA required.

Interestingly, this spirit of transparency on the operational side aligns directly with consumer expectations. According to 210 Analytics, 83% of meat shoppers actively look for "better-for..." attributes like local sourcing, humane animal care, or employee wellbeing when making purchasing decisions. Just as processors benefit from "getting financially naked" with peers to strengthen their businesses, sharing authentic, transparent sourcing stories on product labels builds essential trust with modern consumers.

2. Focusing on High-Margin Products Drives Real Profitability

In the panel on plant efficiency—featuring processors like John Franseen (His Meat Company), Matt King (Main Street Meat), and Kaleb Flowers (Ranch House Sausage)—the message was clear: putting emotion aside is necessary for long-term profitability.

Many independent processors pride themselves on offering every custom service, specialty cut, or low-volume processing run a client requests. However, general trends and hard data show that determining which products are actually profitable, and which ones should be eliminated or sourced elsewhere, is critical for sustained growth. Making a high-quality product that sells well doesn't matter if it drags down your overall bottom line.

This plant-level reality matches broader retail economic data presented at the show. According to 210 Analytics, while persistent inflation has consumers watching their wallets, meat remains a primary budget priority. Instead of buying less meat, shoppers are seeking "stacked value," prioritizing quality, convenience, and value-added options rather than simply buying the cheapest option. For processors, streamlining product lines to focus on high-margin, scalable cuts aligns perfectly with what consumers are willing to spend money on.

3. Combining Craftsmanship with Storytelling Unlocks Growth

The independent meat industry thrives when technical skill is paired with deep personal roots. While parents talked shop on the floor, the next generation—kids who are literally growing up together in the industry—were building lifelong friendships.

That deep connection to legacy was equally palpable during the educational sessions. A standout highlight was the sausage demonstration led by Master Butcher Gunther Kuehle from Bavaria, Germany. Representing the 6th generation of a family butcher shop dating back over 170 years, Gunther demonstrated that the best products carry a story.

Understanding product storytelling is becoming urgent as customer demographics undergo a massive shift. Keynote market data highlighted that Millennials and Gen Z currently drive 60% to 70% of all meat unit growth, with Millennials poised to become the largest meat-spending generation in less than two years. These younger buyers over-index for unique cuts, global flavor profiles, and authentic farm origins. Pairing traditional craftsmanship with clear brand storytelling is a processor's greatest tool for driving retail growth and customer loyalty.

4. Technology and Collaboration Are Essential for Modern Survival

Innovation was another steady thread throughout the convention. On the operational side, some processors were just beginning to adopt digital tools, while others were finding creative ways to integrate technology into their daily workflows. We saw software and AI being used for inventory management, financial budgeting, and even recipe formulation. There's no single right approach, but it's clear that technology is becoming another tool in the toolbox.

The keynote reinforced that the shift toward tech mirrors consumer behavior as well. Their presentation showed that nearly 25% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers now use AI tools (like ChatGPT) for meal planning, and nearly 60% rely on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for recipe inspiration.

At the same time, technology is most effective when paired with human collaboration. That spirit was fully visible at the American Cured Meat Championships (ACMC). Even in the middle of a national competition, the atmosphere was wildly collaborative. Instead of guarding secret processing techniques, competitors routinely congratulated one another and asked, "What was your recipe?" or "How did you get that smoke color?" When independent processors combine modern technology with open peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, the entire craft meat sector rises.

Supporting the Future of Craft Meat

Our three years sponsoring and exhibiting at AAMP have proven that when processors combine financial clarity with a tight-knit community, incredible things happen. We are honored to walk alongside this industry as fractional CFOs, consultants, and strategic partners, helping food businesses build legacies that last.

Thank you to everyone in Milwaukee who stopped by our booth, shared a meal, or swapped stories with us.

Small Business Cold Shipping Guide and Workbook - Good Roots

Lindsey Sorah — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:35:51 GMT

This digital product includes both the comprehensive Cold Shipping Guide AND the Cold Shipping Excel Workbook designed for shipping frozen food. Upon purchase, you’ll be able to immediately download both PDF of the guide and Excel workbook. The shipping cost workbook is customized to make it easy to determine the best shipping prices using the eCommerce software designed for farms by Grazecart.com.

Note that you will need Microsoft Excel to use the workbook.

The Cash vs. Profit Myth

Ted LeBow — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:30:00 GMT

You survived another grueling season. The farm store was packed, the online orders kept your packing team running in circles, and your total revenue crossed a milestone you’ve been chasing for years. You open up your QuickBooks, look at your Profit and Loss statement, and see a positive number at the bottom.

Time to celebrate, right?

Not so fast. As someone who has spent decades digging into the financials of food and farm operations, I’m going to tell you something that might hurt, but it’s a No-B.S. truth you need to hear: Your P&L is likely lying to you about your cash.

The Phantom Cash Flow

In the food and agriculture world, "paper profit" and "bank account reality" are often two completely different things. You can look profitable on a standard accrual P&L while simultaneously wondering how you're going to make payroll next Friday.

Why does this happen? Because traditional accounting metrics don't automatically account for the unique, cash-eating variables of a working farm or food enterprise. True profitability isn't just about what's left after you subtract expenses from revenue. It’s about whether the business can actually sustain itself—and you—without constantly leaning on off-farm income or emergency lines of credit.

Three Places Your "Real Profit" is Hiding

1. Your Own Unpaid Labor (The "Sweat Equity" Trap)

If I had a dollar for every farmer who claimed they were profitable but paid themselves $0 a year, I’d be retired fly fishing somewhere. If your business only shows a profit because you are working 80 hours a week for free, the business is not profitable; you are just subsidizing it with your life. Real profit only exists after you account for a fair market wage for the owners.

2. Principal Payments on Debt

Here’s an accounting quirk that trips up a lot of entrepreneurs: when you make a loan payment on a tractor, a commercial kitchen, or land, only the interest shows up as an expense on your P&L. The actual principal payment comes straight out of your cash flow and sits on your balance sheet. You can easily show a $20,000 profit on paper, but if you paid $25,000 in principal debt payments that year, you are actually $5,000 in the cash hole.

3. Inventory and Capital Reinvestment

Did you have to buy $15,000 worth of packaging, seed, or breeding stock to prepare for next year? That cash is gone, but until those products are sold, that value sits in inventory. Your cash reserves are depleted, but your financial statements might still print a pretty, misleading number.

Shifting from Survival to Legacy

So, how do we fix this? We start treating financial clarity as an operational tool, not just something we hand to the CPA at tax time.

Implement Class Tracking: If you run a vertically integrated business—say, raising livestock and operating a direct-to-consumer meat box delivery—you need to separate those enterprises in Quickbooks. A profitable retail brand can easily mask a farm operation that is bleeding cash and profit, or vice versa.
Track Cash Flow Dynamics, Not Just Profit: Build a 12-month rolling cash flow projection. Look at your debt schedules and planned capital purchases alongside your projected revenue.
Know Your True Cost of Production: Don't guess on pricing based on what the neighbor or the grocery store down the street is charging. Calculate your exact margins, factoring in labor, overhead, and distribution costs.
You can’t chase cash and profit at the same time: Fix one then fix the other, then monitor both!

Stop Guessing. Start Knowing.

At the end of the day, we aren't in this business just to watch numbers move around on a screen. We are in it to build a better food system, to protect our land, and to cultivate a legacy that can be passed down to the next generation. But you cannot build a sustainable legacy on a foundation of financial illusions.

Let's cut through the noise, clean up the books, and find out what your business is actually telling you. Because once you know your real profit, you can finally stop guessing and start building something that is built to last.

Veracity + Clarity + Story Telling = Confidence

What’s the biggest discrepancy you’ve noticed between what your QuickBooks says and what your bank account actually feels like? Connect with us if you're ready to get a fractional partner in your corner to help untangle the numbers.

Why Your Fractional CMO and CFO Should Be the Same Team for Farm and Food Businesses

Ted LeBow — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:42:13 GMT

Deep food & farm industry experience, one system for growth

Every growing food or farm business hits the same wall: marketing wants to spend into a new channel, finance wants to protect margin, and nobody in the room has both sets of numbers. Decisions get made twice, once for the pitch deck and once for the P&L, and they often don’t agree.

Hiring a fractional CMO and a fractional CFO from two different places doesn’t fix that. It just moves the disconnect from inside your head to between two vendors who never talk to each other.

That’s why your fractional CMO and CFO should come from the same team: one group that owns your growth story and your numbers together, so pricing, spend, and margin move in the same direction instead of competing for the same dollar.

What changes when they’re one team

• Marketing spend gets judged against margin, not just reach or impressions.

• Pricing gets set against true product cost, not a guess.

• Your brand story and your financial story finally match, for your team, your bank, and your investors.

We bring over 300 years of combined food and farm expertise, and have helped clients raise over $150M in debt, equity, and donations. That’s the credibility we bring into every board meeting, every capital raise, and every hard conversation with a lender.

How We Work

On the numbers side

We act as your CFO, internally and externally. Pro formas, cash flow, capital planning, and monthly reviews that turn financial targets into metrics your team can actually use.

On the growth side

We act as your CMO, internally and externally. Positioning, brand story, channel strategy, and campaign prioritization, all judged against the margin math, not just top-line reach.

Together

The same team sits in your capital conversations and your campaign planning. One set of KPIs ties customer acquisition cost, margin, and cash back to the same source of truth, so growth decisions and financial decisions stop working against each other.

Discounting Alternatives for Farm & Food Ecommerce

Jackson@growgoodroots.com (Jackson Baker) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

You can drive sales without discounting.

For farms and food brands selling direct to consumers, discounting can feel like the easiest way to increase sales. When orders slow down, the instinct is often to run a promotion, like offering 10% or $20 off.

But frequent discounts come with a hidden cost: they train customers to wait for the next deal instead of buying when they actually need food.

It works in the short term, but over time repeated discounts can quietly undermine a business. Customers begin to expect the deal and delay purchases until the next sale appears.

For farms and food entrepreneurs who care deeply about quality and building lasting relationships with their customers, competing on price usually isn’t the goal. The good news is that there are effective ways to increase sales without reducing your price.

Here’s how we support our clients, step by step.

More Product Can Be As Powerful As a Discount

Research on retail promotions shows that “bonus pack” promotions, where customers receive extra product instead of a price reduction, can perform similarly to price discounts when the promotion size is moderate. Customers often value receiving additional product just as much as they value paying a lower price.

For farms selling meat, dairy, produce, or value-added foods online, this approach can be especially effective. Customers who buy directly from farms are rarely motivated only by price. Their decision is shaped by trust, quality, transparency, and the desire to support local food producers.

Because of that, promotions that emphasize value rather than price can resonate strongly with customers. Instead of lowering prices, farms can increase perceived value by offering additional items or limited extras that make the purchase feel more rewarding.

Bonus-style promotions might include extra items added to a box, seasonal packs included with larger orders, or buy-one-get-one style (BOGO) incentives framed as a bonus rather than a deal. The key difference is that the promotion reinforces abundance and generosity rather than signaling that the product itself should cost less.

Non-Cash Incentives Change How Customers Evaluate Price

There is also a psychological reason that bonus incentives work well. Research on non-monetary promotions shows that gifts, bonuses, and additional items are processed differently in the brain than price discounts. Instead of triggering a strict price comparison, they shift attention toward the overall value of the purchase.

That shift is important for farms selling direct to consumers. When customers buy food from a farm instead of a grocery store, they are often thinking about more than just the price per pound. They are considering the quality of the product, the story of the farm, the convenience of delivery, and the impact their purchase has on local agriculture.

Promotions that reinforce these values tend to strengthen the brand relationship rather than weaken it. Instead of encouraging customers to shop around for the cheapest option, they highlight the unique value that the farm already provides.

Sales Growth Comes From Conversion, Not Discounts

Another overlooked path to growth is improving conversion rates. Many ecommerce businesses assume they need to cut prices to generate more revenue, but in reality small improvements in conversion can create meaningful increases in sales without changing pricing at all.

Research on lead generation and ecommerce performance consistently shows that certain approaches outperform others when it comes to turning visitors into buyers. Dedicated landing pages, for example, often convert significantly better than popups or embedded forms. Video combined with written content can outperform simple sign-up prompts. Social proof, such as reviews, testimonials, and visible purchase activity, can increase purchase confidence.

Each of these improvements helps customers trust the brand more quickly and understand the value of the products being offered. When visitors feel confident about the purchase, they are far more likely to complete an order without needing a discount as motivation

A More Sustainable Path to Ecommerce Growth

For farms and food entrepreneurs selling online, sustainable growth usually comes from strengthening the overall customer experience rather than lowering prices. Improving conversion rates, building trust through clear messaging and social proof, and offering value-based incentives can all increase sales while protecting margins.

The goal is not to compete to be the cheapest option online. Farms selling directly to consumers are offering something fundamentally different: food produced with care, transparency, and respect for the land. When marketing reinforces those values and makes purchasing easy and rewarding, customers respond.

When farms compete on value, trust, and quality instead of price, they create customers who buy because they believe in the farm.