YOUR GUIDE TO A Seasonal financial reflection

If the thought of reviewing your income statement fills you with confusion or dread, well, we wrote this guide for you.

Digging into “the numbers” can be downright triggering, but otherwise its hard to ever wear that business-owner hat with confidence.

In this free 18-page downloadable guide we demystify financial terminology and provide a step-by-step method to analyze your income, expenses, and profit.

One part jargon decoder

One part skill builder

$FREE

A seasonal financial reflection is like walking your fields and taking stock of what thrived, what struggled, and why. You look closely at the past season’s numbers and pull out the lessons that matter so you can set priorities and allocate resources. And just like purchasing seeds for the season ahead, you make intentional financial choices now that will shape what grows in the months to come.

Why we created this resource

Mentees in our grant writing program have told us, time and time again, that one of the most powerful benefits of putting together a grant application for their farm is that they now understand their numbers.

Learning how to read your numbers opens up a lush narrative of not only what you are doing, but what is possible for you and your business.

If you find yourself unsure of how to understand the workings of your business, we’d like to welcome you into the practice of a seasonal financial refelection. If you find it hard to make a clear plan for your business, we hope this guide provides you with the skills needed to really dig into your numbers, plant some strategic seeds, and harvest some profits.

About Ellen: From Field to Grant Writer

I help farmers turn ideas into funded projects through the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG). Since founding Ellen Rawley Creative & Strategy in 2016, I’ve secured over $5 million in federal grant funding for farm businesses and $3 million for farm support organizations.

I know what it’s like to be in the trenches: hand-harvesting rice in Thailand, selling lettuce at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market, and launching a jam line for McEvoy Ranch taught me what it takes to grow crops and sales. I’ve helped launch countless farm products, with features in Martha Stewart’s American Made Shop, Food & Wine Magazine, Oprah’s favorite things, and even on national television.

When I started writing VAPG applications, it was messy. Projects were funded, but, woah, talk about overwhelming! That’s when I built a process to systematically turn ideas into fully funded applications. Now, I write multiple grants in months and teach farmers to do the same. Faster, clearer, and less stress. That’s my motto.