Developing a Useful Mission Statement for Your Agricultural Business

Farms or agricultural businesses that are able to clearly communicate who they are and what they stand for are often more successful than those that don’t have a true understanding of their focus. One way to develop strong communication lines and a clear understanding of what the business does is through the process of writing a mission statement. It does not matter whether the farm business consists of two people or fifty, all involved must have a clear understanding of what the business does and why they do it in order to move the business in the desired direction.

A mission statement is a short statement describing the fundamental underlying reason for the business to exist—its critical purpose. This statement aligns what the business says it does, what it actually does and what others believe it does. It clarifies what the business is not trying to do and not trying to be. This statement is a reflection of the underlying values, goals and purposes of the farm and of the management team. The mission statement should be communicated and remembered. To learn more about the nuts and bolts of writing a mission statement and to download a worksheet to assist in the development process click here: http://vanwert.osu.edu/farm_market_factsheet.pdf

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