Red Stick Farms: Planning for the Future

This case explores the relation between decision making, strategic management, and risk management in a newly established farm operation. Red Stick Farm is a family-operated, small-scale, urban farm that uses intensive growing techniques to produce vegetables, microgreens, and edible flowers in the greater Baton Rouge area. The operation has been in production for three years, and the two operators are examining two mutually exclusive strategies to grow their farm. The first strategy allows them to expand their customer base by offering a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program; the second strategy allows them to increase production capacity by acquiring more land. The case challenges students to assess the current situation of the farm and future direction following strategic business planning practices. The study highlights the importance of defining and developing an operation’s mission statement, exploring growth strategies, assessing the internal strengths of the operation and external threats to the operation, and identifying respective risks. In addition, the examples illustrated through this case study will assist new and beginning farmers who are interested in urban farming practices as they monitor, identify, and manage risk on their farms.