Financial Education & Technical Assistance
At Small Producers Initiative we understand the significant financial challenges faced by small farmers in today’s agricultural landscape. Rising input costs, unpredictable market conditions, and limited access to capital make it increasingly difficult for small and family-owned farms to remain profitable and sustainable.
To help address these challenges, we provide a series of opportunities and resources for financial training and education.
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SPI provides a Grant and Loan Mentor Program for producers.
The Grant & Loan Mentor Program provides guidance and support to producers seeking access to grants or loans, helping them navigate the application process and develop strong proposals.
For more information, email smallproducers@txstate.edu.
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Our on-farm workshops include education on the financial advantages of sustainable and regenerative farming practices. Producers gain confidence in utilizing agricultural financial strategies to make decisions on productivity, improving soil health, and tapping into new market opportunities.
Select workshops will have representatives from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Capital Farm Credit present information on financial programs and services to farmers and ranchers. This includes specialized loans, financial planning, consulting services, and tools to help farmers manage their finances and improve profitability.
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The annual SFFFS Conference brings together over 500 growers, producers, local food advocates, and small farm supporters from diverse backgrounds. Over the course of two days, we offer high-quality education through 50+ informative sessions across unique learning tracks: Crops, Livestock, Business (including Finance & Marketing), The Big Picture, Start-up, Research, Cooperatives and Niche Topics.
The Business, Finance & Marketing Track has featured sessions such as:
Financial Literacy: Business Financial and Taxation Issues for Farms
Computer Solutions That Work for Farm Administration and Marketing
Bookkeeping on Your Farm: Why Is It Important?
Successful Direct Marketing and On-Farm Sales
Leveraging Technology to Support Resilient Local Food Systems
Rural Financing Basics
USDA Funding Options for Farmers and Ranchers
Your Farm, Their Money: What Funding is Right For You?
Crafting Your Ag Business Plan with Confidence
How and When to Get a Farm Loan
The Profit Lever: How to Strengthen Your Operation by Addressing the Weak Link
Strategic Business Planning
Attending the SFFFS Conference is a great opportunity to learn from experienced peers and educators, gaining valuable insights in a short amount of time.
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The goal of the Financial Mentorship Program is to increase the financial success of producers in Texas. USDA Funding awarded to SPI provided Good Roots the ability to assist Texan farmers and food entrepreneurs with skills to strengthen their decision making in finance, management, and marketing for their operations.
From 2021-2024, Good Roots partnered with SPI on the Agricultural Mentorship Program (SPI-AMP), a USDA 2501 grant program, to provide 10 producers with 1-on-1 financial consultations for their agricultural operations.
In 2022, SPI was awarded a Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grant to provide 1-on-1 financial consulting to beginning farmers and ranchers in Texas.
Grant funding for this program has concluded. Subscribe to our newsletter in the website footer to be updated when new opportunities arise!
Our 2021-2025 Partner:
Good Roots
With the support of the USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), we’ve partnered with Good Roots to provide one-on-one financial consulting to Texas-based beginning farmers and ranchers.
With a background in business development, financial analysis, and fundraising readiness, Senior Business Consultant Evan Driscoll has worked with farmers and ranchers to gain confidence in their farm business goals, create farm budgets, increase their production efficiencies, and their financial success.
Meet the Producers
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Big Tree Oyster Company
ROCKPORT, TX
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Rusty Star Ranch
TILMON, TX
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Southern Sunny Acres
WINONA, TX
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Better Days Gardens
LOCKHART, TX
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Wild Texan Farm
JOURDANTON, TX
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Armagh Creamery
DUBLIN, TX
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Palo Blanco Farm and Ranch
LAREDO, TX
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Mawe Apothecary
SAN ANTONIO, TX
Evan from KTC [now Good Roots] was absolutely phenomenal. We now have a firm grasp on our farm finances and projections for the next 3 years. We are on a path to grow 1000% this year thanks to Evan’s guidance. I can’t say enough positive things about Evan and KTC [now Good Roots].
— Matt Barattino, Wild Texan Farm
Evan created a road map to profitability and success based off our current offerings and our future plans. I feel confident in our pricing and ability to sell at the retail and wholesale level while hitting the margins necessary. This was an incredible experience. Working with an expert is so valuable to a young, small, beginning producer such as myself. I highly recommend the continuation of this program as I know it will help other family farms find a roadmap to success and access experts that they otherwaise could not have without the help/funding of SPI.
— Marcella Juarez, Palo Blanco Farm and Ranch
Right from the get-go we were so thrilled and excited to meet with our consultant, Evan. He made it so clear and simple to understand where we were with our current financials and see where we are able to go with them. His knowledge and personal touch made it such a joy to meet with him every week. After our meetings we would literally look at each other with a big smile and feel so much more confident with our operation. Going into this we were unsure about the sustainability of what we were doing, but after meeting with Evan and combing through our financials, we can see that what we are doing is working and that we have the potential to really grow and succeed more than we imagined. It was a huge game changer working with him. We literally feel a weight lifted off of our shoulders know that we can really see where our business is at and what are goals are.
— Brooke and Killian Keller, Better Days Garden
