Flying CB Ranch LLC | Application Preview
Flying CB Ranch LLC is seeking government grants primarily to address two critical needs: acquiring a new or refurbished tractor and expanding shelter for their cattle herd. Their current tractor, a 1978 model, is in dire condition and requires costly hydraulics repairs that render it unusable for hay production. Additionally, the absence of a cab makes working in Kansas' unpredictable weather particularly challenging. The ranch also aims to expand shelter for their increasing cattle population to protect them during harsh winter storms.
In terms of their business plan, Flying CB Ranch intends to pay off a grazing pasture loan by 2024 and plans to secure financing for their rented hay pasture in 2025. They are actively enhancing their online platform to reach a wider customer audience and have sought assistance from Washburn University's Small Business Development Center for guidance on operations and marketing. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to commodity pricing, working capital, and debt-to-asset ratios will be tracked with their CPA's help. They aim to diversify their livestock by incorporating sheep on land unsuitable for cattle grazing and continue to improve herd management practices to ensure better health and lower mortality rates.
The ranch emphasizes the importance of small family farms and the need for customers to connect with their food sources, advocating for humane animal treatment and efficient operations. Efforts to minimize operational costs include producing their own hay and maintaining the farm without external labor. They also prioritize environmental stewardship by focusing on local operations to reduce fuel use and carbon emissions.
Facing competition from large wildlife hunting businesses and corporate farms in their area, Flying CB Ranch distinguishes itself through a commitment to quality and a customer-centric approach. Their goal is to foster trustworthy relationships with customers while supporting local economies and other small businesses as they grow.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 9812371
Location: Harveyville, KS, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
Our most essential need on our farm is a new or new-to-us tractor. Our current tractor is a 1978 model in desperate need of expensive repairs to the hydraulics. The required updates to this tractor also make it unusable for hay production but we lack the funds to make the repairs necessary. It also lacks a cab; which makes working in Kansas' volatile weather a challenge. Our next need is the expansion of shelter for our herd. As we have grown the head count of cattle, we have struggled to provide them with sufficient shelter during the harsh storms that come to Kansas during the winter.
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Business Plan
Our current strategic plan includes paying our loan on a grazing pasture in full by 2024. We also have a goal to obtain a loan in 2025 for the hay pasture we currently rent for hay production. We have begun the process of growing our business' online platform in order to market our products to a broader audience. We have requested services from Washburn University's Small Business Development Center, of which we are both alumni, in the areas of operations and marketing. Other ways we plan to grow our business is by tracking certain KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) with the assistance of our CPA: Commodity pricing, our working capital, and our debt-to-asset ratio. Another growth strategy is to diversity our livestock by using sheep to graze acreage that is ungrazeable by cattle (multi-species grazing). We continue to utilize best breeding practices to optimize our herd by decreasing deaths and optimizing the herd's health by managing illness and reducing the parasitic load. Land management is an ongoing effort for us to remove brush and optimize the acreage we have available. My husband and I were both raised on farms and we value the small family farm. We believe that all customers should be connected to their food and it's source. We also believe our animals should be cared for and provided for in a humane way. We also work very hard to reduce our input cost and run an efficient farm operation. One way we do this is by producing and harvesting our own hay; we also provide all the labor for our farm to decrease that expense. My husband does all repairs and maintenance himself to further reduce expenses. We attempt to keep our operation within a small geographical area to reduce fuel expense and carbon emissions.
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Self Identified Competition
One large competitor in our geographical area is the wildlife hunting businesses; they are large, wealthy groups who leverage their buying power to buy up grazing pastures in our area. Other large corporate farms in our area do the same. Our passion for producing premium products that are healthy for our customers is what sets us apart from large farms. We hope to connect our customers to our products in a trusting relationship and to feed their families high quality foods. We also believe that small farms support our communities and local economy. By growing our small farm operation, we can pay it forward and better support other small businesses.
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Contact Applicant
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