RICHARD WISWALL
Richard Wiswall and his wife Sally Colman own Cate Farm in East Montpelier, Vermont. Richard has been farming there for over 40 years, growing and selling organic produce, seedlings and medicinal herbs. In 2023, son Flint Wiswall took over the farm business, and Richard and Sally retired from farming full time.
Richard likes to share his knowledge with other farmers, and often gives talks and workshops on the often neglected business side of farming. He consults with farms to increase profitability, and also wrote The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook to help farmers with the business end of farming.
One of Richard's main goals is to see more happy, less stressed out, and prosperous farmers. See lots of free content on the Tips for Farmers page. Check out the Workshop Page for the popular workshop topics that Richard offers. Workshops can also be tailored to fit your group's needs.
In addition to workshops, Richard offers consulting services, either in person or via phone and email.
Click on the Farm Consulting Page for more info.
For more info about Cate Farm and Richard, visit www.catefarm.com
He pressed home the point of knowing where the money is coming from and where it’s going to. Real numbers, relevant budget examples, being detail oriented, the concrete nature of all the information – it has never been as clear to me as Richard has made it. He took the fear out of crunching numbers!
CSA Farmer | Wisconsin
Richard's combined experience, knowledge, and "go for it" attitude gave us the confidence we needed to take our farm business to the next level. His direct approach to understanding the numbers behind the numerous farm management decisions any farmer has to make really shows what's important, simplifying those tough decisions so they are not so daunting. From hands-on field management efficiencies to solid enterprise budgeting and business planning, Richard enabled us to grow our farm from a part-time venture to a full-time profitable farm business.
Christa Alexander | Jericho Settlers Farm | Vermont
We were often ready to throw in the towel before Richard came and helped us better organize our paperwork and planning. We had a good idea about the profitability, or lack thereof, of some crops, but not all. Going through the steps to analyze our work with Richard (who actually knew the toil first hand and had rates for tractor work) gave us the machinery we needed to build a better farm and reshape our goals. This in turn has helped improve our sales, and decrease the amounts of stress that seem to be intrinsic to farming. We want him back soon to help update our business plan and goals for the farm. Simply stated, Richard is necessary for all small farmers and anyone thinking of starting a farm.
Rosemary Croizet | Berry Creek Farm | Vermont
Richard Wiswall is living proof that you can make money farming; he has done it for over 30 years. I want to say he did it with hard work, which is true, but plenty of farmers work hard and fail. What sets Richard apart is his ability to farm smarter by identifying and focussing on the most relevant information when making decisions. If your farm business is not meeting your goals, or if you are not even clear what your goals are, Richard can help get you on the path to prosperity.
Peter Young | Vermont