Richard Wiswall is the farm consultant I had always dreamed of but didn't know existed. We worked together for 2+ years. During this time he helped me to get such a much clearer picture of how I was doing, that it was easy to trust him to help me steer my farm towards where I envisioned it could go.

Even though I had been running my farm for 30 years, I was often stressed out not knowing how the farm was really doing and with no tools to project profitability or the chance of grace. Richard gave me attainable exercises to work on, which coupled with his reviews and questions, helped me to give up a lot of worry and have some data and goals to stand on. These were not lofty goals but on-the-ground needs that I was able to define and then plan a route to getting them done.

We now have better access to our new fields and plants and an irrigation system. We know how much our crops cost to grow and which are profitable and which are not. We use better, quieter, efficient transport vehicles. The result is a more content crew and owner. All of this came into focus through working with Richard Wiswall.

The other thing about Richard Wiswall is that he is an honest guy with integrity and was a real pleasure to meet with. I probably never would have done all the planning and figuring work if it wasn't for his style of straightforwardness mixed with genuine kindness.

Richard understands that setting goals, understanding what to measure, and keeping a disciplined eye on both is the success to any business. Many farmers find the business management side of their work to be daunting, unnecessary, difficult and/or boring. Richard’s step by step guide allows a grower to become familiar with the details of business management in a way that is approachable and accessible. Both his book and his consulting services provide tangible results, presented in a friendly and personable way, that can be tailored to work in any type of farming.

We'd reached sort of a brick wall in being able to get a clear picture of our business.  Farming is a complicated endeavor.  Lots of small pieces.  Richard  helped us put those pieces together on paper so we could get a clear view of what is working and what isn't.  We have the data now to make operating decisions that will make us more profitable.  And we have the tools ourselves to get more data in the future. "Teach a person to fish..........."

Practical examples, such as a fake desk to show paperwork processing and the maple syrup skit. Richard made all questions seem welcome with lots of useful information.

Working with Richard has helped me to look at our farm in a very different way; making logical changes that have really helped us get a better idea where the money is going throughout the season, and have the tools to weigh new sales and marketing options with an eye towards profitability and cohesion with our larger "life goals." His farming experience makes him refreshing to work with as a small farmer. He understands the need to constantly prioritize, the gift  in finding a more efficient way to make a job easier, and ways to help create a crew that really values their part in our farm business.