Consulting
"Steve’s visit was not only immeasurably informative, it motivated and inspired us. In addition to the actual consultation, he followed up via email summarizing main steps and provided additional reading material. He truly wants you to succeed. I have no doubt that his consultation not only prevented us from making some costly mistakes, it enhanced our project beyond what I imagined." - previous client
Past and Current Clients Include:
- Handsome Brook Farms
- Savannah Institute
- Mercy for Animals / Transfarmations Project
- Food Animal Concerns Trust
- Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario
- Omega Institute for Sustainable Living
- National Agroforestry Center / Regenerative Design Group
- dozens of individual farmers and land stewards
I focus on providing solutions for:
Mushroom Cultivation
Indoor System Design
Outdoor System Design
Enterprise Budgeting
Legal and Regulations
Agroforestry & Silvopasture
Grazing Planning
Tree Planting Designs
Tree Crop Plans
Enterprise Budgeting
Land Planning Services
Meeting your goals for use
Assessing for purchase
Siting buildings & infrastructure
Starting a Farm Business
My Process
All projects start with a exploratory call (up to 90-minutes) over ZOOM. This call is followed with a short email summarizing potential next steps for the scope of a project.
The intake is billed for 2.5 hours to account for the call and summary. Payment is requested within 15 days of providing the summary and invoice.
Before the intake it's very helpful if you email me a simple boundary map of the site you want to discuss.
This quick video shows you how to make and export a file you can email to me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BLDmMH5AHo
Additional calls or email questions after the intake are billed at an hourly rate.
Projects
Site visits and deeper project work is dependent on my current client load and the time of year. My greatest availability is November through April, since there is less demand on our farm at that time. Any consistent work on a project will be articulated in a scope of work and agreement signed by both parties.
Most planning and project work can be done virtually using Zoom, Google Earth and other platforms. If a site visit is desired or necessary, availability depends on the time of year and distance of travel. Mileage or other transportation costs, meals, and an travel rate of 50% of consulting rate will apply. Because of the needs of my family and farm, distant travel beyond 2-3 hours from my home in Mecklenburg, NY is often more difficult, but possible with adequate advance planning.
Rates
To help meet our goals for equity, we offer tiered pricing based on individual income, or the operating budget of the organization/company. While we do not ask for proof we expect your honesty. Those with more means help us reach and support those with less.
We also have solidarity discounts on these rates for individuals and organizations who have been historically marginalized, especially in food and agriculture, including BIPOC and Indigenous, and LGBTQAI+ identified folks. We aim to not turn anyone away for a lack of funding. Get in touch if you want to discuss this element as part of our work together and we will do all we can to support you.
General Terms:
Meetings, calls, email communication are all tracked and billed hourly.
Educational events are typically billed at 2 - 4x the hourly time of the event, to account for preparation time. A scope of work will be developed for anything beyond a one-time presentation.
Projects are estimated in terms of time, materials, and travel costs and provided in a Scope of Work. When the Scope of Work is agreed upon and signed, payment of 10% of the estimate is due to be paid. This serves as a retainer. More than 10% beyond the Scope of Work estimated will require discussion and the Scope of Work will be renegotiated and signed by both parties.
Ready to get in touch?
If you’d like to discuss further or see if there are openings, please feel free to contact Steve at stevegabrielfarmer@gmail.com with “CONSULT REQUEST” in the subject line, or call 607.342.2825
