It seems these determined farmers will be opening their farm on land leased from another family, and have gotten together to cooperate to make their dreams come true. Joel Salatin is fond of saying, “If you want to begin farming, you don’t need to own land to do it, you just need to get started.” As you read their blog, the Langwater Farm story seems to be full of examples making that statement true. Sometimes farmers work for years for others increasing their skills before they are able to have their own farm. Being willing to get started, seeking information and knowledge from as many sources as possible, and being practical about the business aspects involved are all good lessons any would be farmers should take from the Langwater Farm story.

One post on Langwater Farm blog speaks about the need to form an LLC, and the search for a name for that LLC. An Excerpt;

“We are working on forming an LLC, a Limited Liability Company. This will protect us personally from any legal liability that might come out of the business. Although the farm property itself will be called Langwater Farm, we need to pick a different name for our business entity (I know, it’s a little confusing). Currently naming the LLC is our biggest hurdle… any suggestions?? ”

Stone Soup, LLC was a great name to settle on, if you can call it settling. Many of us remember one version or another of the Stone Soup Story from gradeschool. The Langwater Farm blog explains their choice of business entity name by saying, “Our business name is “Stone Soup, LLC.” This is partly because the farm is so darned rocky, and partly because of the fantastic fable, Stone Soup, in which a delicious meal is made due to everyone bringing a little of what they have to the table.”

It is unfortunate that we live in a litigous society, but it is a fact of life today. Imagine you work towards your dream of owning a farm your whole life, and you are finally able to purchase your own land. Imagine now you are driving in town and you run into some unexpected ice, slide through a stop sign and cause a car accident. If someone is injured, it is very possible you could be sued for anything you own, including your farm.

An LLC as a business entity for your farm could possibly provide some extra peace of mind and protection from such liability if you don’t have enough assets to cover writing a huge settlement check without having your dreams shattered. Ask an attorney you trust for guidance if you have any such concerns.

Sone Soup, LLC as a name is a paradox. We do live in an age where Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farming is increasing all over the country as people want to know where their food comes from as they support their local farmers. The very way that CSA’s operate show an increased willingness of people to support each other, even financially, so that they can achieve mutual goals. This coincides with our increased awareness that we need to protect ourselves from those out there that would be all too happy to sue us if they thought they could take something from us.

It is a paradox that is mirrored in farming in general. Farming is about growing things and working with nature and providing people with sustenance. Farming is also a business. As in any business, we need to protect ourselves, sometimes even from those who enjoy the fruits of our labor.

The moral of the Stone Soup story “that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved” is a metaphor for not only the way the farmers behind Langwater Farm came together to achieve their dreams, but a metaphor for the entire CSA phenomenon.

If you want to farm, there are plenty of customers out there who want to support you in your goal. Just don’t forget to do your business planning along the way.

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