1. Energy Farm
Sonnenschein Energy Farm
Business Plan
Farm LLC and Education Center 501(c)(3)

2. Energy Farm
Business Models Considered
• Plasma Arc
• Community Scale Ethanol Plant
• Home Scale Still Fabrication Business
• Farm Scale Ethanol
• Mobile Ethanol Unit

3. Energy Farm
SWOT
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

4. Energy Farm
Hybrid:
• Permaculture Energy Farm with mobile
distillation unit.
– Permaculture is a whole system design science that
uses natural systems to optimize multiple yields.

5. Energy Farm

6. Energy Farm
Mission Statement
•Sonnenschein Energy Farm will
be a carbon neutral permaculture
farm producing fuel, food, soil
amendments and related farm
products to create a replicable
whole system design for viable
family farms in the local area.

7. Energy Farm
Sonnenschein Energy Farm will:
– Create local investment opportunities with a
reasonable rate of return
– Create and retain local jobs
– Increase circulation of currency locally
– Increase the overall market share of fuel
ethanol
– Increase local food production
– Create a replicable template for energy
independent communities across America

8. Energy Farm
Total Economic Return
• Triple Bottom Line
– Profit: positive return on investment
– People: increase quality of life
– Planet: ecosystem restoration

9. Energy Farm
Market Summary
• Markets are growing for ethanol and the co-products of a
Permaculture Energy Farm.
– Products
• Ethanol
• DDGS
• Worms
• Soil Amendments
• BioChar (Carbon Credits)
• Mushrooms
• Tilapia
• Honey
• Fruit
• Education / Consulting
• CSA Shares -
• Vegetables, Flowers and Herbs

10. Energy Farm
Opportunities
• Save family farms
• Improve local economy, increase local
employment
• Provide local resilience in turbulent economic
times
• Set a leadership model for green community
development

11. Energy Farm
SEF’s competitive advantage.
• Multiple products increase our profit margin
• Zero waste cycling increases feedstock and
food production yields over time
• International market potential for carbon
trading

12. Energy Farm
Goals and Objectives
Five-year goals:
–Pay annual dividends of 7%
–Stimulate local economy
–Show measurable improvement in farm
productivity, soil tilth and water quality

13. Energy Farm
Financial Plan
• Five year Outlook:
– 1.6 million dollar start up*
– Profitable by month 30*
– Expansion after year three
* based on the current prices for end products and cost to
reach market

14. Energy Farm
• Proposed Budget

15. Energy Farm
Risks and Rewards
• Risks
– Non Liquid Investment
– High Start Up Costs
– Perceived As High Risk - Diversity
• Rewards
– Hiring local residents
– Strengthening existing family farms
– Increasing local food and fuel independence

16. Energy Farm
Key Issues
• Near term
– Identification of local stakeholders and project leaders
– Siting and designing the first Energy Farm
• Long term
– Coordinating with existing local food, fuel and other
product markets
– Responding to changing regulatory and government
incentives landscape
– Expanding from initial project to larger scale and fostering
replication

17. Energy Farm
The Sonnenschein Energy Farm
Design Team
• Project Team Qualifications
• Include previous accomplishments to show
that these are people with a record of success.
• Summarize number of years of experience in
this field.
• Photo of team

18. Energy Farm
Summary
• Why This Project and Why Now?
– Risk or Hedge Against Risk?
– Farm Security
• Food Security
• Fuel Security