Energy Farm

Sonnenschein Energy Farm

Business PlanFarm LLC and Education Center 501(c)(3)

Energy Farm

Business Models Considered

• Plasma Arc• Community Scale Ethanol Plant• Home Scale Still Fabrication Business• Farm Scale Ethanol • Mobile Ethanol Unit

Energy Farm

SWOT

• Strengths• Weaknesses• Opportunities• Threats

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.

Energy Farm

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.

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

Energy Farm

Total Economic Return

• Triple Bottom Line– Profit: positive return on investment– People: increase quality of life– Planet: ecosystem restoration

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

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

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

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

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

Energy Farm

• Proposed Budget

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

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

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

Energy Farm

Summary

• Why This Project and Why Now?– Risk or Hedge Against Risk?– Farm Security

• Food Security• Fuel Security