Projects: the "cutting edge" of development; Identifying costs and benefits of agricultural projects; Selecting proper values; Comparing costs and benetits; Applying discounted measures of project worth; Financial analysis cosiderations for agricultural projects; Source of assistance for project preparation.

The project concept. Projects, the cutting edge of development. Plans and projects. Advanteges of the project format. Aspects of project preparation and analysis. The project cycle. Accuracy of agricultural project analyses. Why agricultural project analyses prove wrong. Steps in project analysis. Identifying project costs and benefits. Objectives, costs, and benefits. Direct transfer payments. Costs of agricultural projects. Tangible benefits of agricultural projects. Secondary costs and benefits. Intangible costs and benefits. Financial aspects of project analysis. Pricing project costs and benefits. Prices reflect value. Finding market prices. Predictin future prices. Prices for internationally traded commodities. Financial export and import parity prices.Farm investment analysis. Objectives of financial analysis. Preparing the farm investment analysis. Elements of farm invewstment analysis. Net benefit increase. Unit activity budgets. Computing debt service. Financial analysis of processing industries. Balance sheet. Sources-and-uses-of-funds statement. Financial ratios. Financial rate of return. Analyzing project effects on government receipts and expenditures. Economic aspects of project analysis. Determining economic values. Aggregating project accounts. Measures of project worth. Comparing project costs and benefits. Applying discounted measures of project worth. Sensitivity analysis (treatment of uncertainty). Switching value. Choosing among mutually exclusive alternatives.

This report is part of a multi-volume technical report series entitled, Running a Food Hub, with this guide serving as a companion piece to other United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports by providing in-depth guidance on starting and running a food hub enterprise. In order to compile the most current information on best management and operations practices, the authors used published information on food hubs, surveyed numerous operating food hubs, and pulled from their existing experience and knowledge of working directly with food hubs across the country as an agricultural business consulting firm. The report’s main focus is on the operational issues faced by food hubs, including choosing an organizational structure, choosing a location, deciding on infrastructure and equipment, logistics and transportation, human resources, and risks. As such, the guide explores the different decision points associated with the organizational steps for starting and implementing a food hub. For some sections, sidebars provide “decision points,” which food hub managers will need to address to make key operational decisions. This illustrated guide may assist the operational staff at small businesses or third-party organizations that may provide aggregation, marketing, and distribution services from local and regional producers to assist with wholesale, retail, and institution demand at government institutions, colleges/universities, restaurants, grocery store chains, etc. Undergraduate students pursuing coursework for a bachelor of science degree in food science, or agricultural economics may be interested in this guide. Additionally, this reference work will be helpful to small businesses within the food trade discipline.

The project concept. Projects, the cutting edge of development. Plans and projects. Advanteges of the project format. Aspects of project preparation and analysis. The project cycle. Accuracy of agricultural project analyses. Why agricultural project analyses prove wrong. Steps in project analysis. Identifying project costs and benefits. Objectives, costs, and benefits. Direct transfer payments. Costs of agricultural projects. Tangible benefits of agricultural projects. Secondary costs and benefits. Intangible costs and benefits. Financial aspects of project analysis. Pricing project costs and benefits. Prices reflect value. Finding market prices. Predictin future prices. Prices for internationally traded commodities. Financial export and import parity prices.Farm investment analysis. Objectives of financial analysis. Preparing the farm investment analysis. Elements of farm invewstment analysis. Net benefit increase. Unit activity budgets. Computing debt service. Financial analysis of processing industries. Balance sheet. Sources-and-uses-of-funds statement. Financial ratios. Financial rate of return. Analyzing project effects on government receipts and expenditures. Economic aspects of project analysis. Determining economic values. Aggregating project accounts. Measures of project worth. Comparing project costs and benefits. Applying discounted measures of project worth. Sensitivity analysis (treatment of uncertainty). Switching value. Choosing among mutually exclusive alternatives.