Case Name :      Spruce Lawn Farms: The IP Bean Opportunity

Authors :           Mark B. Vandenbosch, Ron Anderson

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            W14001

Discipline :        Finance

Case Length :    10 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

The owner/operator of Spruce Lawn Farms, a cash crop farm located near London, Ontario, was thinking of expanding his operation to include identity-preserved soybeans and a grain dryer. The farm had been in operation for 12 years and consisted of 650 acres of owned land with plans to increase this through renting neighbouring fields to 2,000 acres by 2015. Current crops included genetically modified winter wheat, corn and soybeans, but given the growing backlash against genetically modified foods in Europe and Asia, he was considering adding certified identity-preserved soybeans as well. His back-of-the-envelope calculations seemed to indicate that the venture would pay off. However, when he approached his financial institution for a loan, they were concerned about how the new venture would change the farm’s financial structure.