A featured interview with Lindsey Sorah of Good Roots.
Achieving farm profitability can be a barrier for organic and regenerative farmers at all scales but is essential for long-term sustainability. Farm and food business consultancy, Good Roots, is working to address this. Director of Business Consulting, Lindsey Sorah, spends much of her time working closely with farmers and food business leaders to ensure their businesses can thrive both in the field and in the office. RFSI spoke to Lindsey about some of the barriers that farmers and agricultural businesses face, how Good Roots supports them, and why potential capital, strategic and value chain partners need to pay attention.
Sarah Day Levesque, RFSI: Tell us a little bit about who Lindsey Sorah is – in your role at Good Roots and back home on the farm?
Lindsey Sorah, Good Roots: As the Director of Business Consulting at Good Roots, I help farmers and agribusinesses build profitable, sustainable operations. My work is deeply personal, rooted in my grandparents’ farm in Southern Illinois, where I learned the value of land and community and what is at stake for family farms and our food system as a whole. On our 10-acre farm near Athens, Georgia, my family and I have grown vegetables and cut flowers over the past 8 years utilizing regenerative practices like no-till and cover cropping. At Good Roots, I combine this hands-on experience with strategic consulting to guide farmers toward financial resilience, ensuring they can thrive while stewarding the land.
Lindsey Sorah, Director of Business Consulting, Good Roots
RFSI: What brought you to farming and business consulting?
Lindsey: Growing up, I learned how my grandparents’ farm sustained their family but also faced economic pressures. That inspired me to study agriculture and business, eventually leading to my own farm. I started consulting because I saw too many passionate farmers struggling with cash flow, market access, or operational inefficiencies—not because they lacked skill, but because they needed better business tools. At Good Roots, I found a platform to blend my love for farming with my knack for strategy, helping others succeed in sustainable agriculture while scaling impact.
RFSI: At the Women Transforming Food & Finance event last month, you shared what that journey into farming was like for you. Can you tell us a little about your journey to becoming a farmer was like?
Lindsey: The early years were a steep learning curve. I faced challenges like understanding soil health, managing cash flow, and navigating unpredictable weather. There were plenty of failures, like my first attempt at growing tomatoes which ended with a high tunnel that was closed up during a heat wave and left us with charred plants just as they were fruiting – a disaster for sure. This was my first lesson on humility and persistence in farming but certainly not my last. But there were also successes, like harvesting our first crops and seeing the community embrace our produce. My background in business gave me tools to approach farming strategically—whether it was creating budgets or marketing our farm’s story. Over time, I built a sustainable operation that balances profitability with regenerative practices, like cover cropping and crop rotation, to care for the land.
What’s been most transformative is the community I’ve found in agriculture. At the Women Transforming Food & Finance event, I connected with other women leaders who share this passion for reshaping food systems. Their stories of innovation and resilience reminded me why I started: to create a legacy of sustainability. Farming has taught me that it’s not just about growing food—it’s about growing a future where everyone has access to healthy, ethically produced food.
RFSI: Can you tell us briefly who Good Roots – and you, in your role – serve and how?
Lindsey: Good Roots serves small to medium-scale farmers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses with revenues ranging from $250,000 to $20 million, and all committed to sustainable and regenerative practices. As Director of Business Consulting, I work with clients to strengthen their operations through tailored strategies—whether it’s Fractional CFO coaching, leadership development, improving financial planning, or accessing new markets. We provide hands-on support, from marketing to succession planning, ensuring farmers have the tools to achieve profitability while aligning with their values of environmental and community stewardship.
RFSI: You mention “Fractional CFO Coaching” can you explain what this is and what businesses you work get out of it?
Fractional CFO Coaching is a hybrid service where Good Roots, as a fractional Chief Financial Officer, provides part-time, strategic financial leadership to businesses while also coaching their leaders or teams to build financial acumen and implement sustainable financial practices. Unlike a full-time CFO, we work on a contract basis offering high-level expertise without the cost of a full-time executive. The “coaching” aspect focuses on empowering business owners, managers, or staff with the skills to understand and manage their finances and teams effectively, so they can make data-driven decisions independently over time. This includes guiding them through budgeting, cash flow management, financial forecasting, leadership training and strategic planning, tailored to their unique needs.
RFSI: It sounds like Good Roots provides a wide range of services – why not focus on one thing, like marketing or business accounting?
Lindsey: Profitability isn’t a one-trick pony. A farm might have great branding but still struggle with high input costs, or solid accounting but no market access. Good Roots takes a holistic approach because farms are complex systems—success requires aligning production, finances, marketing, and operations. By offering comprehensive services, we address the interconnected challenges farmers face, helping them build resilient businesses that can weather economic and environmental uncertainties.
RFSI: What do you see presenting the most barriers for farmers/farms as they try to achieve profitability?
Lindsey: Small to medium-scale farmers face significant financial hurdles that threaten their profitability. Cash flow is a critical issue—most farms fail because they run out of cash, unable to cover operating expenses during lean seasons or while waiting for crop or market returns. High input costs, such as seeds, equipment, and labor, strain budgets, while volatile markets create uncertainty in revenue streams. Limited access to capital further complicates their ability to invest in growth or weather economic challenges. Many farmers also lack the time or expertise to navigate complex financial systems or secure premium markets, trapping them in low-margin cycles.
RFSI: What are things you focus on when you work with a farm or farm business to address this?
Lindsey: We start by diving into the financial story of the farm business—where it’s been and where it’s going. Our goal is to operationalize the financials to build a clear path to profitability. This means creating realistic budgets, conducting margin analysis to identify high-return products or practices, and managing cash flow to ensure liquidity during lean periods. We also perform market assessments to connect farmers with premium buyers or direct-to-consumer channels that boost revenue. By aligning these strategies, we help farmers reduce costs, diversify income, and build financial resilience to sustain their operations long-term.
RFSI: In the investing space, there is often a (false) perception that mission and margin are mutually exclusive. Do you think farmers face the same tension between their mission-driven work on the farm and profitability?
Lindsey: Farmers absolutely face this tension. Many are driven by a mission to feed communities, steward the land, or build resilient food systems, but profitability is the fuel that keeps that mission alive. Without profit, farmers can’t invest in their operations, hire skilled labor, or expand their impact. At Good Roots, we show farmers that mission and margin are not at odds—sound financial practices, like disciplined budgeting, cash flow management, and strategic market positioning, can increase returns over time. These profits enable farmers to scale their mission, whether that’s growing more food or mentoring the next generation, proving that financial success and purpose go hand in hand.
RFSI: Why do you think it is important to demystify the conversation about profitability and around asking for help for farmers?
Lindsey: Farmers are often proud, independent folks—it’s part of the culture. But avoiding tough conversations about money or hesitating to seek help can lead to burnout or farm loss. I want to normalize asking for support, whether it’s consulting, financing, or peer networks. Profitability isn’t about greed; it’s about ensuring farmers can keep farming. By demystifying these discussions, we empower farmers to see business strategy as a tool for resilience, not a betrayal of their values.
RFSI: Why should investors/funders/ financiers be mindful of this? And how can they and others in our community recognize this and support this?
Lindsey: Investors and financiers must recognize that farm profitability is the foundation of resilient food systems—without it, we lose the farmers driving sustainable agriculture. Many farmers find financing intimidating, with complex applications and terms that feel burdensome. To support them, investors should offer flexible financing, like low-interest loans or extended repayment terms, and simplify the process with clear guidance and hands-on support to reduce barriers. Investing in infrastructure, such as processing facilities or market access programs, also helps farmers thrive. Community members can advocate for policies that reward sustainable practices and fund farmer training. By making financing more accessible and supporting farmers through the process, investors and communities ensure investments deliver both environmental and financial returns.
RFSI: Zooming out a little, what do you think the connection is between on-farm profitability and the agricultural system/farm community’s ability to transition more sustainable and regenerative practices?
Lindsey: Profitability is the backbone of a sustainable agricultural system. Farmers need financial stability to invest in regenerative practices like cover cropping or agroforestry, which require upfront costs and time to yield benefits. Stable profits allow them to take risks, adopt new technologies, and build resilience against climate shocks. A profitable farm community also fosters collaboration—farmers can share knowledge, form cooperatives, or mentor new growers. When farmers thrive economically, they drive systemic change, scaling regenerative practices that benefit soil, biodiversity, and food security.
To learn more about Good Roots click here.