Case Study $1$:

Wilde$$s Bramble is an organic food company started by a couple who grew up in rural Vermont, Alder and Calla Wilde. Living on a small farm created with tracts of land from both sets of parents, the Wildes decided to grow and sell organic products. They began by bringing their products to local farmers$$ markets and when word got around of the high$-$quality and delicious offerings, local shops and restaurants began to buy and resell their products too.$$

The increase in the number of customers led to more pressure to produce, so the Wildes used some money from savings to lease more farmland and ramp up production. They also needed additional equipment, more power, and a new barn.$$

To keep up with costs, Alder and Calla began to rely on a credit card. As the credit card payments increased and the finance charges piled up$,$ they took out a mortgage on the farm, and Calla found a job away from the farm to help with cash flow. The outlook began to dim as the ever$-$increasing debt$$which helped the cash flow problem in the moment but added to the overall crunch$$threatened to overwhelm them.