Local Food Wholesale Market Assessment (2019). This report documents major trends in the shifting retail and institutional wholesale channels for local food, with a focus on produce, proteins, and dairy. The report also documents general practices and expectations when operating within wholesale. It was commissioned by NOFA-VT in collaboration in collaboration with the Vermont Farm to Plate Network.

Specialty Cheese Market Research Report (2019). This report discusses market conditions, trends in consumer demand and current distribution channels. It also outlines strategies for cheesemakers to be competitive in a global market. It was commissioned by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets.

Grass-fed Beef Value Chain Research (2017). This report summarizes market information for grass-fed, grass-finished Vermont beef. It was funded by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs fund and the Canaday Family Charitable Trust.

Fresh and Affordable (2016). This report summarizes NOFA-VT’s 2016 study on the price competitiveness of products purchased directly from local farmers.

2010 Guide to Selling at Farmers' Markets (PDF). Published by Growing for Market, this comprehensive guide covers all aspects of direct market sales at farmers' markets, including tips for pricing for farmers' markets.

Beef & Pork Whole Animal Buying Guide: While promoted as a buying guide, this is a great reference for any farmer new to selling beef and pork by sides or retail cuts. Great pictures and definitions of terms related to cuts and quality. Available as a free download, but you can also buy a laminated copy for a small fee.

The Butcher Kept Your Meat? (PDF): This fact sheet from Penn State Extension explains meat product return at the different stages of butchering and processing and provides some general rules of thumb for carcass to meat cut ratios for beef, lamb and pork.

From Cash Records to Cost of Production Fact Sheet (PDF): Knowing your production costs is key to setting prices that support farm profitability. This fact sheet explains how to calculate production costs. It also contains a handy "Enterprise Allocation Worksheet" which lists many possible categories of production expenses.

How Much Should I Charge? Pricing Your Meat Cuts (PDF): This fact sheet outlines a basic strategy for determining prices for direct-to-consumer sales of meat cuts. Courtesy of Brian Moyer amd Penn State Cooperative Extension. Use in conjunction with Penn State Extenion's The Butcher Kept Your Meat? (PDF) fact sheet, which explains meat product return at different stages of butchering and for different animals.

Pricing Your Farm Products (PDF): Created by the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link, this fact sheet is a step-by-step guide to setting prices, with many resources and food for thought.

Local Food Data Tracking website: The Local Foods Data Tracking Program is a partnership between the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (VAAFM) and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service that provides public access to aggregated pricing data on Vermont agricultural products, which includes fruit and vegetable crops, meat, poultry and eggs. The reports synthesize and share up-to-date pricing data which can be used by farmers, retail outlets, organizations, and the public to make price comparisons, set competitive prices, assess business value for insurance rates and loans, and to allow consumers to make informed choices.

Wholesale Prices
Boston Daily Market Reports: fruits and berries
Boston Daily Market Reports: onions and potatoes
Boston Daily Market Reports: vegetables

Farmers' Market Displays (PDF): This fact sheet explains how to create displays that show off your products, draw in customers and help to increase sales.

Guide to Selling at Farmers' Markets (PDF): Published by Growing for Market, this comprehensive guide covers all aspects of direct market sales at farmers' markets, including tips on both design and desplay, merchandising and product sampling.

Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses”  MISA, 2012. Planning Task # 4 includes an 83 page guide that includes  comprehensive fill-in worksheets to develop a marketing plan. Available in English and Spanish.

Market Research Workbook (PDF), by Rose Wilson, 2014. This workbook guides you through a comprehensive process of developing and implementing a marketing plan, including identifying your target customers, the benefits they are seeking from your products and the best ways to communicate and engage with those audiences.

Agricultural Business Marketing Plan Outline, 2020 (PDF), created by the UVM Extension Agricultural Business Team, guides you through five core phases of developing a successful digital marketing plan for your farm. It addresses considerations related to website development and ecomerce, promotion via social media and email promotion, and how these activities integrate with your overall business goals, brand identity, target customer and messaging.

Marketing Plan Outline (PDF), from Good Egg Marketing, provides a template for all the elements of a strong

Rooted in Vermont is an initiative to increase consumer demand for local food.

Vermont Agritourism Collaborative website hosts a print and video resources to help farmers develop and grow successful agritourism businesses. You’ll find information that will help you prepare for agritourism activities on your farm, assess those already taking place, and connect with resources that can support agritourism.

The Vermont Tourism Research Center’s Resource Hub hosts a suite of tools, resources and research findings on agritourism for farmers and agricultural service providers.

VVBGA Community Accreditation for Produce Safety (CAPS) is a voluntary program that helps farmers adopt best practices for produce safety, and recognizes them for doing so. CAPS is a program of the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers’ Association (VVBGA) with operation coordinated by University of Vermont (UVM) Extension. CAPS uses an online platform combined with intensive technical support to help small and medium-scale farmers meet market expectations and comply with the intent of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR).  

Project Planning for Postharvest Efficiency, Profitability & Food Safety (Free 8-Part Packshed Webinar)

Final Rule on Produce Safety Fact Sheet provides summaries of some key requirements, compliance dates and other information. Or see the online version of the final rule.

Guidance on Wash Water Discharge from Vegetable Pack Sheds (PDF) –This UVM fact sheet provides advice on system design for Vermont farms.

A Small Farmer’s Practical Guide to Food Safety: This guidebook is designed to help growers with the basics to improve food safety on their farm. It provides training agendas, template standard operating procedures, options for wildlife management, washing station ideas and more. Published by the National Young Farmers’ Coalition in 2020.

Improving Handwashing:  Hand washing stations provide a portable means of washing hands on farms, at farmers’ markets, and at recreational sites. This guide was motivated by a desire to improve current handwashing station practice with a focus on minimizing or even removing all contact between the user’s hands and surfaces of the station.

Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse is an online clearinghouse of curated and crowd-sourced resources related to the produce safety rules under the federal Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA). The goal of the Clearinghouse is to connect food safety people, projects, and publications across the nation through a verified process so that regulators, educators, technical service providers, growers and processors can access trusted food safety related information.

Fruits, Vegetables and Food Safety: Health and Hygiene on the Farm: This 15-minute video from the National GAPS Program at Cornell University offers guidance to farm workers on proper hand washing and toilet use, with emphasis on how their health affects the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Available in English, Spanish, Creole, Hmong. 

UVM Extension Food Safety Training for Food Processors program: UVM Extension partners with many agencies and institutions such as the Vermont Department of Health, the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Alliance, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Better Process Control Schools Network, to offer training and certification for food processors.