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.
From the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota. AgPlan is a set of free online tools and resources designed to help rural business owners develop a business plan. It includes a type editor in which you can write your plan, tips resources and samples to help guide you, and tools to allow you to share your plan and get feedback from advisors, educators and consultants.
Created by the UVM Extension Agricultural Business Team, the outline guides you through five core phases of developing a successful digital marketing plan for your farm. It addresses considerations related to website development and e-commerce, promotion via social media, and email promotion, and how these activities all integrate with your overall business goals, brand identity, target customer and messaging.
A fee-based ($60/year) online software toolkit built for small diversified farms. It creates a plan for your farm at the beginning of the season, and helps you manage that plan and keep you on track as the season progresses.
Use this self-assessment to determine if marketing to restaurants is a good fit for your products, business and orientation to customers.
H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers. While the current public health risk is low, authorities are watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures.
This Extension Foundation website provides informational resources regarding bird flu (H5N1) and human health. The website includes the weekly updates sent by the United States Center for Disease Control (CDH) on Influenza A (H5N1), as well as other informational resources.
Launched in May 2024, the site is a collaborative initiative of The Extension Foundation and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Health Equity and Well-Being Program Action Team.
A newsletter subscription box is also available on the website to receive regular emails from the Extension Foundation regarding new resources posted related to H5N1 and human health.
Erin Benzakein pioneered connecting with people who want to support local farms through social media. In this podcast we talk about how to use your own story to connect with potential customers. Read more in an article she wrote for Growing for Market Magazine called “Become the Face of Your Farm”.
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.
Whether you've recently become a parent, are about to become one or may in the future, its important to include postpartum period in your farm planning. In this Growing for Market article, farmer Katie Kulla shares her personal postpartum stories & experiences along with those of other postpartum farming mothers in this week's article.
From the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA). A comprehensive, farmer-oriented guide to developing a business plan for farms and food businesses. This manual is used in the Building a Sustainable Business class offered by UVM Extension. It is available as a free download and also includes pdf forms that you can fill in online.
Planning Task # 4 includes an 83 page guide that includes comprehensive fill-in worksheets to develop a marketing plan. Available in English and Spanish.
The climate is changing and bringing more uncertainty to the future conditions of forests. As a landowner, you can make decisions to reduce the vulnerabilities and advance the resilience of your woods. 12 Steps to Climate Resilience: Managing Your Forest With Climate Change In Mind provides recommendations for making forest lands more resilient to changing climate conditions. Please note: this guide was developed for the Northeast, and Vermont in particular, and while the general principals may apply to forests across the US, landowners should seek local advice from a professional with knowledge about the forests in their region and the current and anticipated climate impacts.
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12 Steps for Climate Resilience: Managing Your Forest with Climate Change in Mind
This resource briefly explains common financial concepts and terms that beginning farmers may encounter when developing business plans seeking funding (through grants and loans) for their business.
On Cultivating Resilience, farm care starts with self-care. Each episode dives into the stories of real, independent farmers on the struggles they face every day, and how they are overcoming them—things like family farm succession, economic burdens, and rural isolation. Throughout, the series provides resources to help strengthen mental well-being during stressful and uncertain times. Listen to Cultivating Resilience on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
In 2022, the New Entry Sustainable Farming Program (NESFP) hosted a webinar series exploring a range of e-commerce and web-based marketing platform available to farmers. Recordings are all available on NESFP's Youtube Agricultural Technology and Online Software play list and include:
- Which E-Commerce Platform is right for me?
- Navigating E-Commerce Platforms – an Intro to GrownBy and Food4All
- Navigating E-Commerce Platforms – an Intro to Barn2Door and Local Food Marketplace
- Navigating E-Commerce Platforms – an Intro to Forager and Farm Drop
Each session includes a farmer discussing what they've found to be the various benefits and drawbacks of each platform.
This 2022 two-page fact sheet from the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project provides an overview of six eCommerce platforms, comparing features, user ratings and links to additional information about each platform.
This 2021 report from the CSA Innovation Network provides farmer ratings for eight of the most popular farm sales platform and four additional platforms that are not farm-specific but used by many farmers.
In this 2021 Growing for Market article, Jonathan Leiss of Spring Forth Farm, explains how, by using training from his job as a firefighter, he adapted a technique for folding and deploying tarps that can be used for any farm's silage tarps, row covers, or landscape fabric. The techniques can help reduce frustration and damage to the trapping material. The online article includes step-by-step instructions and photos of the techniques.
Going through the process of applying and understanding the Emergency Relief Program can be a lot to process. The USDA has published a video that goes over the two possible tracks for farmers. Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022 covers losses to eligible crops and trees due to qualifying natural disaster events experienced during calendar year 2022.
This decision tool, created by Land for Good in 2018, organizes the basic farm access methods into three categories. Each category lays out the division of interests (rights) in the property, the legal vehicles, and the parties involved. Most land tenure arrangements will fall into one of these categories. This tool helps you compare methods and make informed decisions. It accompanies the Farm Access Methods Guide found at www.landforgood.org/resources/toolbox/.
This two-page fact sheet briefly the factors used to determine whether a farming activity should be classified as a hobby or business for tax purposes. The classification is important because it determines whether associated expenses are deductible or not.
Farm Service Agency Loans: The Ins and Outs of Growing A Farm with Federal Loans, published by the National Young Farmers Coalition in 2018. This publication is a farmer-oriented primer on the USDA Farm Service Agency’s lending programs. It explains how small-scale, diversified farmers can access FSA programs.
This guide from the National Young Farmers Coalition provides information about farm-specific sales platforms that support single-farm, direct sales. It was produced during the covid pandemic in response to farmers' interest in using software platforms to support direct sales to consumers in their communities.
The USDA published an updated Guide to the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP). Through the funding of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) $2.2 billion is now available for farmers who can show they experienced discrimination in the USDA loan programs. This update provides a step by step walk through the application form and the program.
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.
This report summarizes NOFA-VT’s 2016 study on the price competitiveness of products purchased directly from local farmers.
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.
Farm Service Agency 101 – is an educational hub comprised of videos, and resources that enable beginning and new farmers to learn about and access major FSA programs. This hub was developed in partnership with FarmRaise and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farming is a risky business and with more and more elements becoming unpredictable the FSA's disaster programs can feel inaccessible. Using this Disaster Programs tool explore how the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) program or the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) could help benefit your farm.
The USDA provides opportunities for New and Beginning Farmers in a multitude of ways- this resource portal focuses on the Loan Office and how to get started. Review a series of short videos outlining the process of working with an FSA officer and become familiar with the process of applying for a loan. The farm loan informational video resources were developed in partnership with FarmRaise and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). These resources are housed in an online, educational hub -- called Farm Service Agency 101 – comprised of videos, and resources that enable cooperators and the agricultural producers they serve to learn about and access major FSA programs.
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.
This Growing for Market podcast explores efficient systems and organization for packing sheds and more with some of the industry's top problem-solvers. The episode focuses on ways to optimize the pack shed, takes a deep dive into the sanitizing process (including dry cleaning) and is loaded with advice and resources for a safe crew and working environment.
Featured guests are: Billy Mitchell of the USDA's Southwest region Transition to Organic Partnership Program and Chris Callahan and Andy Chamberlain from the University of Vermont's Agricultural Engineering Program.
This UVM fact sheet provides advice on system design for Vermont farms.
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.
This USDA booklet provides information and guidance to help farmers and ranchers learn about assistance and targeted opportunities available to minority, women, beginning, veteran, or limited resource farmers. It covers programs offered through the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Risk Management Agency.
The booklet includes worksheets to help you plan for your first visit with USDA, and information specific to urban agriculture, organic certification, and navigating complex land ownership situations such as heir's property.
The guide is also available in Spanish, Hmong, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese on farmers.gov/translations. Published July 2022. 38 pages.
Health Savings Accounts allow you to pay for unreimbursed medical expenses such as deductibles, co-payments, and services not covered by insurance—if you have a high-deductible health plan. This fact sheet from Rutgers University notes that the tax advantages are typically that contributions are deductible, withdrawals are not taxed if used for medical expenses, earnings on the savings account are tax-exempt, and unspent balances may accumulate without a maximum limit.
HIGH TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION VIDEOS
A 6-part video series covering the intricacies of greenhouse or high tunnel construction. developed by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. Filmed in collaboration with experts from academia, business, and government, these videos provide a complete guide to greenhouse construction, including best practices, tips and tricks, and the correct order of events to create a functional and lasting greenhouse. https://extension.unh.edu/resource/constructing-greenhouse-or-high-tunn…
Learn about the various types of tax return preparers who can help farmers prepare their tax returns. This page provides links to an article, presentation slide set,and a 48-minute webinar recording.
All materials were developed by Dr. Tamara L. Cushing, Extension Forest Business and Economics Specialist, University of Florida for the National Farm Income Tax Committee.
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.
This recording of a July 2022 webinar provides an overview of farm tax basics for beginning farmers. The presentation focused on who is a farmer for tax purposes, some how federal tax provisions apply to different farming situations, and selecting a tax professional.
This two-pager from UVM Extension's Vegetable and Berry Specialist Vern Grubinger highlights nine key resources (including contact information) all commercial growers should know about. Last updated May 2021.
This presentation is hosted by Utah State University and developed by the National Farm Income Tax Committee. The webinar covers 10 lessons learned in an informal coffee chat style presentation. Topics include Systemic Processing Issues, Schedule F vs Schedule C, Depreciation Issues, Taxation of Grants, Hiring Owner’s Children, Recent Fire Losses, Deferring Cattle Sale Income, Entity Issues, Conservation Easements, Timber Tax Issues, Excess Soil Fertility. Great resource for Service Providers!
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number FSA21CPT0012032.
Feel prepared when going to your local FSA office by using the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Decision Tool and farm loan resources provided by FarmRaise and USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Through use of the LIP Decision tool, livestock producers can provide supporting documentation, inventory numbers, and loss numbers to FSA county offices. Doing so, in advance of the initial county office visit, will help FSA staff serve customers more effectively and efficiently. Having organized documentation will assist in the application process and your annual visits or audits. Filling out the LIP Decision tool takes an estimated 5 minutes and is not an official application.
These resources were developed by FSA in partnership with Farm raise and launched in early 2024.
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.
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.
Learn about the tax planning strategies and management. This guide covers expenses, revenue, 1099s, and other common filing situations/requirements.
All materials were developed by Mark Dikeman, of Kansas State University, and Kevin Burkett, of Clemson University.
Slide Deck: Managing Taxes After Year-End https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/documents/farmersgov-after-…
Presentation: Managing Taxes After Year-End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzrznUTaJH0
Learn about the tax planning strategies and management. This guide covers expenses, revenue, 1099s, and other common filing situations/requirements.
All materials were developed by Mark Dikeman, of Kansas State University, and Kevin Burkett, of Clemson University.
Slide Deck: Managing Taxes After Year-End https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/documents/farmersgov-after-…
Presentation: Managing Taxes After Year-End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzrznUTaJH0
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.
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.
from Good Egg Marketing, provides a template for all the elements of a strong marketing plan.
This collection of resources from Rural Tax Education includes a variety of topics useful to beginning farmers. The collection address filing dates and estimated tax payments, form 1099 information, and how to choose a tax professional. Resources include fact sheets and recordings of webinar sessions.
A quick way to get you started, linking your farming goals with specific steps to move toward those goals. Eventually, you’ll need to get more detailed with a complete business plan.
When heavy rain is expected and the soil is already saturated, flooding is likely. The 2024 Fact Sheet from the University of Vermont Extension outlines steps you can take ahead of time to reduce potential losses and speed recovery, should flooding occur.
With the weather events becoming more extreme it is always important to know how to prepare your farm and infrastructure. Skip Paul of Wishingstone Farm has advice on how to ave your greenhouses weather the storm.
Prevent Greenhouse Collapse written by Vern Grubinger, with the assistance of John Bartok Jr and Ed Person.
Greenhouses, high tunnels and hoop-houses warrant some advance planning to keep them from collapsing in winter storms. Many growers have learned the hard way that these investments are vulnerable to failure due to some combination of ice, rain, snow, and wind. This article is filled with advice and adaptations to provide the most resilient greenhouses with our changing seasons.
(Free 8-Part Packshed Webinar)
Reducing Storm Damage to Your Greenhouses written by John W Bartok Jr, brings to light all of the elements you need to consider when designing your greenhouse.
The Vermont RAP Quiz is an accessible and informative online tool for livestock farmers and agricultural service providers to raise awareness of the RAPs and water quality improvement practices available for Vermont farmers.
is an initiative to increase consumer demand for local food.
This fact sheet explains what type of test to use and how to sample properly. This fact sheet explains what type of test to use and how to sample properly.
For established high tunnels growing in the ground we recommend using the U. Maine Soil Test Lab’s Long Term Combined High Tunnel Package for $30 per sample. This includes the Basic High Tunnel Test PLUS Saturated Media Extract for all major and micronutrients. Results show both season-long nutrient availability and short-term nutrient intensity.
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.
This fact sheet explains how to create displays that show off your products, draw in customers and help to increase sales.
The Farm Labor Dashboard provides tools and strategies to help small and medium sized produce and diversified livestock farms make labor management decisions. Many of the tools and resources on the dashboard are oriented to early stage farm managers.
A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops and Staff – and Making a Profit by Richard Wiswall, published by Chelsea Green Books. Written for organic vegetable farmers by a long-time VT farmer, this book is not specifically about writing a business plan but rather managing a successful business. But it covers all the fundamentals you need for a business plan, and includes a CD with cash flow spreadsheets, crop budgets, and more.
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.
This fact sheet explains how you can use some easy and inexpensive methods of monitoring sales to maximize your profits and stay in touch with your customers’ needs, wants, and wishes.
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.
Pollinators are essential to the production of many food crops. More than 100 U.S. grown crops rely on pollinators, which add an estimated $18 billion in crop production revenue. Pollinators also support healthy ecosystems needed for clean air, stable soils, and a diverse wildlife. The University of Vermont Extension Pollinator Program includes a collection of links to information that is relevant to pollinator health in agricultural settings in Vermont and the region. The purpose of this effort is to support the adoption of farm practices that promote the well-being of pollinators, through education and applied research, in collaboration with other agencies, organizations. and people doing similar work.
Check out the “Know Your 5” crop pollinator guides at UVM Extension’s Pollinator Support webpage!
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.
This University of Vermont website aggregates information and resources that Vermonters can use to prepare for an recover from emergency events
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).
This two-page document outlines eight characteristics beginning farmers should consider in selecting a crop insurance agent.