Agricultural Marketing - Beginning Farmers

There are many people who have started or hope to farm. These new farmers have a passion for farming. Despite the formidable challenges, with sufficient help and support they can succeed. Their vitality contributes to local economies, and helps keep the agricultural resource base productive.

Financial & Time Considerations
Finding the Niche: Case Studies of Beginning Small-Scale Farmers (PDF) - 38 pages
Getting Started in Farming
Innovative Marketing Opportunities for Small Farmers: Local Schools as Customers (PDF) - 61 pages. Click here to view the Table of Contents (PDF)
Managing Risks On Your Small Farm (PDF) - 5 pages
Small Farm Decision Making and Enterprise Planning Workbook (PDF) - 18 pages
So you have inherited a farm . . . (PDF) - 8 pages
What Can I Do with my Small Farm

Options & Strategies for Small Farms: This material was created by the North Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability project partners: Practical Farmers of Iowa, Food Circles Networking Project Center for Rural Affairs University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives
Alternate Production Practices Can Smaller Be Better? A Comparison of Grass Based & Conventional Dairy Farming (PDF) - 4 pages Less Land, More Profits: Organic Crop Production Makes a Stand (PDF) - 4 pages Letting Pigs Be Pigs: Building a Better Hog Operation (PDF) - 4 pages Summer Calving: A Practice To Improve Profits (PDF) 5 pages Also see related links (below)
Cooperative Arrangements for Equipment Sharing Bruegman Grass-Based Dairy: Simply a Better Product (PDF) - 2 pages From Wheat to the Web: Virtual Neighbors Share Machinery to Cut Real Costs (PDF) - 2 pages North Star Neighbors: Neighbors and Friends Working Together (PDF) - 3 pages Small Farm Cooperative: Quality and Innovation (PDF) - 3 pages Farm Succession Strategies A Farm for the Future: Using Innovative programs to Pass on the Farm (PDF) - 3 pages A Good Start: Investing in a Beginning Farmer (PDF) - 3 pages A Thriving Dairy: Cooperating for Success (PDF) - 3 pages Family Farm Business & Financial Planning Flowchart (MS Word) Generational Transfer: A Tale of Four Brothers (PDF) - 4 pages Going Home: Taking Over the Family Farm (PDF) - 3 pages Growing a Farmer: Passing on Assets and Experience (PDF) - 2 pages Locally Grown: Neighbors Working Together (PDF) - 3 pages Farm Transfer Guide (PDF) - 90 pages Transferring the Family Farm What Worked, What Didn’t (PDF) - 39 pages Working Dreams: A Transfer in Progress (PDF) - 3 pages Innovative Marketing Strategies Buttering Up Your Customers: Direct-Market Dairy Products Keep Profits on the Farm (PDF) - 4 pages Grown Locally Cooperative Case Study (PDF) - 8 pages Libby Creek Farm An Organic Alternative to Traditional Farming (PDF) - 13 pages Puget Sound Fresh Case Study (PDF) - 9 pages (encouraging consumers, retailers and restaurants to purchase locally grown products) Select! Sonoma County - A Long-Lived Marketing Program Faces Hard Times (PDF) - 7 pages New Generation Cooperatives CROPP Cooperative - The Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, Organic Valley Family of Farms (PDF) - 13 pages Dakota Lamb Growers Co-op Case Study (PDF) - 8 pages Southwest Minnesota Agrifuels Co-op Case Study (PDF) - 13 pages Walton Bean Growers Co-op Case Study (PDF) - 7 pages On Farm Diversification Strategies At Home with the Claytons' An On-Farm Bed & Breakfast Experience (PDF) - 10 pages The Art of Creating a Goat Cheese Business, A North Central Initiative Small Farm Profitability Case Study (PDF) - 14 pages Straight Arrow Bison Ranch: Nutritional Meat Raised on a Family Farm (PDF) - 11 pages Tarbox Hollow: A Home on the Range (PDF) - 4 pages Using the Internet to Market Products Effective E-commerce - Annie's Jams and Jellies (PDF) - 25 pages Strategies That Work - Papa Geno's Herb Farm (PDF) - 12 pages Planning for Success: Uplands Cheese Company (PDF) - 11 pages Using the Internet to Market Farm Products (PDF) - 33 pages
Related Links: Northeast New Farmer Consortium PSU Beginning Farmer Course USDA List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification Return to the top.

Text Only Version |

Last modified September 12, 2010
Questions or Comments, Contact Us at: jwb15@psu.edu

Every attempt has been made to ensure there are no broken links.
If you find a link that doesn't work please e-mail the Agricultural Marketing webmaster. Thank you.