Beginning Farmers - this page includes Beginning Farmers "Related Links"

• 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

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 restaurant 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

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Business Management - this page includes Business Management "Related Links"

• Agriculture As A Tool for Rural Development Workshop Proceedings (PDF) - 45 pages
• Business Plan, Preparing a - Bee Keeper Example (PDF) - 65 pages
• Business Planning
• Business Planning - A Roadmap For Success
• Business Terms Defined (PDF) - 4 pages
• Calculating The Sweet 16 Financial Ratios
• Can't We All Just Get Along Dealing With Conflict In A Farm Business Farm Business Meetings (PDF) - 7 pages
• Cost of Labor Calculator (PDF) - 1 page
• Crop Insurance Terms and Definitions
  (also in PDF - 3 pages)
• Crop Producer Risk Management Survey (PDF) - 26 pages
• Employee Attraction & Selection Guide
• Entrepreneur Guide (PDF) - 134 pages
• Evaluating a Rural Enterprise (PDF) - 28 pages
• Evaluating the Feasibility of a Value-Added Agricultural Ideas Worksheets (PDF) - 29 pages
• Exploring Entrepreneurship (PDF) - 137 pages
• Farm Business Terms Defined (PDF) - 4 pages
• Farm Management Clubs (PDF) - 17 pages
• A Farmer's Guide to Revenue Management and Marketing (PDF) - 28 pages
• Farm Financial Ratios (PDF) - 8 pages
• Farming Without A Safety Net (PDF) - 8 pages
• Financial and Economic Terms
• Financial Guidelines for Agricultural Producers (PDF) - 90 pages
• Financial & Business Planning Flowchart for the Family Farm (PDF) - 1 page
• Financial Ratios Used in Financial Management (PDF) - 4 pages
• Financial Troubleshooting (PDF) - 8 pages
• Guide to Evaluate Farm-Based Enterprises (PDF) - 45 pages
• Help With Selecting an Enterprise (PDF) - 28 pages
• How Do I Decide What Is Right For Me?
• How Much Debt Can A Farm Carry (PDF) - 2 pages
• It's How You Play the Game - When great entrepreneurs get lemons, they make lemonade
• Managing Risk with Crop Insurance (PDF) - 4 pages
• Managing Risk in Risky Times (PDF) - 24 pages
• Measuring Financial Performance (PDF) - 7 pages
• Meeting Employee Needs
• Nature-Based Tourism: Guidelines for Success (PDF) - 19 pages
• Niche Marketing
• Organic Farming Is It For Me
• Organic Farming Recordkeeping Requirements
  • Grain Record Keeping Form Templates (MS Word, 20 pages)
  • Records for Organic Livestock Producers (MS Word, 21 pages)
  • Typical Records Used to Become Certified (PDF) - 18 pages
  • Organic Vegetable Operation Record Keeping Systems (MS Word, 12 pages)
• Partial Budgeting For Agricultural Businesses(PDF) - 8 pages
• Passing On The Farm
  • A Tale Of Two 2 Farm Estates -
          also in PDF - 3 pages
  • Estate and Succession Planning for Small Business Owners (PDF) - 25 pages
  • Estate Planning Principles (PDF) - 21 pages
  • Family Farm Business and Financial Planning Flowchart (MS Word)
  • Preparing To Transfer The Farm (PDF) - 20 pages
  • Questions To Ask Before You Start Transferring the Farm
  • Ten Rules of Transition Management
  • What Will Happen to the Farm?
  • Will Your Family Farm Continue? (PDF) - 4 pages
• Planning for and Responding to Disasters in Canada An Approach for Farmers and Farm Organizations (PDF) - 212 pages
• Record-Keeping: Essential to Risk Management (PDF) - 8 pages
• Recruiting and Hiring Farm Employees (PDF) - 6 pages
• Selecting New Farm Enterprises (PDF) - 28 pages
• Skills Checklist (PDF) - 14 pages
• So You Want To Be A Farmer (PDF) - 60 pages
• Starting A Business
  • Business Financing (PDF) - 5 pages
  • Business Plan Outline (PDF) - 4 pages
  • Business Startup Checklist
  • Cash Flow Template - Excel Spreadsheet
  • Organizational Structures (PDF) - 2 pages
• Stress
  • Farming/Ranching - Stressful Occupations (PDF) - 3 pages
  • Stress Symptoms (PDF) - 2 pages
  • Stress Management for Farmers/Ranchers (PDF) - 3 pages
  • Stress Management for Couples (PDF) - 2 pages
  • When Generations Farm/Ranch Together (PDF) - 2 pages
  • Farm/Ranch Stress Management Plan (PDF) - 2 pages
  • Quality of Rural Life Managing Farm Stress Workshop Participant’s Workbook (PDF) - 28 pages
• Surviving the Management Review Process (PDF) - 38 pages
• Top 10 Secrets for Small Business Success
• Types of Risk Most Important to Producers
• USDA Building a Risk Management Plan (PDF) - 20 pages
• Using Enterprise Budgets to Make Farm Decisions (PDF) - 8 pages
• Understanding Our Region's Food System Update October 2004- Northeast Farms to Food (PDF) - 32 pages
• Utilizing Federal Crop Insurance 2004 (PDF) - 17 pages
• What Is Risk

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Commodity Marketing - this page includes Commodity Marketing "Related Links"

En Español:

• Explicación de la Base (PDF) - 28 página
• Estableciendo Un Rango De Precios De Alimentos Para Aves (PDF) - 2 página
• Opciones Agrícolas Para el Principiante (PDF) - 30 página
• De Riesgos de Fluctuaciones en los Precios (PDF) - 57 página

  ---

• Agricultural Metric conversion guide (PDF) - 20 pages
• Alternative Marketing:
  • Alternative Beef Marketing (PDF)
  • Alternative Pork Marketing (PDF)
• Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide 2007 Edition (PDF) - 96 pages, this may take several minutes to download
• Basis and Risk Management
  • Basis and Risk Management Strategies, Grain Marketing and Analysis for Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina (PDF) - 73 pages
  • Basis Terms
  • Understanding Risk in Basis Contracts (PDF)
  • Knowing and Managing Grains Basis
  • Dairy Risk Management (PDF)
  • What Is Risk?
  • Buyer's Guide To Managing Price Risk (PDF) - 42 pages, this may take several minutes to download
  • Strategies for Managing Price Risk (PDF) - 29 pages
  • Understanding Basis (PDF) - 30 pages
• Beef And Pork Values and Price Spreads Explained (PDF) - 30 pages
• Comparing Swine Niche Market Opportunities (PDF) - 8 pages
• Considerations For Grain Contracts
• Crop Farmers’ Use of Market Advisory Services (PDF) - 34 pages
• Crop Report Opportunity (PDF) - 3 pages
• Establishing A Feed Cost Range For:
  • Cattle Operations (PDF) - 2 pages
  • Dairy Operations (PDF) - 2 pages
  • Hog Operations (PDF) - 2 pages
  • Poultry Operations (PDF) - 2 pages
• Farmers Guide to Revenue Management and Marketing Handbook (PDF)
• Futures & Options:
  • Introductory Guide to Options on Futures (PDF) - 16 pages
• Futures and Options for:
  • The Beginner (PDF) - 28 pages
  • Grain & Soybean (PDF) - 12 pages, this may take several minutes to download
• Hedging With a Put Option (PDF)
• The Language of Futures Markets & Options (PDF)
• Introduction To Futures Markets
• Introduction to Hedging with Futures and Options (PDF) - 26 pages
• Introduction to Livestock and Meat Fundamentals (PDF) - 36 pages
• Marketing Plans:
  • Crop Marketing Plan
  • Grain Marketing Plans Development & Maintenance (PDF) - 36 pages
  • Grain Marketing Plans for Farmers (PDF) - 26 pages
  • Milk Marketing Plan (MS Excel Spreadsheet)
  • Preharvest - Postharvest Marketing Plan Worksheet (MS Excel Spreadsheet)
• Marketing Guide (PDF) - 44 pages
• Marketing Resources for Grain and Forage Producers (also in PDF)
• Small Dairy Resource Book (PDF) - 61 pages
• Soybean Rust Tracking and Intervention Documentation (PDF) (4 pages) -
        Guidance on record keeping if soybean rust affects your yields and you submit
        a loss claim.
• Starting a Marketing Club (PDF)
• Ten Rules for Better Marketing
• Value-Added Dairy Potential (PDF)

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Community Farmers' Markets

• CSA Across the Nation Findings from the CSA Survey (PDF)
• Farmers Market Coloring Book (PDF)
• Farmers' Markets: Consumer Trends, Preferences and Characteristics (PDF - 38 pages)
• Farmers' Market Marketing & Business Guide (PDF)
• Farmers' Markets Rules, Regulations and Opportunities (PDF- 49 pages)
• Farmers' Market Sample By-Laws (MS Word)
• Forming A Farm Market
  • Farmer-Vendor Application Form (PDF)
  • Vendor Application Sample
    (also in PDF)
• Harvest Calendar (also a text only version)
• Producer-Only Farmers' Markets in the Mid-Atlantic Region - Market Manager Survey (PDF - 40 pages)
• Starting and Strengthening a Farmers Markets in Pennsylvania (PDF - 36 pages)
• Why a Farmers' Market . .

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Financial Tools

• Accrued Interest & Revolving Loan Calculator (in Excel)
• Appraisal of Current Financial Position (in Excel)
• Asset Depreciation (in Excel)
• Balance Sheet (in Excel)
• Break Even & Cash Flow Projection - Grain (in Excel)
• Capital Budget Analysis (in Excel)
• Cash Flow Projection
         PDF     MS Word     Excel
• Cash Flow Projection Input Forms (PDF)
• Crop Storage Analysis (in Excel)
• Insurance Payment Calculator (in Excel)
• Land Purchase (in Excel)
• Land Rent Estimator (in Excel)
• Lease vs Purchase (in Excel)
• Loan Amortize (in Excel)
• Loan Comparison (in Excel)
• Machinery Financing (in Excel)
• Storage Bin Analysis (in Excel)
• Time Value of Money (in Excel)
• Time Value of Money Part 1 (PDF)
• Time Value of Money Part 2 (PDF)

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Green Industry

• Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan for Horticultural Firms (PDF) (please note, this is a large file and will take time to download)
• Green Industry Web Sites
• Greenhouse Business Summary And Financial Analysis, New York 2000 (PDF - 41 pages)
• Horticultural Business Plan Example (PDF - 42 pages)
• Landscape Business Planning Guide (PDF - 42 pages) (please note, this is a large file and will take time to download)
• Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production (PDF - please note, this is a large file and will take time to download)

Processing - this page includes Processing "Related Links"

• Before You Call a PDA Sanitarian, Regulations + Labeling = Food Safety
• Creating A Goat Cheese Business (PDF) - 14 pages
• Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan for Horticultural Firms (PDF)
• Farmer's Guide to Processing and Selling Meat or Poultry (PDF)
• Food Entrepreneur Manual (PDF)
• Northeast Apple Processor Industry Analysis (PDF)
• People Interested in Your Food Business
• Should I Join a New Processing Cooperative? (PDF) - 14 pages

• Specialty Cheese Plant Study (PDF)

• Starting A Value-added Agribusiness: The Legal Prospective (PDF) - 30 pages
• Value-added Agriculture - Keys to Success (PDF)

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Related Links

Retail Marketing - this page includes Retail Marketing "Related Links"

• Advertising
  • Before You Create Marketing Materials
  • Effective Signs
  • Essentials of a Good Ad
  • Words That Sell
    
    
• Coloring Books
  • Coloring Book - 5-A-Day (PDF) - 20 pages
  • The Apple Wise Guys Coloring Book (PDF) - 6 pages
    
    
• Community Food Security Assessment Tool Kit Table of Contents - (click here for the PDF - 166 pages)
  
  
• Customer Service
  • Building Trust With Consumers (PDF) - 4 pages
  • Customer Service
  • Customer Service Defined
  • Sample Customer Survey (also in MS Word)
  • What makes you go back to your FAVORITE food retailer? (PDF) - 18 pages
  • Why Customers Buy
    
    
• Direct Marketing
  • Direct Farm Marketing Maunual (PDF) - 226 pages, this may take a few minutes to download
  • Direct Marketing Guide for Producers of Fruits, Vegetables and Other Specialty Products (PDF) - 40 pages
  • Direct Marketing as a Value-Added Opportunity for Agriculture (PDF) - 5 pages
    
    
• EcoLabel Value Assessment Consumer and Food Business Perception of Local Foods (PDF) - 106 pages
• Ecolabel Value Assessment Phase II: Consumer Perceptions of Local Foods (PDF) - 97 pages
• E-Coli Poster (PDF)
• Employee Turnover - Calculating the Cost (PDF)
• Essential Marketing Steps
• Harvest Calendar (also text only version)
  
  
• Internet Sales
  • How To Direct Market Farm Products On The Internet - Table of Contents (the PDF is 50 pages)
    
    
• Improving Sales
• Innovative Agricultural Marketing, Examples from Direct Farm Marketing and Agri-Tourism Enterprises (PDF) - 128 pages, this may take several minutes to download. Click here for the Table of Contents.
• Market Gardening - A Start-Up Guide (PDF)
• Market Research - The "How To"
• Market Research-Charleen Heidt (in MS PowerPoint)
• Marketing Survey 2004 by the National Grocers Association (PDF) - 35 pages
• Objections To Planning
  
  
• Pick Your Own
  • How to Start a Pick-Your-Own Operation
  • Tips for Visiting a Pick-Your-Own Farm
    
    
• "Points of Impact" National Grocers Ass'n Retail Operations Survey 2002-03 (PDF 52 pages)
  
  
• Resources
  • Guide to Educational Resources on Direct Marketing (PDF) - 46 pages
    
    
• Roadside Market
  • Checklist for a Roadside Market (also in PDF)
  • Farm Stands 101
  • Plan for Roadside Markets, Stands, and Equipment (PDF) - 8 pages
    
    
• Thoughts For Success
  
  
• Tourism
  • Agritourism Health and Safety Guidelines for Children (PDF) - 40 pages
  • Ecotourism in PA - Untapped Potential (PDF) - 25 pages, note this is a VERY detailed document with numerous pictures and charts and will take several minutes to download
  • Moving Heritage Tourism Forward in PA (PDF) - 16 pages
  • Nature-Based Tourism Policy (PDF) - 19 pages

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Wholesale Marketing - this page includes Wholesale Marketing "Related Links"

• Approaching Foodservice Establishments With Locally Grown Products (PDF)
• Farm to School Case Studies and Resources for Success (PDF - 54 pages)
• Fruit & Vegetable Market News User Guide (PDF)
• Going Local Paths to Success For Farm to School Programs (PDF - 28 pages, this is a large file and may take a few minutes to download)
• Guide to Working With Food Market Professionals - (PDF - 7 pages)
• Local Farmers and School Food Service Buyers (PDF)
• Local Food Connections - From Farm To Schools (PDF - 4 pages)
• Preparing for Different Distribution Options (PDF - 5 pages)
• Produce Packing Guide
• Respiration Values for Produce Items
• Strategic Planning for the Apple Industry (PDF)
• A Systematic Approach To Produce Wholesaling (PDF- 8 pages)
  
  
• Wisconsin Small Farm Marketing Fact Sheets:
  • Easy Batch Process (PDF)
  • Packing Tips (PDF)
  • Standard Containers (PDF)

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