Manuals/Guides

Guide to Financing Community Supported Farms

This guide outlines alternative, local funding sources that farmers can use to finance their farm business,

How-to-Guide for Aspiring Urban Micro-Agricultural Entrepreneurs

Created for city residents who want to increase their access to fresh, healthy and affordable food.

Building an On-Farm Poultry Processing Facility

Plan and construct a mobile poultry processing unit or stationary facility for on-farm processing.

Walk-In Coolers for Winter Storage

Resources for farmers interested in on-farm winter storage options for season extension. Each resource offers a case study for a specific facility construction, and both outline important considerations for a winter storage facility.

Organic Broccoli Production Manual

Steps that farmers took to scale up organic broccoli production to meet local wholesale demand.

Community-Based Food System Assessment and Planning

This guide was created to help communities conduct their own food system assessment and provide them with guidance on planning the development of a local food system.

How to Begin Your Small Farm Dream

This plain language guide is for people who want to start a small farm. It covers skills you need to start a small farm; risks and rewards of farm ownership; financial resources; creating a business plan; and marketing.

Wholesale Packing Resource Guide

This plain language guide is for farmers and ranchers interested in selling to supermarkets, produce distributors, restaurants and institutions.

Applying for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

This plain language guide discusses eligibility and the application process for the USDA-NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Season-Long Strawberry Production with Everbearers for Northeastern Producers

This 70-page guide outlines profitable production techniques and research on everbearing strawberry varieties, including information on both field production and the use of high tunnels for season extension.