Farm Business Management

The educational materials listed on this page are about Farm Business Management.

Growing and selling products profitably is critical to an agriculture business, but there are other aspects that are essential to farm business management. While it is difficult to find grants to start a farm, operating or starting a farm require a basic understanding of ag credit, including FSA loans (and other farm loans), and how to obtain farm credit for an agriculture loan. Savvy producers understand agricultural finance and agricultural accounting, and keep a close eye on farm finances. Farmers need to understand agricultural marketing and may need to know demand for a specific crop, such as with apple marketing. Starting a small farm may include finding land through FarmLink. While some new farmers may get started with a farm internship, others may useless formal farming training or more formal agriculture education. Ultimately, farmers also need to learn about farm labor, farm labor laws or farm succession planning at some point in their career. Key practices include marketing management, financial management, community-supported agriculture, risk management, agricultural finance, whole farm planning, farm succession, land access, labor/employment.

SARE’s bulletin Scaling Up Your Vegetable Farm for Wholesale Markets offers alternatives for producers to market their products through unconventional channels. Building a Sustainable Business aids producers in developing a sustainable and profitable business plan for their enterprise. Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities gives producers options for agricultural loans, grants and technical expertise. Farmers looking to transition to organic will find Organic Transition: A Business Planner for Farmers, Ranchers and Food Entrepreneurs useful for business planning.

Showing 1-10 of 101 results

2023–2024 Report from the Field

Letter from the Director Ihave always appreciated the value of long-term research as wellas the long-term impact of both applied and basic research.The core aspects of the SARE program were developed to havepositive, enduring impacts on the environment, farm and ranchprofitability, and the quality of life of our communities. I see theseimpacts in the stories […]

Que es sostenible cover

¿Qué es la Agricultura Sostenible?

Una forma sencilla de pensar en la agricultura sostenible es que implica producir suficientes alimentos y fibra para satisfacer las necesidades actuales sin comprometer la capacidad de las generaciones futuras para hacer lo mismo. Los agricultores y ganaderos que valoran la sostenibilidad adoptan tres objetivos comunes mientras llevando a cabo operaciones productivas: Para lograr estos […]

Agricultor-Sobre-Estructuras-Empresariales Cover

Guía del Agricultorn Sobre Estructuras Empresariales

Establecer y mantener la correcta estructura empresarial para la operación de su granja sienta las bases para un negocio agrícola estable y resiliente. La formación de una estructura empresarial puede ayudar a i) gestionar el riesgo mediante la protección de los activos de las personas propietarias ante las responsabilidades de la empresa; ii) promover las […]

a man poses with a hoe in front of his urban farm

New SARE Bulletin: Best Practices for the Sustainable Urban Farm

For decades, urban farms and community gardens have helped meet demand for fresh and local produce. Urban farming creatively utilizes limited space, conserves land and transforms vacant lots or buildings into productive greenspaces. Farming in cities can be a rewarding way for communities to grow healthy food while receiving a wide range of other interrelated environmental, […]

Atrra logo, a cartoon broccoli wearing headphones

Growing New Markets for Specialty Crops

Voices from the Field is a podcast series co-produced by ATTRA and SARE that explores the different ways farmers are working to create new local markets for specialty and niche crops. Each partner episode will address a different production system or crop–from endives to small-grain value chains–and will feature farmers sharing their production and marketing […]

Urban Ag Best Practices Bulletin Cover

Best Practices for the Sustainable Urban Farm

For decades, urban farms and community gardens have helped meet the demand for fresh, local produce. Urban farms are diverse and adaptable, ranging from small farms on repurposed vacant lots to multilevel vertical farms and rooftop gardens. Often, they combine ecological farming practices with some form of infrastructure. Urban growers make clever use of their […]

Cover of farmer well being report, featuring two hands planting a seedling in soil.

Planting Seeds of Help

Despite years of experience, fifth-generation flower farmer Leroy Hardy was facing foreclosure on his farm near Sedley, Virginia. To navigate the financial crisis, Hardy reached out to Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) for mediation assistance, and he emerged with his assets intact. So when RAFI, the Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP) and the National Center […]

Farming on the Urban Edge Docuseries cover page with a woman smiling at the camera in front of a green field

The Peri-Urban Agriculture Network: Strategies for Agricultural Viability in Urbanizing and High-Land-Use-Pressure Regions

Many peri-urban regions in the western U.S. are in a state of acute juxtaposition between formerly rural agricultural communities and growing, modern urban centers. Urbanization challenges agricultural viability through land use pressures and a slow unraveling of historically land-based economies and culture. These agricultural circumstances can be very destabilizing and highlight the need for agriculture […]

SARE logo with yellow sun rising over green agricultural fields.

The Northeast Organic Grower Harvest Manual

A manual created by Roxbury Farm Harvest to help commercial, organic vegetable farmers with parameters on pricing, harvest indicators, harvest and postharvest handling procedures, and storage conditions. Each vegetable has a detailed explanation of the various market values, expected yield numbers, standards and the tools needed. Harvest and preparation procedures are laid out for each […]

Beyond Fresh Farmers Guide to Food Processing with different featured images of food and processing under the title

Beyond Fresh: a Food Processing Guide for Texas Farmers

A decision-making guide to planning, creating and marketing value-added food products made from sustainably-grown fruits and vegetables, written from a "farmer-first" perspective. As farmers face competition from meal-in-a-box companies, this guide aims to help farmers prosper in their own food distribution. This Food Processing Guide for Texas Farmers begins with decision-making and walks step by […]