Learn how to successfully plan for your food business. In-depth information on business-related topics, including resources for beginning farmers, will help you improve your new or existing business plans.
Information for Beginning Farmers
A Guide for Hawai’i’s Farmers
This guide was developed to assist new farmers in tropical small-island settings.Download File (422.53 kB)
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.Download File (943.95 kB)
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. Download File (19.80 MB)
Internship Curriculum for Food Farmers in the North Central Region
With support from an NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant, Betrand Farm developed 24 educational PowerPoint modules that can serve as an internship curriculum for food farmers in the North Central region.Download File (26.78 MB)
Resources for Vermont's Beginning Farmers
This website provides new and beginning farmers in Vermont with information to help them succeed.
Youth Renewing the Countryside
This full-color book profiles 50 inspiring young people—one from every state—who are revitalizing rural America with new enterprises.Download File (10.87 MB)
Additional Resources
The following resources, which were not funded or produced by SARE, contain valuable information.
Beginning Farmers (a collection of ATTRA resources)
BeginningFarmers.org (a compilation of online information resources)
New Farmers(a one-stop shop of information on USDA programs)
Capital and Finance
Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities
This guide lists funding opportunities offered by federal programs, and is indispensable for anyone seeking government help to foster their innovative enterprise in forestry and agriculture. Download File (3.13 MB)
Case Studies on Setting Up Microloans
Information for lenders financing new and expanding farm businesses with limited access to capital.Download File (865.85 kB)
Financing the Farm: Applying for an FSA Loan
This plain language guide has information on the types of FSA loans available, and includes instructions for applying and developing a business plan.Download File (1.26 MB)
Guide to Financing Community Supported Farms
This guide outlines alternative, local funding sources that farmers can use to finance their farm business,Download File (3.65 MB)
Additional Resources
The following resources, which were not funded or produced by SARE, contain valuable information.
Farm Financial Planning (practical information and links to resources, from the Center for Rural Affairs)
Land Access and Suitability
Farmland ConneCTions
A guide for towns, institutions, and land trusts using or leasing farmland.Download File (1.10 MB)
Additional Resources
The following resources, which were not funded or produced by SARE, contain valuable information.
Finding Land to Farm: Six Ways to Secure Farmland (an ATTRA publication)
State, regional and national land linking programs (a list maintained by the Center for Rural Affairs)
Tools for Finding and Assessing Farmland (New Entry Sustainable Farming Project webinar)
Planning Your Local Food Business
Building a Sustainable Business
Bringing the business planning process alive, Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses helps today's alternative and sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs transform farm-grown inspiration into profitable enterprises. Incluye una versión abreviada en español.Download File (3.06 MB)
National Continuing Education Program
This program is designed for Cooperative Extension and Natural Resource Conservation Service personnel, and is also open to farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural professionals nationwide. It emphasizes core concepts and a basic understanding of sustainable agriculture, its goals and its relevance to every farming and ranching operation—large or small.
The core of the national continuing education program is a series of three online courses. Take them now.
Food for Profit On-line Training Course
Training for future entrepreneurs on planning a feasible, marketable and profitable food business.
Managing Risks on the Small Farm
This plain language guide explains the five types of risk—production, marketing, worker, legal and financial—and provides worksheets.Download File (1.31 MB)
Organic Transition
The profit potential of transitioning to organic production—along with other rewards—has farmers, ranchers and food business owners across the country considering the switch. But successfully managing your business through the multi-year transition process requires careful planning. Use Organic Transition: A Business Planner for Farmers, Ranchers and Food Entrepreneurs to develop an actionable business transition plan that is suitable for yourself, your management team or a lender.Download File (3.59 MB)
Additional Resources
The following resources, which were not funded or produced by SARE, contain valuable information.
Business Planning and Management (a collection of ATTRA publications)
Farm Business and Financial Planning Resources (templates and external resources from The Carrot Project)
Farm Commons webinars (resources to help farmers navigate legal issues)
Urban Farm Business Plan Handbook (US Environmental Protection Agency)