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.
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2025–2026 Report from the Field
In Recognition of Farmers and Ranchers SARE has been around for nearly 40 years, and the impacts that our grant and outreach programs have had on the sustainability of U.S. agriculture are because of one simple thing: Farmers and ranchers are at the center of everything we do. SARE is afunding sourcefor producers.It’s designed forproducers, […]
Enterprise Budgets for Diversified Farms
Farming is subject to many variables, from forces you can’t control, such as weather and markets, to your decisions around crops and cropping practices. The key to profitability and smart decision-making is knowing your costs, so you can allocate your limited assets to their best uses. These assets include your land, labor and capital. As […]
New Video: Create a Business Plan and Grow Intentionally
Gretl Schlatter emphasizes the importance of calculated growth and smart technology adoption to provide her operation with the resilience it needs to remain competitive as the industry evolves.
New Video: Plan for Stressful Times
Starting or taking over a family farming operation is an inherently stressful enterprise. And failing to plan for the impact stress can have on mental health poses real risk for any small business. At Flat Rock Dairy in Paulding, Ohio, dairy farmer Gretl Schlatter and Ohio State University Extension educator Sarah Noggle are working to […]
New SARE Bulletin: The Basics of Farm Business Planning
New and beginning farmers face a wide range of barriers when launching or growing their operations, from uncertain markets and extreme weather to land access and financing challenges. A clear, practical business plan can make all the difference. SARE Outreach’s newest bulletin, The Basics of Farm Business Planning, offers a framework to help farmers clarify […]
Adapting to Flooding and Drought on Hurricane Flats Farm in South Royalton, Vermont
On the banks of the White River, Hurricane Flats Farm is finding new ways to thrive in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather. In a new episode of America’s Heartland, produced in partnership with SARE, farmers Ashley Loehr and Antoine Guerlain share how they’re navigating both severe drought and catastrophic flooding on their 37-acre certified […]
Pennsylvania Producers Drive Research to Expand Switchgrass Markets
In Pennsylvania, switchgrass has emerged as a promising new crop for family farms. This perennial grass thrives on rocky, untillable land, requires minimal maintenance and reduces soil erosion. But a key challenge to expanding production has been the lack of stable markets and cost-effective methods of processing switchgrass for high-value applications like poultry bedding. In […]
Adapting to Heatwaves and Hurricanes at Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetable Farm in Norman Park, Georgia
At Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetable Farm, Kent Hamilton and his daughter Courtney Hamilton Griffin are doing more than growing produce—they’re creating a legacy of sustainability and innovation. In a new episode of America’s Heartland, produced in partnership with SARE, the Hamilton family shares how their Georgia farm is evolving to meet the growing challenges […]
Partnership Helps Ohio Farmers Increase Revenue and Production Efficiency
Without access to processing facilities, Midwestern specialty crop farmers often miss out on the opportunity to transform their surplus harvests into shelf-stable, value-added products that bring in revenue year round. Jeanine Seabrook, founder and owner of Glass Rooster Cannery in central Ohio, received two North Central SARE Farmer Rancher grants to partner with local farmers […]
The Basics of Farm Business Planning
Sustainable farming and ranching means taking care of the land, the environment, people and the community, while the farm business makes a profit. Many farmers and ranchers choose sustainable farming and ranching as a lifestyle that reflects their values. Common goals include: Farm business planning is critical because it helps you to identify and achieve […]