2010

Farm Stay U.S. Website

This farmer-created, consumer-oriented website lists hundreds of farms and ranches around the country that offer accommodations.

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).

Evaluation of the Intervale Center Food Hub

This evaluation highlights practices from the Intervale Food Hub that were critical to its success.

Resources for Vermont's Beginning Farmers

This website provides new and beginning farmers in Vermont with information to help them succeed.

Agritourism Training Materials

This curriculum was designed to provide detailed training resources for agricultural professionals and farmers interested in expanding their income sources and entering the agritourism industry.

Trained Sheep Grazing Vineyard Floor

According to researchers, training sheep to have a food aversion is a simple process. However, there are important steps to follow to improve the strength of the aversion. This fact sheet describes the aversion training process.

High Tunnel Temperature Management

Temperature management is one of the most critical factors in successful production of many high tunnel crops. This West Virginia University fact sheet includes recommended temperature ranges for common crops.

Design and Construction of a High Tunnel in West Virginia

Detailed information on hoop house or high tunnel construction, with specific considerations for West Virginia.

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.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

This award-winning report provides a sampler of best practices in sustainable agriculture—from marketing and community vitality to cover crops and grazing—as well as eight profiles of producers, educators and researchers who have successfully implemented them.

No-Till Farmer: Steward of the Land

Dan Forgey has farmed for 40 years based on the belief that if you take care of the land, it will take care of you, evidenced by his commitment to no-till, cover crops and crop diversity.

Growing Cover Crops with a Cash Crop

Dan Forgey describes how he grows cover crop mixes in synch with a cash crop of corn, and gets strong yields without chemical fertilizer.

Adding Cover Crops to a No-Till System

South Dakota farm manager Dan Forgey has improved soil quality and the bottom line by successfully introducing cover crops to his long-term no-till system.

Earthen Path Organic Farm

Steven Schwen’s farming roots were established during the ‘back to the land’ movement in the 1970s. Earthen Path Organic Farm grew out of his vision of a sustainable world based on local economies.

Thermal Banking Greenhouses

Steven Schwen uses thermal banking to significantly reduce the energy costs of running a greenhouse for cold-season production.

Thermal Banking for Cold Storage

Steven Schwen's innovative energy conservation strategy uses thermal banking technology to conserve heat in his greenhouse and for cold storage.