Financial and marketing resources

Business planning

Title US Department of Food and Agriculture (USDA) Business Planning

Source: USDA

Last updated: 2024

Description: A guided overview of how to build a business plan, access financial and technical resources, and maintain a successful business. A series of questions can assist in starting the business planning process and templates/worksheets provide examples for how to draft a business plan. These resources also provides many additional links to related programs that can translate the business plan into actionable next steps for the farming operation.

Link: https://www.farmers.gov/your-business/beginning-farmers/business-plan

Title: Building a Sustainable Business

Source: the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (published by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE))

Last updated: 2024 (published 2003)

Description: A farmer-oriented book guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses. The book is organized into five tasks that need to be accomplished to build a successful business plan including: identifying operation values, documenting farm history and assets, business vision and goals, strategic planning, and business operation evaluation plans. This guide emphasizes examples throughout that translate the information into practical applications.

Link: https://www.sare.org/wp-content/uploads/Building-a-Sustainable-Business.pdf

Title: Full sample farm business plans

Source: Oregon State University Small Farms Program

Last updated: business plan samples made in 2020

Description: Full farm business plan samples for three different types of farming operations. In addition, there is an example loan application for business operations.

Link: https://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/smallfarms/sample-business-plans

Title: Farm business planning, farm economics

Source: UC Cooperative Extension Farming in the Foothills

Last updated: 2022

Description: This resource provides a comprehensive overview of farm business planning as well as downloadable resources and templates to complete the business planning process. Examples of available resources include profitability calculators, mission statement guides, recordkeeping list, cash flow analysis tools, and direct marketing overviews.

Link: https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/Farm_Business_Planning/FBP_Introduction/

Marketing and sales

Title: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Source: Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) Sustainable Agriculture

Last updated: 2019

Description: This resource provides an in-depth discussion of CSA models and the process of designing one for a farming operation. The topics covered include variations of different CSA models, structuring the shares of a CSA, marketing options, drafting agreements, and communication methods with CSA members. Other links to additional useful resources are included at the end of this resource.

Link: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/community-supported-agriculture/

Title: Farmer to Farmer Exchange, Ecommerce Platforms Report

Source: CSA Innovation Newtowrk and partners

Last updated: 2021

Description: A detailed report on farmer perspectives of the eight most popular farm-specific sales platforms and four additional non-farm specific platforms that are commonly used by farmers. Each platform rated also includes an overview of the sales channels is facilitates and demo resources of the platform.

Link: https://www.csainnovationnetwork.org/_files/ugd/658585_441c9ac98c95465fa2365f962cc72096.pdf

*Also see the marketing resources included in the “Farm business planning, farm economics” resources by the UC Cooperative Extension Farming in the Foothills team.

Risk Management tools

Title: Crop insurance options for specialty, diversified, and organic farmers

Source: ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture

Last updated: 2018

Description: An overview of crop insurance programs federally subsidized through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). The challenges faced by diversified, specialty crop, and/or organic operations are described along with potential pathways to alleviate these challenges to access suitable insurance options. The Whole-Farm Revenue Protection insurance program is highlighted as an option that may be of interest to diversified, specialty crop, and/or organic farmers.

Link: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/crop-insurance-options/

Title: Factsheets for two federally subsidized insurance programs, Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and Micro Farm program

Source: USDA RMA

Last updated: 2023 (WFRP) and 2024 (Micro Farm)

Description: A comprehensive overview of these two federally subsidized insurance programs designed to alleviate the access barriers often faced by specialty crop, diversified, organic, and/or small farmers. These factsheets cover the availability of the programs, causes of loss, coverage, and other important topics.

WFRP Link: https://www.rma.usda.gov/about-crop-insurance/fact-sheets/whole-farm-revenue-protection

Micro farm Link: https://www.rma.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2024-02/Micro-Farm-Program-Fact-Sheet.pdf