Tools and Resources
Tools and Resources for New Farmers
On-Line Learning: Sharing What You Know with New Farmers and Agriculture
Service Professionals  (272 KB)
A workbook for designing, constructing, and delivering an on-line
course. (GNF Project/NESFI and NewStories, Inc., 2002)
Exploring the Small Farm Dream: Is Starting an Agricultural Business
Right for You?
A decision-making tool to help people establish a clear vision, learn
what it takes to start and manage a commercial agriculture business,
and decide if this path is right for them. (New England Small Farm
Institute, 2004)
The Small Farm Planner: Creating a Roadmap for Your New Farm Business
This Guide is a decision-making tool designed to help individuals
who are committed to starting their own farm businessess. The Planner
assumes that users will have already completed the New England Small
Farm Institute's workbook Exploring the Small Farm Dream: Is Starting
an Agricultural Business Right for You?, or its equivalent, and are
ready to take the next steps in planning their future farms. (New England
Small Farm Institute, forthcoming)
What You Need to Know and Be Able to Do to Succeed at Record-keeping
This self-directed Learning Guide is designed to help plan and implement
an effective record-keeping system for a new farm. The exercises help
determine the kind of records desired or needed and ensure that the
farmer is (or becomes) proficient at record-keeping or able to assign
this task to an appropriate party. (New England Small Farm Institute,
Northeast Small-Scale "Sustainable" Farmer Series, No. 1,
forthcoming)
DACUM New Farmer Occupational Profile
A systematically developed profile of the duties and tasks performed
by small scale, diversified, sustainable Northeast farmers. For use
in curriculum development and competency assessment. (New England Small
Farm Institute, 2000)
DACUM Farmer-Mentor Occupational Profile
A systematic listing of duties and tasks performed by experienced
farmers who offer on-farm mentoring or training programs for aspiring
or early-stage farmers. Useful for on-farm mentors and for training
and supporting on-farm mentors. (New England Small Farm Institute,
2000)
Cultivating a New Crop of Farmers: Is On-farm Mentoring Right for
You & Your Farm?
This Guide is intended for two audiences: established farmers who
want to add a training program to their operations, and prospective
farmers who are at the planning stage and want to include mentoring
in their provisional whole farm plan. The workbook format is designed
to help you decide whether or not hosting full-season trainees is right
for you and your farm. (New England Small Farm Institute, 2005)
To Market, To Market: A Workbook for Selecting Market Options and
Strategies for Agricultural Products
This decision tool contains a wealth of information and many self-guided
worksheets, walking new farmers through marketing decisions about what
to produce, where and how to market farm products, and risk management
strategies (Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 2005).
Introduction to Farming with Growing New Farmers
This on-line clearinghouse (also available as a CD) offers lists of
online and print resources, and suggestions for using your local library
to connect with the agricultural information needed to start a farm
(Cornell Cooperative Extension, Washington County, 2004).
Farm Transfer Case Studies (202 KB)
A compilation of six case studies intended to provide farm families
with information and ideas to consider as they evaluate their own situations
and embark on their own transfer processes. Each case study was developed
by a participating Land Link program in the region and is intended
to illustrate some of the many types of transitions that occur in the
Northeast. (Pennsylvania Farm Link, 2005)
Conservation Easements:
Determining the Impact on a Farm Business
(this
is a web course and will open in a separate window)
How will a conservation easement affect your farm business?
The sale (or gift) of an agricultural conservation easement can be a useful
management tool for farm transfers and estate planning, but is a complicated endeavor with many ramifications. This on-line course is designed to guide farmers through the process of assessing the impact of an agricultural
conservation easement (purchase of development rights).
(Wayne County (NY) Planning Commission, 2004).
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