Ag Alternatives : Business and Marketing Resources for Agricultural Entrepreneurs

Business and Marketing Resources for Agricultural Entrepreneurs

(Updated online version http://www.eeo.aem.cornell.edu/resources%20search%20page.html)
(Microsoft Word Version)(Adobe Acrobat PDF version)

This collection of internet sources of information should be of interest to owners and managers of farm based enterprises especially oriented to marketing, business management, and for strategic, marketing, and business planning. Cooperative Extension Educators will also find this collection useful for professional development and as consultation resources.

Organization of this information is under subjective headings grouped by the general theme of each entry. This compilation of resources is a work-in-progress that will evolve with contributions, suggestions, and corrections, which are encouraged. Please respond by email to cas30@cornell.edu

These resources are not selected for application to any particular size of operations. However, much of the content is likely to be of greater usefulness for value-added, and diversifying enterprises.

Many of the internet citations provide links that often link back to others listed elsewhere. All content and internet links were verified at the time of entry, but may become obsolete without notice.

General

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) The publication section of ATTRA's comprehensive website. The series covers: Sustainable Agriculture, Soils, Marketing & Business, Horticulture, Greenhouse, Value-Added & Processing, Agronomy, Pest Management, Resources, Livestock, Alternative Farming, Systems, and Current Topics
http://www.attra.org/publication.html

Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) Cooperative Extension Guide to Great Publications. Over one hundred publications (with ordering procedures) covering: Forestry and Wildlife, Manure & Waste Management, Agrichemical Handling, Horticulture, Aquaculture, General Agriculture, Building Construction, Greenhouse, Dairy, Home, Farm Management, Livestock and Poultry, Farm Safety, Composting, Integrated Crop Management
http://www.nraes.org/publications.html

"A Guide to USDA and Other Federal Resources for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry Enterprises" Written for anyone seeking help of federal programs to foster innovative enterprises in value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry. Relevant sections cover Financing Businesses and New Enterprises, Management Assistance, and Marketing Assistance. http://attra.ncat.org/guide/

Alternative ideas - Innovations

Farming Alternatives Program, Cornell University - Publications and other resources on Agritourism, Value-Added, Horticulture, Farmers' Markets, Small Scale Food Processing, and feasibility workbook, as well as other resources on agricultural and community economic development. http://www.cfap.org

"Farming Alternatives: Innovation on Northeast Farms". Alternative farm-based enterprises such as deer farms, bed and breakfast inns, herb gardens, and farm-processed foods are explored in this VHS color video. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) Cooperative Extension, Cornell University. # NRAES-28 http://www.nraes.org (out of Print)

New Uses Council This site has information on opportunities and upcoming events that focus on new uses for many agricultural products that are usually value-added in nature. The New Uses Council is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to expanding development and commercialization of new industrial, energy, and non-food consumer uses of renewable agricultural products. Provides a view of emerging markets for ag products. http://www.newuses.org/

"Practical, Profitable and Sustainable: Innovative Management Strategies on Four New York State Dairy Farms", Rick Walsh, Farming Alternatives Program, Cornell University. 1993

"Part-time Farming, Small Farms and Small Scale Farming in the US" A Compilation of Books, Articles, and Videocassettes. Mary Gold, Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC), National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/farmup.htm

"Ag Innovation News" is published by the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) to inform the food, agriculture and business communities and the general public about developments in new ag-based products. Issues are available online in PDF Format. A useful source of successful ideas for processing and value-added farm based enterprises.http://www.auri.org/news/aginnews.htm

"Missouri Alternatives Center" Contains 100+ documents with extensive information on products, practices and concepts for alternative agriculture. Easily accessible via an indexed list of links to Extension Guide Sheets and information from some of the top university research centers in the world. These links offer information on everything you want to raise or grow -- from Asparagus to Watermelons, and Aquaculture to Worms! http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/links/index.htm

University of Wisconsin - "The New Farm Options Page". Are you looking to add value to a farm commodity? Are you exploring new markets for your business? Are you ready to move from idea to reality? Information about new niche markets, about business start-up issues, about upcoming events, and about others like you who are pioneering new farm-food ventures.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/agmarkets/

"Great Places to Find Information about Farming Alternatives" A portal to over a dozen major websites which lead to 100+ other websites supporting alternative agriculture. The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC) focuses on information related to sustainable and alternative agricultural systems, including new, industrial, and alternative crops. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center National Agricultural Library, ARS, USDA Contains many sites listed elsewhere in this "RESOURCES" collection. http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/findinfo.htm#great8

"List of Alternative Crops & Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification" Another AFSIC website devoted to extensive listing of alternative crops and sources of related information. This site is closely related to the one above from AFSIC, but more specifically focused on enterprises and crops.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/altlist.htm

Books

New World Publishing - Books & Online Resources for Farmers & Market Gardeners.
-The New Farmers' Market (see description under Farmers' Markets)
-"Sell What You Sow! The Grower's Guide to Successful Produce Marketing". The definitive book on high-value produce marketing for farmers and market gardeners, this book delivers the kind of hands-on information you need to sell what you grow. Offers practical, how-to guidance in making profits from produce.
-Wild Herbs in Your Backyard. A pocket guide for identifying & using commonly found plants of exceptional medicinal & nutritional value Reviews & Ordering Information
-Grower's Bookshelf. Books from other publishers on farming & gardening, small farm marketing, crop production, herbs & flowers, and more.
http://www.nwpub.net/

Business Planning Courses and Training Materials

"Tilling the Soil of Opportunities", NxLeveL Training Network, University of Colorado. 1999.
The course for agricultural entrepreneurs is aimed at individuals who have started or are thinking about starting an agricultural based venture that is not tied to large scale, commodity production. Sessions cover:
Take Stock of Your Resources
Basic Equipment Required: Planning and Research
The Legal Terrain
Manage from the Ground Up
Plant It, Grow It, MARKET It!
Reap the Benefits-Marketing Strategies
Get Your Budgets In Line
Analyze THESE: Cash Flow and Financial Statements
Cultivate Your Money Resources
Harvest Your Future
For information about this course, contact Charles Schlough at Cornell University, Dept of AEM, 607 255-8047 or cas30@cornell.edu or NxLeveL Training Network
http://www.nxlevel.org/Pages/ag.html

Holistic Management: A Whole-Farm Decision Making Framework Holistic Management enables improvement of the quality of farming life while enhancing the environment. It's based on a simple change decision-making thinking. Holistic Management provides a practical way to develop a clear, focused vision, and enables planning to get there in the most economically, environmentally and socially sound way. Includes information about HM's products, services, and projects.
http://www.holisticmanagement.org/

Bplans.com created by Palo Alto Software, offers thousands of pages of free sample plans, planning tools, and expert advice to help you start and run your business. Topics: Start A Business, Develop A Plan, Market A Business, Plan Your Website
http://www.bplans.com/

Business StartUp

New York State A Guide to Licensing and 30+ Other Start-Up Hassles A self-help manual for persons wanting to start a new business, including licensing and other regulatory requirements. Also practical tips to save money and help your business survive and grow. (Oriented toward NYC, but most of it applies statewide). http://www.lawmall.com/files/pamphle6.html

The U.S. Small Business Administration's Small Business Startup Kit Probably the most comprehensive and detailed guide for any beginning business and a great refresher for early startup enterprises. Contains checklists, outlines, explanations, resources, and links, and much more. Includes lengthy texts in printable formats for study.
Self Assessment
Getting Started - Nuts and bolts planning
Finding the Money You Need
Regulations
SBA Assistance
Local Sources of Assistance
Financial 6 "C"s
Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.sba.gov/starting/indexstartup.html

Consultation
NY FarmNet A program for the New York agricultural community offering free confidential consultation, referral and information, workshops and support groups. Individualized one-on-one assistance, and support for family decision making, family farm transitions, options for farm expansion, and retirement http://www.nyfarmnet.org/

Dairy-Small "The Small Dairy Resource Book". Sustainable Agriculture Publications, Univ. of Vermont. $8.00 An excellent resource for dairy farmers and Agriculture Extension Educators intended mainly for the family farm intending to produce value-added dairy products on-farm. Extensive Appendix listing Suppliers, Consultants, Processing Courses, Organizations, Publications, Discussion groups, and websites. http://www.sare.org/publications/index.htm

Databases

AGRICOLA - AGRICultural OnLine Access is a bibliographic database of citations to the agricultural literature. AGRICOLA records are linked to online full-text ocuments. Although AGRICOLA does not contain the materials, thousands of AGRICOLA records are linked to online full-text documents, with new links being added every day.http://agricola.nal.usda.gov

National Agricultural Library - Publications/Database It is a primary database of publications on agricultural topics. Many references are made to this resource under other listings in this document. http://www.nal.usda.gov/

Journal of Extension Searchable electronic journal - A database of articles and papers on a broad range of extension information from nationwide researchers and educators.
http://www.joe.org/search.html

Bureau of Labor Statistics Look here for general information on your state, the economy, wage rates, publications and research papers available. http://www.bls.gov/

USDA Economics and Statistics System at Mann Library, Cornell University
This site contains nearly 300 reports and data sets from the economics agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These materials cover U.S. and international agriculture. Most data sets are in spreadsheet format and include time-series data that are updated yearly.
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/usda.html

Ten Best Web Sites for Economic Data EconData.Net lists 10 sites that provide the best quality and most easily accessible economic data about states and regions. The Economic Development Administration sponsors EconData.Net in conjunction with Impresa Inc. and Andrew Reamer & Associates, independent economic development consulting firms. The top 10 listing includes the usual federal sources such as bureaus of the Census, Labor Statistics and Economic Analysis, but also lists more unusual sources such as Dismal Scientist. http://www.econdata.net/content_tenbest.html

Johnson Graduate School of Management Library Data Sources - Economic, industry and markets. http://www.library.cornell.edu/jgsm/

Direct Marketing

"Direct Farm Marketing and Tourism Handbook". Designed to help farm and ranch operators (and others who grow or process food products) market their products and services directly to consumers. No longer in print, but available in Adobe PDF at:
http://www.ag.arizona.edu/AREC/pubs/dmkt/dmkt.html

Farm Direct Marketing Publications Agricultural Marketing Service This site is a part of an extensive collection of material on Marketing for Agriculture enterprises. For anyone searching for specific information on direct marketing or other forms of marketing for a wide range of products and services, browse through this and related web pages. http://www.ams.usda.gov/directmarketing/publications.htm

Enterprise Budgets

Penn State University Publications - Over one hundred documents (many with worksheets) on enterprise budgets. Many cover specialized and alternative products. Also look for their Series on Agriculture Alternatives, linked from this site.
http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/farmmanagement/Farm.html

Oregon State University This site presents Enterprise Budget Sheets in either blank template form for any enterprise or for a few dozen commodities. They are provided in the following formats: In PDF format or choose Microsoft Excel 97 Spreadsheet templates, which allows substitution of your own figures for revenues and costs, making it your own enterprise budget. These budgets produce "per acre" costs under five worksheets. Economic performance data by commodity is provided for equipment, machinery, variable and fixed production costs, fuel, labor, interest, land costs, etc. Change numbers to fit your own enterprise. http://osu.orst.edu/Dept/EconInfo/ent_budget/results.cfm
(select BLANK TEMPLATE for basic form or make no selection to see all
budgets).

The Farm Business Management Information Network for BC An important site for anyone who wants a well structured approach or to learn budgeting and financial planning. The Finance & Budgets section of the FBMInet-BC provides a full set of detailed budget and financial information that is specific to those products that are produced within British Columbia, but are workable for other areas. Includes Profit Planning Online Tutorial, Enterprise Budgets, Excel Worksheets.
http://www.fbminet.ca/

Expertise - Specialized

Sustainable Agriculture Directory of Expertise A new service of SARE in 2001 which provides contact information for people and organizations who share their expertise on a wide range of production, marketing and about 15 other categories; also searchable by regions of the USA. A built in search engine is very helpful, or just scan through about a hundred entries. This is a new service that is expected to expand its entries. Interested parties should http://www.sare.org/expertise/

Agri Support Online is a commercial site; an international agricultural consulting group of experienced experts who are farmers and consultants. They claim to provide specialized assistance and practice in agriculture, state-of-the-art knowledge with a record of worldwide experience, and the most up-to-date information in agriculture. An interesting website to browse. http://www.agrisupportonline.com/

Farmers Markets

"The New Farmers Market: Farm-Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers & Communities" covers the latest tips & trends from leading-edge sellers, managers and market planners all over the country.
In Part I (Selling at the Market) - best products to grow and sell at the markets.
Part II (Starting, Managing & Promoting the Market) - location, attracting vendors, rules and regulations, insurance, practical solutions to market issues.
Part III (The New Farmers' Market) - educating the community about the value of fresh, local foods and farmers' markets and about how farmers' markets can serve the community. Appendices cover insurance, customer surveys, farmers' market profitability, and benefits of farmers' markets. A seven-page list of Resources!
To order, send $24.95 + $4.50 shipping to: "QP Distribution," 22260 "C" St., Winfield, KS 67156.
http://www.nwpub.net/nfm.html

Feasibility Analysis "A Guide to Evaluating the Feasibility of New Farm-Based Enterprises", Farming Alternatives Program, Cornell University. Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service - Cooperative Extension 1988 Order through Farming Alternatives Program at:
http://www.cfap.org

"Evaluating A Rural Enterprise: Marketing and Business Guide". Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA). This publication seeks to provide enough information to help you judge whether a new enterprise is right for your operation. Available on the web at:
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/evalrural.html

Funding/Finance "Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education" (SARE) Direct Farmer Grants to explore and apply economically profitable, environmentally sound and socially supportive farming systems. Grant funds are used to test new crops, practices and systems through on-site experiments and share results with farmers. Producer grants are available annually, with application deadlines generally in late fall or early winter. Information is provided about how to apply for and write a proposal. http://www.sare.org/grants/index.htm

"Small Business Innovation Research Program" (SBIR). A competitive grant program for feasibility studies and product research and development to qualified small businesses. It supports high quality proposals related to important problems and opportunities in agriculture and forest products.

Securities & Exchange Commission - Q&A: Small Business and the SEC - A guide to help you understand how to raise capital and comply with the federal securities laws without expensive and restrictive compliance as for most equity offerings. Scroll down to Regulation D., Rule 504.
http://www.sec.gov/smbus/qasbsec.htm

Internet Search Engines - Agriculture Web-Agri - Claims to search 700,000+ agricultural web pages; dedicated to agriculture topics. It cites up to 300 "hits" per search request. Although there are numerous repetitious results, many useful sources of information can be found.
http://www.web-agri.com/

Agri-Surf - "The Farmers' search engine". Organized around a few dozen major topic areas. Looks like Yahoo for farming. A major access to useful internet information sources on agriculture. They claim over 20,000 sites are linked for searches. http://www.agrisurf.com/

Land Grant Extension Programs

Land Grant general portal - Links to Land grant Universities, Extension Sites and Publications, Ag Departments, and Professional Organizations. Located at Penn State Univ. http://www.cas.psu.edu/Links.html

Legal
The following is a collection of internet sources for legal documents, libraries, and topical overviews. In most cases, extensive document descriptions and forms for business and personal use are available by annual subscription fee. No endorsement of these resource or products is made by this listing. They are provided for information only and is not a substitute for professional legal advice.
http://www.lawvantage.com/
http://www.nolo.com/
http://mycouncil.com
http://www.lawexpress.com

Agricultural Law An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Reference Sources in the Young Law Library http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org

Managing the Farm Business "Keeping an Eye on Quality of Life and the Bottom Line in Sustainable Agriculture by Using Key Farm Economic Ratios to Aid in Decision-making". From the Greenbook 2000. A case study of business analysis that guides sound farm management decisions.
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ESAP/greenbook2000/WFSRedCard.pdf

Marketing - General Marketing Information - University of Wisconsin This web site is designed to provide fundamental basic marketing and sales information and is not designed to be specific for any products, goods, or services. It was developed for any person who has a need to master a practical hands-on approach for marketing and sales. http://www.uwrf.edu/marketing-info/index.htm

Greenbook 2000 - Marketing Sustainable Agriculture - A great collection of articles that highlight the innovative work of farmers, researchers, and educators with new and innovative ideas. It includes updates about other Minn. Dept. of Agriculture activities in the areas of the Sustainable Agriculture Loan Program, soil quality, whole farm planning, integrated pest management and organic farming.
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ESAP/greenbook2000/gb2000.html

Marketing via the Internet A rich source to learn and get started with internet marketing. A "must see" resource for anyone contemplating internet marketing. Copyright protected, but permission may be requested for educational use http://www.extension.umn.edu/mainstreet/curriculum/index.html

Market Research

Techniques for market analysis - from University of Wisconsin-Extension, Center for Community Economic Development. Methods, resources, and practices to conduct your own market research.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/publicat/techmark.html

Economic Research Service - USDA, Reports, publications, data USDA-ERSUseful for anyone wanting in-depth market research information on Food Consumption, Prices, and Expenditures, 1970-97. This annual bestseller presents historical data on food consumption, prices, and expenditures by commodity and commodity group, supply and use, prices, total expenditures, and U.S. income and population. Includes 29 charts dealing with food consumption trends, from changes in per capital consumption, to share of income spent for food.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/

Food Marketing and Processing (FoodMAP) A comprehensive clearinghouse of marketing and processing information for farmers and producers interested in identifying potential new markets, learning about alternative agriculture opportunities, locating processing equipment, conducting market research or finding information on a large variety of other topics. http://www.foodmap.unl.edu/

Marketing Organic Products Organic Marketing Resources An ATTRA website, rich listing of information and resources - national and regional. Also resources for market research, both free and for-fee. Excellent. http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/markres.html

Briefing Room on Organic Farming and Marketing Economic Research Service, USDA has a briefing room on "organic farming and marketing" with important articles, data products, publications, and links. http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/organic

Marketing Strategies Smart Marketing: Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University. A Series of articles on marketing related topics of value to a wide range of agricultural operations. Download with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
http://aem.cornell.edu/special_programs/hortmgt/smart_marketing/

Processing

Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship This Center provides comprehensive assistance to beginning and established food entrepreneurs. Site offers product assistance, regulatory, business, and marketing information, contacts to keep up to date on news and events related to NECFE and Food Science as a whole. http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/necfe/

"Do's and Don'ts for Food Processors" , Colorado Department of Agriculture, Markets Division. Includes extensive tips on Managing and Financing your Farm business and Producing and Processing your products. Plus useful links to related information.
http://www.ag.state.co.us/mkt/do_dont.htm

SMALL LIVESTOCK

Hogs
"Profitable Pork: Strategies for Hog Producers" For farmers who want to successfully produce pork on a small scale A 16-page bulletin from Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN). This bulletin
features profiles about successful hog producers as well as the latest research on everything from achieving greater profits to raising better-tasting pork in alternative hog systems.
http://www.sare.org/bulletin/hogs/

Lamb
California example of naturally raised, farm marketed lamb on sale via the internet
http://www.thejamesranch.com/

Premium grade lamb-based dog food http://www.cyberark.com

Sheep and Goats
The Northeast Sheep and Goat Marketing Program at Cornell University This new website is a library of extensive marketing information devoted to sheep and goat marketing. The website has articles on marketing subjects, how the markets work, lists of Northeast slaughterhouses, information on dealers and other buyers, and service providers. Click on "Fundamentals" for specific information into aspects of marketing small ruminant livestock. http://www.sheepgoatmarketing.org/sgm/index.html

Supplies

"Sustainable Agriculture and Gardening Suppliers" contains links and descriptions of supplies and suppliers nationwide. Heavy emphasis on seed, plant, and nursery sources for exotics, herbs, organic and heirloom plants, books, tools, and greenhouse supplies. http://www.homestead.org

Value-Added "Recognize and Investigate Value-Added Opportunities and Constraints" - Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Arizona. Also provides information on evaluating the marketplace, processing efficiencies, labor, financing, etc.
http://www.ag.arizona.edu/arec/va/valaddopp&const.html

"Keys to Success in Value-Added Agriculture" This publication presents lessons fourteen farmers in the Southern U.S learned in adding value to their farm products and marketing directly to consumers. Includes experience and advice on adding value to a wide range of basic commodities. The keys to their success include high quality, good record-keeping, planning and evaluation, perseverance, focus, and building long-term relationships with customers. http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/keystosuccess.html

New York State:

NY State Small Business Development Centers Offering free business advisement & seminars, business plan assistance, learn sources of funding, prepare for e-commerce, develop marketing plans, comply with licensing & regulations, resources, and more. http://www.nyssbdc.org/

New York Agricultural Statistics Service http://www.nass.usda.gov/ny/

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Cornell University-Dept. of Applied Economics and Management http://aem.cornell.edu/

Cornell Cooperative Extension http://www.cce.cornell.edu/

This compilation is a Resource of the Entrepreneurship Education and Outreach Program in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. www.eeo.aem.cornell.edu