Search Results for: the-farm-to-market-handbook-how-to-create-a-profitable-business-from-your-small-farm

The Farm to Market Handbook

Posted on by Janet Hurst

How to Create a Profitable Business from Your Small Farm

Author: Janet Hurst

Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN)

ISBN: 0760346607

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 176

View: 3185

In The Farm to Market Handbook, veteran dairygoat farmer Janet Hurst teaches you how to create a marketing plan for your farm products and earn money from your farm.
Posted in Business & Economics

The Woman Hobby Farmer

Posted on by Karen Lanier

Female Guidance for Growing Food, Raising Livestock, and Building a Farm-Based Business

Author: Karen Lanier

Publisher: i5 Publishing LLC

ISBN: 1620082616

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 240

View: 4002

Hobby farming is alive and thriving in semi-rural, suburban, and rural areas across the country, and female farmers have been cited as the fastest growing sector within the farming community in recent years. With more than 1 million women in the United States and Canada describing farming as their primary source of income, and many more for whom hobby farming is just that—a hobby—the time is right for a publication dedicated to hobby farming from a female perspective. Written for women, by a woman, this insightful volume is packed with stories and advice from women hobby farmers and looks at female-specific farming challenges as well as issues that all farmers face. Inside The Woman Hobby Farmer: •Discussions on the who, what, why, and where of hobby farming •Deciding on your farming goals and making a plan •What to expect in your new endeavor •How to decide what to plant and prepare your planting sites •Advice on feeding, caring for, and housing different types of livestock •A look at “agripreneurship”—running and marketing your hobby farm as a successful business •Stories, quotes, and advice from successful female hobby farmers
Posted in Technology & Engineering

Start Your Farm

Posted on by Forrest Pritchard,Ellen Polishuk

The Authoritative Guide to Becoming a Sustainable 21st Century Farmer

Author: Forrest Pritchard,Ellen Polishuk

Publisher: The Experiment

ISBN: 1615195130

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 272

View: 9075

Do you dream of starting your own farm but wonder where to begin? Or do you already have a farm but wish to become more sustainable to compete in today's market? Start Your Farm, the first comprehensive business guide of its kind, covers these essential questions and more: Why be a farmer in the 21st century? Do you have what it takes? What does sustainable really mean, and how can a small (as little as one acre) to midsize farm survive alongside commodity-scale agriculture? How do you access education, land, and other needs with limited capital? How can you reap an actual profit, including a return on land investment? How do you build connections with employees, colleagues, and customers? At the end of the day, how do you measure success? (Hint: Cash your lifestyle paycheck.) More than a practical guide, Start Your Farm is a hopeful call to action for anyone who aspires to grow wholesome, environmentally sustainable food for a living. Take it from Forrest Pritchard and Ellen Polishuk: Making this dream a reality is not for the faint of heart, but it's well within reach—and there's no greater satisfaction under the sun!
Posted in Business & Economics

The Essential Guide to Hobby Farming

Posted on by Carol Ekarius

The How-To Manual for Creating a Hobby Farm

Author: Carol Ekarius

Publisher: i5 Publishing

ISBN: 162008144X

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 304

View: 543

Six containers of heirloom tomatoes, miniature squashes, and herbs on your back patio or six acres of beets, cabbages, and strawberries? Five chickens and a honey bee hive or a small farm with three dozen sheep and a couple of quarter horses? Regardless of the size of your “field of dreams,” Essential Guide to Hobby Farming is your best first step to making that hobby-farm aspiration a pleasurable and profitable reality. A hobby farmer for the past thirty years, Carol Ekarius shares the joys, challenges, and rewards of living the rural life. Hobby farming is as much a state of mind as it is an address in the country, and this instructive, beautifully photographed manual addresses every topic beginning hobby farmers need to know, from purchasing the right land and equipment to choosing and maintaining crops and livestock to marketing and selling your hobby farm’s yield. TOPICS DISCUSSED INSIDE: -Assessing finances and resources—land, water, tools of the trade (trucks, tractors, various implements) -Choosing the best crops for your land, climate, hardiness, and profitability -Selecting and caring for the livestock—chickens, goats, cows, sheep, etc.—that best fits your hobby farm -Protecting crops and livestock against predators, pests, and disease -Business and marketing options for selling your “local food” directly to restaurants and farmers’ markets and through CSA programs -Preserving the harvest, through canning, drying, and freezing, plus over two dozen original recipes for your homegrown produce NEW FOR THE SECOND EDITION: Expanded section on chickens, including urban and suburban accommodations; honey bee keeping; adding a barn or annex building to the farm; trends in planting, including miniature vegetables, heirloom varieties, and “hot” new vegetables and hybrids; adding flower beds to the property; getting involved with a CSA
Posted in Technology & Engineering

Small Farm Handbook, 2nd Edition

Posted on by Laura Tourte,Ben Andrews Faber

Author: Laura Tourte,Ben Andrews Faber

Publisher: UCANR Publications

ISBN: 1601076983

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 182

View: 8449

Since its publication in 1994, the Small Farm Handbook has been an essential resource for California’s small farmers and the agricultural professionals advising them – selling over 4300 copies. Now this invaluable reference has been updated and expanded for today’s small-scale producers. The handbook covers three essential areas: Background skills and knowledge, the business side, and the farming side Within these broad areas you’ll find specific chapters on: Requirements for Successful Farming Growing Crops Raising Animals Farm and Financial Management Marketing and Product Sales Labor Management Also included are profiles of six small farm operators representing a sample of California’s diverse agriculture. Throughout you’ll get a look at emerging trends and issues for California agriculture and innovative methods for better production and management, all of which can lead to better farm performance. Drawing upon the knowledge of 32 experts from the University of California, No other publication covers the topics, issues, and facets of California’s small-scale agriculture with this depth or level of expertise. From the basics to risk management, specialty crops to marketing and product sales, this guide covers the gamut.
Posted in Technology & Engineering

Small Farm Handbook

Posted on by Shirley Humphrey

Author: Shirley Humphrey

Publisher: UCANR Publications

ISBN: 9781879906235

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 170

View: 3519

A guide to starting and operating a successful small farm.
Posted in Technology & Engineering

Making Your Small Farm Profitable

Posted on by Ron Macher

Apply 25 Guiding Principles, Develop New Crops & New Markets, Maximize Net Profits per Acre

Author: Ron Macher

Publisher: Storey Publishing

ISBN: 1603425357

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 288

View: 4399

Turn your farm into a cash cow! Ron Macher offers a host of simple strategies for increasing your farm earnings, from purchasing durable equipment to growing economically viable crops. A seasoned expert in farm efficiency, Macher shows you how to locate a lucrative niche market for your products, optimize sales, and minimize costs. Whether you’re buying a new farm or jump-starting an old one, Macher’s savvy tips will help you turn your enterprise into a profitable business.
Posted in Business & Economics

Farms with a Future

Posted on by Rebecca Thistlethwaite

Creating and Growing a Sustainable Farm Business

Author: Rebecca Thistlethwaite

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

ISBN: 1603584390

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 304

View: 5734

What makes a farm sustainable and successful? And what special qualities and skills are needed for someone to become a successful farmer? Rebecca Thistlethwaite addresses these and other crucial questions in this uniquely important book, which is a must-read for anyone who aspires to get into farming, or who wants to make their farm business more dynamic, profitable, and, above all, sustainable. Over an entire year, the author and her husband-experienced farmers themselves-took a sabbatical and traveled the length and breadth of the United States to live and work alongside some of the nation's most innovative farmers. Along the way they learned about best practices, and a whole lot about what doesn't work. Farms with a Future shares this collective wisdom in an inspirational yet practical manner; it will help beginners avoid many of the common mistakes that first-time farmers make. Just as importantly, it discusses positive ideas that can help make any farm enterprise vibrant and financially profitable. Profiles of more than a dozen representative farms help round out the invaluable information and encourage farmers to embrace their inner entrepreneur. Younger growers, in particular, will benefit by learning about "the right stuff" from both their peers and longtime experts.This book provides a useful reference for beginning and experienced farmers alike. While many other books address agricultural production, there are very few that talk about business management for long-term sustainability. Farms with a Future offers an approachable, colorful take on building a triple-bottom-line farming business.
Posted in Technology & Engineering

Handbook on Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology

Posted on by NIIR Board of Consultants & Engineers

Author: NIIR Board of Consultants & Engineers

Publisher: ASIA PACIFIC BUSINESS PRESS Inc.

ISBN: 8178330792

Category:

Page: 716

View: 7398

The fishery sector is important from Indian economy view point as it contributes a source of income to a number of fishermen and has huge export potential. The systems and technology used in aquaculture has developed rapidly in the last fifty years. They vary from very simple facilities like family ponds for domestic consumption in tropical countries to high technology systems like intensive closed systems for export production. Much of the technology used in aquaculture is relatively simple, often based on small modifications that improve the growth and survival rates of the target species. Nowadays, the fish and fisheries industry is one of the fastest growing international commodity markets globally. Guaranteeing an adequate supply to this international market requires hundreds of thousands of fishing vessels and fish farms, as well as tens of thousands of fish processing workers, wholesalers and retailers in countries spread all over the world. The fishery sector thus generates employment and income for millions of people and in one of the major fields to venture. A wide range of aspects of fresh water aquaculture such as selection of species of fish and shellfish, construction and preparation of various types of fish ponds, control of aquatic weeds and predators, production of seed fish and their transportation, fish nutrition and fish diseases and their control pertaining to composite fish culture, air breathing fish culture etc. have been dealt with a length for easy adoption. The major contents of the book are classification of fishes, general characters of fishes, techniques in fish identification, cold water fisheries of India, physical and chemical properties of fishery water, chemical constituents of fish, economic importance of fishes, fish in relation to human health, construction of fish farms, etc. In this book you can find all the basic information required on the fundamental aspects of the fisheries and aquaculture technology with detailed information of their applications a wide variety of industrial processes etc. The book is very useful for research scholars, technocrats, institutional libraries and entrepreneurs who want to enter into the field of aquaculture technology.
Posted in

The Handbook of Salmon Farming

Posted on by Selina M. Stead,Lindsay Laird

Author: Selina M. Stead,Lindsay Laird

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9781852331191

Category: Nature

Page: 502

View: 2503

Over the past few years, there has been significant growth and development in the salmon farming industry. In order to be successful, practitioners not only need to know how the salmon lives and survives in the wild but, amongst other things have knowledge of disease, production processes, economics and marketing. The Handbook of Salmon Farming is a practical guide that covers everything the practitioner needs to know, and will also be of great use to academics and students of aquaculture and fish biology. The editors have invited contributions from experts in academia, the fish industry and government to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive handbook.
Posted in Nature

Backyard Market Gardening

Posted on by Andrew W. Lee

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling what You Grow

Author: Andrew W. Lee

Publisher: Good Earth Pub

ISBN: 9780962464805

Category: Gardening

Page: 351

View: 4007

This is the classic flagship book on farmers? markets and market gardens by best selling authors Andy Lee and Patricia Foreman. The greatest opportunities can sometimes be found in our own backyards. This is true for the small-scale farmer/gardener who dreams of selling the fruits of theirlabors to an appreciative public. Discover how easy and profitable it is to grow and sell vegetables, fruits, flower, herbs and small livestock from your backyard market garden. Make Money at Home! This inspirational, dirt-under-the-fingernails book with its earthy humor, has helped inspire "the gardener next door" to grow food not only for themselves, but others aswell and make money while doing what they love. The authors have put over 30 years of vegetable growing and small business experience into this handbook for beginning and experienced agricultural entrepreneurs. A complete guide to business management and marketing for the small scale vegetable grower. Contains a wealth of information on budgets, crop planning, direct marketing, roadside & farm stands, food cooperatives, caterers, mail order, restaurants, pick your own, wholesale distributors, producers' cooperatives, and subscription marketing services such as clientele membership clubs, community supported farms, and home deliveries. Covers innovative and appropriately scaled equipment for the greenhouses and fields, labor requirements and training methods, locating and improving land for growing and retailing sites, and gives a very strong argument for the economic and ecologic benefits of organic and sustainable growing methods. Updated resources, information on direct marketing sales, get your own cyber farm stand, new tools and cool deals at: www.BackyardMarketGarden.com.
Posted in Gardening

The Market Gardener

Posted on by Jean-Martin Fortier,Marie Bilodeau

A Successful Grower's Handbook for Small-scale Organic Farming

Author: Jean-Martin Fortier,Marie Bilodeau

Publisher: New Society Publishers

ISBN: 0865717656

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 224

View: 8537

Grow better not bigger with proven low-tech, human-scale, biointensive farming methods
Posted in Technology & Engineering

Theories of Macro Organizational Behavior

Posted on by Conor Vibert

A Handbook of Ideas and Explanations

Author: Conor Vibert

Publisher: M.E. Sharpe

ISBN: 9780765612953

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 240

View: 7822

Annotation This text provides a comprehensive summary of 30 of the major theories that underpin Organization Theory and Economic Organization. Each theory is summarized in a stand-alone fashion, reflecting the diversity of thinking on these issues. The book has a wide application for courses designed to inform students of the main issues confronting organizations.
Posted in Business & Economics

The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook

Posted on by Richard Wiswall

A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff - and Making a Profit

Author: Richard Wiswall

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

ISBN: 1603582495

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 224

View: 6240

Contrary to popular belief, a good living can be made on an organic farm. What’s required is farming smarter, not harder. In The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook, Richard Wiswall shares advice on how to make your vegetable production more efficient, better manage your employees and finances, and turn a profit. From his twenty-seven years of experience at Cate Farm in Vermont, Wiswall knows firsthand the joys of starting and operating an organic farm—as well as the challenges of making a living from one. Farming offers fundamental satisfaction from producing food, working outdoors, being one’s own boss, and working intimately with nature. But, unfortunately, many farmers avoid learning about the business end of farming; because of this, they often work harder than they need to, or quit farming altogether because of frustrating—and often avoidable—losses. In this comprehensive business kit, Wiswall covers: Step-by-step procedures to make your crop production more efficient Advice on managing employees, farm operations, and office systems Novel marketing strategies What to do with your profits: business spending, investing, and planning for retirement A companion CD offers valuable business tools, including easy-to-use spreadsheets for projecting cash flow, a payroll calculator, comprehensive crop budgets for forty different crops, and tax planners.
Posted in Technology & Engineering

The Dairy Goat Handbook

Posted on by Ann Starbard

For Backyard, Homestead, and Small Farm

Author: Ann Starbard

Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN)

ISBN: 076034731X

Category: Cooking

Page: 192

View: 8030

"Like many domesticated animals, goats require an attentive eye and constant care and upkeep. Learn how with The Dairy Goat Handbook. Whether raising them for pleasure or profit, this guide provides everything you need to know to raise a happy and healthy herd."-- Back cover
Posted in Cooking

Business Advice for Organic Farmers Bundle

Posted on by Richard Wiswall

Author: Richard Wiswall

Publisher: N.A

ISBN: 9781603584630

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 224

View: 2655

Provides step-by-step instructions on how to make crop production more efficient and offers advice on farm operations, managing employees, and office procedures, along with a DVD featuring a workshop and an interview with the author.
Posted in Business & Economics

The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer

Posted on by Jeff Carpenter,Melanie Carpenter

The Ultimate Guide to Producing High-Quality Herbs on a Market Scale

Author: Jeff Carpenter,Melanie Carpenter

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

ISBN: 1603585745

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 416

View: 5739

A new approach to growing local medicine, including information on geo-authenticity, wildcrafting, and developing a good business plan Both a business guide and a farming manual, The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer will teach readers how to successfully grow and market organic medicinal Western herbs. Whether you’re trying to farm medicinal plants, culinary herbs, or at-risk native herbs exclusively or simply add herbal crops to what you’re already growing, successful small-scale herb farmers Jeff and Melanie Carpenter will guide you through the entire process—from cultivation to creating value-added products. Using their Zack Woods Herb Farm in Vermont as a backdrop, the Carpenters cover all the basic practical information farmers need to know to get an organic herb farm up and running, including: • Size and scale considerations; • Layout and design of the farm and facilities; • Growing and cultivation information, including types of tools; • Field and bed prep; • Plant propagation; • Weed control, and pests and diseases; • Harvesting, as well as wild harvesting and the concept of geo-authentic botanicals; • Postharvest processing; and, • Value-added products and marketing. The authors also provide fifty detailed plant profiles, going deeper into the herbs every farmer should consider growing. In an easy-to-understand, practical, and comprehensive manner, readers will learn how to focus on quality over quantity, and keep costs down by innovating with existing equipment, rather than expensive technology.Market farmers who have never before considered growing medicinal herbs will learn why it’s more important to produce these herbs domestically. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer makes a convincing case that producing organic medicinal herbs can be a viable, profitable, farming enterprise. The Carpenters also make the case for incorporating medicinal herbs into existing operations, as it can help increase revenue in the form of value-added products, not to mention improve the ecological health of farmland by encouraging biodiversity as a path toward greater soil health.
Posted in Technology & Engineering

Manual Well Drilling Investment Opportunity in Ethiopia

Posted on by Elizabeth Weight,Robert Yoder,Andrew Keller

Author: Elizabeth Weight,Robert Yoder,Andrew Keller

Publisher: IWMI

ISBN: 9290907738

Category:

Page: 25

View: 2028

Increasing female and male farmers’ access to groundwater can contribute to increased incomes, improved food security and improved access to water for livestock and domestic needs. In many contexts, private sector manual well drilling is a reliable and affordable means to access shallow groundwater, but it is not widely available in Ethiopia. Data, information and mapping on pilot manual well drilling efforts in selected areas of Ethiopia indicated that the technique provided affordable access to shallow groundwater for farmers and demonstrated high demand among farmers for manually drilled wells, as well as profitability for drilling businesses. The authors of this paper suggest that investments in creating a spatial database of hydrogeologic suitability domains, investments in driller training, and associated investments in accelerating the drilling industry could catalyze a manual well drilling industry and significantly improve smallholder farmers’ affordable access to shallow groundwater.
Posted in