Case Studies

Vermont Food Education Every Day

Includes guides for farmers and food service personnel working to increase local food in schools.

Evaluation of the Intervale Center Food Hub

From 2007 to 2010, the Intervale Food Hub grew from a research project to a food hub with 21 participating farms, grossing $280,000 in total and returning 70 percent to participating farmers. The food hub provides the infrastructure needed to aggregate produce from local farms and distribute it to the community. With the help of a 2007 […]

Guide to Financing Community Supported Farms

Since it is not always easy to obtain loans from traditional financing sources, farmers are exploring alternative funding opportunities to meet their needs. Unconventional financial arrangements, which are new to the agricultural sector, include a variety of mechanisms where financial transactions take place between the community and farmers. Community financing, represented by both monetary and […]

Cheshire Labor and Infrastructure Needs Assessment

In 2011, New Hampshire's Cheshire County Conservation District explored the labor and infrastructure needs for farms in the county to provide farmers, agricultural service providers and community members with the information they need to promote economic viability of agriculture. The needs assessment reports on labor-related barriers faced by farmers in Cheshire County as well as […]

Case Studies on Setting Up Microloans

According to a study conducted by The Carrot Project, 25 percent of farmers that request financing are denied access to credit needed for start-up and expansion costs. In 2009 and 2010, the Massachusetts-based nonprofit set up collaborative microloan programs in Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. They facilitated 15 loans, with a median loan size of $12,300, […]

On-Farm Energy Production - Wind

Is wind energy a viable option for your home or business to lower reliance on the grid supplied electricity? In this module, learn how to gauge your the wind resource where you live and calculate the likely annual electricity production.

On-Farm Energy Production - Solar

This solar electricity and solar thermal module provides a basic understanding and how to calculate a simple payback term for the installation of different size systems. Learn about programs that may be available to subsidize your investment.

On-Farm Energy Production - Biofuels

The On Farm Energy Production Curriculum Series provides basic understanding of feedstock production, biodiesel, biogas, and wood and gas pellets.

On-Farm Energy Efficiency

This curriculum module covers the fundamentals of energy systems. Basic thermodynamics, heat transfer, energy conversion processes and discussion of energy efficiency and specific applications on farms are addressed.

On-Farm Smart Energy Buying and Use

This is part of the Farm Energy IQ Curriculum Series. With the understanding of deregulated energy markets and having an option to buy energy at less expensive times of the day, how can you change your habits to take advantage? 

Testing the use of spent brewery grain in three mushroom species

What is the effect of spent brewery grain in the production process of three mushroom species? 

On-Farm Production of Biomass Grass Pellets

A case study of Wood Crest Farm in Wapwallopen, Pennsylvania

Cluster thinning effects on crop yield and quality of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grown in the Eastern US

Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are important grape varieties that can produce excellent wine grapes and wine in the East, but optimal yields through cluster thinning have not been established.