www.sare.org resources the-northeast-organic-grower-harvest-manual The Northeast Organic Grower Harvest Manual A manual created by Roxbury Farm Harvest to help commercial, organic vegetable farmers with parameters on pricing, harvest indicators, harvest and postharvest handling procedures, and storage conditions. Each vegetable has a detailed explanation of the various market values, expected yield numbers, standards and the tools needed. Harvest and preparation procedures are laid out for each […]
www.sare.org resources scaling-up-your-vegetable-farm-for-wholesale-markets Scaling Up Your Vegetable Farm for Wholesale Markets For direct market farmers, expanding your operation to capture local and regional wholesale markets can represent an opportunity. But such a shift brings with it many changes to how you run your farm because the expectations that wholesale buyers have is much different than your direct market customers. Scaling Up Your Vegetable Farm for Wholesale […]
www.sare.org resources cottage-food-success-a-labeling-guide-and-toolkit-for-creating-canned-food-products-that-sell Cottage Food Success: A Labeling Guide and Toolkit for Creating Canned Food Products that Sell This guide and toolkit provides ideas with step-by-step instructions on how to increase sales of canned products made in your home kitchen under your state’s cottage food law through improved labels and creative packaging.
www.sare.org resources farmer-panel-on-cover-crops Farmer Panel on Cover Crops In this panel, farmers Skip Paul (Rhode Island), Jeff Frey (Pennsylvania) and Perry Lilley (Maine) share their experiences with cover crops, including their motivation for using them, successes and challenges, factors that play into decision making around cover crops, and advice for ag service providers who want to encourage farmer adoption of this vital conservation […]
www.sare.org resources a-farmers-guide-to-crop-quality-for-wholesale-outlets A Farmer's Guide to Crop Quality for Wholesale Outlets This 20-page guide aims to support beginning farmers looking to improve quality and consistency of farm produce in order to expand sales to include wholesale accounts. Focused on tomatoes, cucurbits and greens, the guide includes photos of good and poor crop quality, as well as best practices for post-harvest handling techniques that will enhance crop […]
www.sare.org resources investing-in-the-next-generation-of-agricultural-scientists Investing in the Next Generation of Agricultural Scientists The challenges that farmers and ranchers face today are growing more and more complex, and the cornerstone of the SARE program is the idea that sustainable solutions to these challenges arise when scientists, educators and producers work together to test theories in real-world, on-farm situations. However, for this approach itself to be sustainable, there must […]
www.sare.org resources farm-to-table-building-local-and-regional-food-systems Farm to Table: Building Local and Regional Food Systems Discover a wealth of educational materials for farmers, ranchers, ag professionals, community organizers and others who are striving to reconfigure the nation's food system so more value stays in food-producing communities. A condensed version of the content on this page is available as a topic brief (PDF download), Building Local and Regional Food Systems. Use the […]
www.sare.org resources safe-and-profitable-oil-production-fact-sheets Safe and Profitable Oil Production Fact Sheets Edible oils, which are oils used for salad dressing, deep fat frying or pan frying cooking methods, are often produced by large-scale processors. But Penn State University and the University of Vermont have been working together to create easily accessible information on edible oil production for small-scale processors. The following fact sheets provide information on oilseed […]
www.sare.org resources farm-food-safety Farm Food Safety Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) are measures that can be taken by farmers to prevent microbial contamination of fruits and vegetables as they are produced, packed, handled and stored. And since some wholesale buyers require farmers to be USDA certified as GAPs compliant, Penn State University developed the Farm Food Safety Website to provide growers with […]
www.sare.org resources farm-to-hospital-toolkit Farm to Hospital Toolkit This twelve-part document contains tools that farmers, ranchers and hospitals can use as they work to increase direct hospital purchases from local farmers.
www.sare.org resources expanding-winter-harvest-and-sales-for-new-england-vegetable-crops Expanding Winter Harvest and Sales for New England Vegetable Crops The Winter Production, Storage and Sales website is maintained through a partnership of the UMass Extension Vegetable Program, the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and two local food organizations, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) in western MA and Seacoast Eat Local (SEL) in eastern NH. This project addresses the need for expanding winter […]
www.sare.org resources the-organic-seed-grower The Organic Seed Grower The Organic Seed Grower is a comprehensive manual for the serious vegetable grower who is interested in growing high-quality seeds using organic farming practices. It is written for both serious home seed savers and diversified small-scale farmers who want to learn the necessary steps involved in successfully producing a commercial seed crop organically. Detailed profiles […]
www.sare.org resources working-with-your-food-safety-inspector Working With Your Food Safety Inspector Small-scale processors are often at odds with food safety regulations and thus inspectors because the regulations are based off of large-scale production practices. So, Michigan State University PhD student Jennifer Buckley used a NCR SARE grant to find out how to make both the processors and inspectors more satisfied with the system. Her findings are […]
www.sare.org resources cooperative-extension-farm-to-school-resources Cooperative Extension Farm to School Resources Growing Minds: Farm to School was developed by ASAP to provide resources for Extension, ag professionals and communities in the development of Farm to School initiatives. Resources include: 2011 Farm to School Needs Assessment- Cooperative Extension General Farm to School Evaluation Food Safety Garden resources Models for Local Food Procurement In addition to these resources, […]
www.sare.org resources organic-broccoli-production-manual Organic Broccoli Production Manual Each summer, the Twin Cities experiences a shortage of locally grown, organic broccoli. So a team of local, organically-certified farmers worked to scale up organic broccoli production to meet the needs of wholesale accounts in the region. This guide provides steps that the Twin Cities farmers took in an attempt to scale up organic broccoli […]
www.sare.org resources video-series-efficient-and-safe-food-handling-processes Video Series: Efficient and Safe Food Handling Processes These videos include simple, low-cost techniques that help farms reduce labor needs and expenses during harvest, wash and pack. The videos were produced through a 2010 SARE grant that reviewed produce handling and food safety protocols on 10 case study farms, and identified shared techniques that proved to be efficient and effective. Links to […]
www.sare.org resources wholesale-packing-resource-guide Wholesale Packing Resource Guide This plain language guide from New Entry Sustainable Farming Project is for farmers and ranchers interested in selling to supermarkets, produce distributors, restaurants and institutions. The guide explains packing requirements and seeks to help farmers decide if the wholesale market is right for them. Download now: Wholesale Packing Resource Guide.pdf 816.09 kB Plain language guides […]
www.sare.org resources good-agricultural-practices Good Agricultural Practices Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification is a way for growers to let buyers know that they follow appropriate food safety practices on their farms. These fact sheets from North Carolina State University on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Certification and insurance cover options for vegetable producers provide information for growers interested in adopting GAPs. IsGAPWorthIt.pdf 765.40 […]
www.sare.org resources small-scale-biogas-technology Small-Scale Biogas Technology Biogas technology can be used on small farms to turn on-farm organic wastes (manure, on-farm food processing) into a clean, renewable source of energy for on-farm applications. The small-scale biogas technology website, developed by Washington State University, presents resources and publications on biogas technology, including an enterprise assessment tool.
www.sare.org resources harvesting-crops-for-market Harvesting Crops for Market This plain language guide from New Entry Sustainable Farming Project shares information on when to harvest vegetables, how to prepare produce for harvest, and safe handling of produce after harvest. Download now: Harvesting_Crops_for_Market.pdf 1.42 MB Plain language guides from New Entry include: Applying for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Applying for the Conservation Stewardship Program […]