Providing expert tips on tending the land, caring for animals, and necessary equipment, Ann Larkin Hansen also covers the intricate process of acquiring organic certification and other business considerations important to a profitable operation. Discover the rewarding satisfaction of running a successful and sustainable organic farm.

This book aims to be a practical guide for New York farmers and food entrepreneurs. It gives a general overview of a myriad of food and agriculture law issues including business formation, contract law, confidentiality, farm leases, environmental regulation, animal law, land use and zoning, right-to-farm law, intellectual property, farm transportation, employment and labor law, property law, wind energy leases, direct farm marketing, cottage food operations, food labeling, and on-farm poultry slaughter. It's a "must read" for New York farms, agri-business owners, and food entrepreneurs to help them understand the breadth of laws that affect their business.

To an increasing number of American families the CSA (community supported agriculture) is the answer to the globalization of our food supply. The premise is simple: create a partnership between local farmers and nearby consumers, who become members or subscribers in support of the farm. In exchange for paying in advance--at the beginning of the growing season, when the farm needs financing--CSA members receive the freshest, healthiest produce throughout the season and keep money, jobs, and farms in their own community. In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of a Chelsea Green classic, authors Henderson and Van En provide new insight into making CSA not only a viable economic model, but the right choice for food lovers and farmers alike. Thinking and buying local is quickly moving from a novel idea to a mainstream activity. The groundbreaking first edition helped spark a movement and, with this revised edition, Sharing the Harvest is poised to lead the way toward a revitalized agriculture.

This publication is a product of the experiences and lessons learned while implementing agroenterprise projects in eastern and southern Africa. A Market Facilitator's Guide is based on a resource-to-consumption framework, which is the central theme of the "enabling rural innovation" approach for rural development. This approach seeks to empower farmer groups with the necessary skills to make informed decisions for their economic development, based on an analysis of their surroundings, assets and skills. The methodology also aims for outcomes that are equitable, gender focused and participatory.

Market Farming Success is an indispensable guide to market gardening and farming for those in the business of growing and selling food, flowers, herbs, or plants. Condensing decades of growing experience from every part of the United States and Canada, Lynn Byczynski - editor and publisher of Growing for Market - identifies crucial areas that usually trip up beginners and shows growers how to avoid common obstacles. This book differentiates between market gardens, market farms, and vegetable farms, offering a concise and useful overview of how to find land, select and grow crops, acquire appropriate equipment, and market your produce, as well as tackle recordkeeping, insurance, and other fundamental business topics.--COVER.

There is no simple recipe for setting up and managing a successful organic dairy farm, but this handbook can act as an introduction to important issues in organic dairy production and provide today's organic or transitioning dairy farmer with an overview of the tools and ideas available. Part of the NOFA guides. Organic Dairy Production includes information on: Soils, the foundation of health (manure management) Crop production and grazing management (forage species, pasture management, setting up a grazing system) Livestock (selection, nutrition, winter and summer feed considerations, seasonal milking, habitat, herd health, milk quality) Marketing (selling fluid milk, regulations, facility and equipment, selling raw milk) Recordkeeping The transition to organic Features examples from various farms in the Northeast.