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Starting the Transition Let's say you've made the decision to transition all or part of your farm or livestock operation to organic production. Where do you start? What resources and information do you need? What do you need to know about the transition period, certification and organic production? For that matter, what do you need to know about organic agriculture in general--the philosophy, the approach and the values? And where can you turn for advice and assistance? In this section of the Pathway we've collected sources to help answer all your questions. We link you with resources that will help you get into the mindset and attitude of organic farming. We provide you with some broad overviews of organic production and marketing (much more information is available later in the Pathway, in the Managing Crops, Managing Livestock and Marketing sections). We explain some of the basics of certification and the transition years (with much more in the Getting Certified section), and we alert you to funding opportunities. And, perhaps most useful of all, we've collected a broad range of profiles of farmers and ranchers who've made the transition--and who share their hard-earned wisdom and insights. In addition, we connect you directly with a range of learning and networking opportunities. Other farmers can be the best sources of help, and you'll find them ready and willing to help at conferences, workshops and field days, through mentoring programs, and through formal training and education programs. Links to all of these are represented here. Finally, we're aware that tens of thousands of new and aspiring farmers are seeking information to help them not only with transitioning to organic production, but also with the basics of starting a farm. There are hundreds of resources available across the country for new farmers, and we provide you with the best information, the most dynamic organizations, the internship opportunities and the business planning advice you need to succeed in farming. The Basics | Conferences, Tradeshows and Events | Education and Training Programs Help for New Farmers | Support Services and Technical Help | Business Advice Finding Funding | Farmers' Stories | Nonprofits
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