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Alternative Marketing and Business Practices

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Successful farmers are first and foremost, business persons. Resources to support agricultural businesses range from long-range visioning aids to tools that document the nitty-gritty - cash flow, expenses, assets, debts, and other important financial information.
AFSIC Highlights
corn with corn husks made of twenty dollar bills. [Source: IStock International, Inc.]Where Can I Find Agricultural Funding Resources?
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Describes programs and resource guides that serve as starting points for identifying funding opportunities.
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Information from Other Sources
Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses
USDA. Sustainable Agriculture Network; Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture.
Business planning guide focuses on how real farm families set goals, research processing alternatives, determine potential markets and evaluate financing options.
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Starting a Small Business
USDA. NAL. Rural Information Center.
Information about business planning, grant writing, funding assistance and related resources.
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Small Farm Funding Resources
USDA. NAL. Rural Information Center.
Find tools to develop a business plan, write a grant proposal, locate funding and assistance programs and more.
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Agricultural Marketing Resource Center
USDA. Rural Development; Iowa State University.
Addresses marketing and business planning for U.S. agricultural producers interested in value-added marketing.
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Small Business Administration Online Library
U.S. Small Business Administration.
Access hundreds of publications, fact sheets, workbooks and other resources on small business management, financing, marketing and more.
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Marketing, Business and Risk Management
National Center for Appropriate Technology. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
Provides publications and information to help farmers with managing risk, planning their businesses, diversifying their output, developing new markets and adding value to farm products. Topics include: business planning and management, risk management, funding and organic marketing and labeling.
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Agricultural Alternatives - Business Management
Pennsylvania State University. College of Agricultural Sciences; Cooperative Extension Service.
Informs farmers on business planning, budget analysis, financing, insurance needs and business diversification.
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Starting an Ag Business? A Pre-planning Guide  (PDF|832)
Cornell University. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Department of Applied Economics and Management.
A step-by-step workbook to assist current and future agricultural business operators research and decide on the most suitable agricultural enterprise to pursue and then develop a detailed business plan.
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Taking the First Step: Farm and Ranch Alternative Enterprise and Agritourism Resource Evaluation Guide  (PDF|1336)
Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Board, Inc.
This guide helps rural leaders and agricultural advisors assist local farmers and ranchers identify profitable agricultural enterprises or agritourism opportunities, develop business and marketing plans and assess business risks.
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Economic Analysis of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Michigan State University.
Explores techniques for analyzing "the economic viability of sustainable agricultural and food systems."
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National Ag Risk Education Library
University of Minnesota. Center for Farm Financial Management.
A "major component of USDA's Risk Management Education (RME) program; organizes thousands of risk management materials which help producers and agricultural professionals quickly locate information, tools, and assistance on specific risk management topics."
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Family Farm Series Publications: Farm Management Packet
University of California. Small Farm Center.
Individual fact sheets discuss agricultural enterprise selection, small farm financing, production cost analysis and farm leasing or renting.
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Last Modified: Oct 29, 2008  
Alternative Marketing and Business Practices
  On-farm Enterprises and Value-added Products
  Direct Marketing
  Farm Business Planning and Management
  Food Industry and Trade
See Also
  Ag Business Development Resources
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