Beginning Farmer Resources
This is the website with resources for the 2012 Beginning Farmer Series program held in Waldo. Program participants received printed copies of Starting and Running Your Own Small Farm Business by Aubrey and Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the Feasibility of New Farm-Based Enterprises.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Publications
- So You Want to Farm in Maine?
- Soil Organic Matter
- Testing Your Soils
- Your Business Plan
- Recipe to Market: How to Start a Specialty Food Business in Maine
New England Small Farm Institute
- DACUM Occupational Profile for Northeast Small Scale “Sustainable” Farmer (PDF)
- DACUM chart 5 (Word)
Web Soil Survey — Natural Resource Conservation Service
Sites from Other States or Organizations
- Enterprise Budget Analysis — Penn State University
- Agricultural Alternatives — Penn State University
- Missouri Alternatives Center — University of Missouri Extension
- Primer for Selecting New Enterprises for Your Farm (PDF) — University of Kentucky
- Sustainable Agriculture Resources — Penn State University
- ATTRA — National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
- Evaluating a Farming Enterprise — ATTRA
- NRAES (source of publications) — Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service
- Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses. Free download available. Business planning guide focuses on how real farm families set goals, research processing alternatives, determine potential markets and evaluate financing options.
IRS Publication
Excel Spreadsheets from Aaron Hoshide with the Maine Knowledge Transfer Alliance
- My Farm Budget Template (Excel)
- My Farm Sales and Yields (Excel)
- My Farm Expenses and Income (Excel)
Market Research Websites
- Census Bureau
- Small Business Advisor
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Maine State Government
- University of Maine
- URSUS (UMaine library)
- Online Small Business Library
Other Helpful Information on Farm Marketing
- Why Consumers Buy — and Don’t Buy — Farm Direct Products
- Direct Marketing of Farm Produce and Home Goods
- USDA Market News
- MOFGA — Organic Price Reports
- Western Maine Market — online ordering of farm products
- UMaine Orono Farmers Market Study 1995 (PDF) — Journal of Food Distribution Research
- UMaine Orono Farmers Market Study, Food Products Initiative Market Report (PDF) — email Caragh Fitzgerald at cfitzgerald@maine.edu for a copy
- Economic Contribution of Agritourism to the Maine Economy (PDF)
- Agricultural Marketing Resource Center
- USDA Market Research — links include outlook reports
- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service – ATTRA
- Maine Agricultural Trade Show – info on getrealmaine.com
- New England Made — tradeshow info
- Survey Monkey
- Maine Department of Transportation Yearly Traffic Counts
- How to Direct Market Farm Products on the Internet — Pennsylvania State University
- Cold Spring Ranch — Gabe Clark’s farm, New Portland
- Snakeroot Organic Farm – Tom Roberts’ farm, Pittsfield
Livestock Information
Crop Production Information
Books, CDs, DVDs, etc.
Farmland Protection
- The Land for Maine’s Future Program
- Maine Farmland Trust
- Maine FarmLink
- Farmland and Tree Growth Property Tax Law
- Maine FarmLink list of Grants and Loan Sources
Rules and Regulations
- Farmers & Mesothelioma
- Resources for information on Maine Laws & Regulations Affecting Direct Farm Marketers spreadsheet: Laws and Regulations of Farm Products (Excel) (from Donna Coffin)
- Chapter 343: Food Processing and Manufacturing (Word)
- Chapter 345: Home Food Manufacturing (Word)
- State of Maine Food License
- Maine Food Statutes
- Maine Sales Tax Forms
- Maine Sales Tax Exemption Affidavit Form No. 154 (PDF)
- Maine Ag Sales & Use Tax Information No. 14 (PDF)
- Statutes and Ordinances that Control Land Use in Maine — Maine Municipal Association
- Selling Eggs in Maine
- EBT For Farmers
- SNAP Guide for Farmers Markets
- Maine Electronic Benefits — Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets
- WIC for Maine Farmer
- Implementing WIC & SNAP at Maine Farmers’ Markets (PDF), Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry
- Maine Department of Transportation
- Maine Board of Pesticides Control