Farmer Chef Connection
Resources: For Farmers
photo Lili
Calfee-Miller
National Agricultural Library (NAL), Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC). Nice descriptions of what to look for on each website.
Farming Alternatives // nal.usda.gov
List of Alternative Crops & Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification
NAL, AFSIC
Pay special attention to various states’ websites on specialty and alternative crops; listed under “Extension Office or Land Grant University Directories and Publication Sites”.
Alternative Crops & Enterprises // nal.usda.gov
Agricultural Marketing
Penn State
A treasure trove of business hyperlinks; make sure you are using the latest version edition (7.1.0) of Adobe Reader to read the PDF documents.
Agricultural Marketing // Penn State
Alternative Crops and Plants
National Agricultural Library, AFSIC
Looking for something new to plant?
Alternative Crops and Plants // nal.usda.gov
Be careful to check the sub headings in the right hand column as well as websites noted in the ‘spotlight’ section.
Grazing Systems and Alternative Livestock Breeds
National Agricultural Library, AFSIC
A wide variety of livestock production alternatives, from raising unusual animals to utilizing pasture-based systems to developing value-added animal products. Be sure to note sub headings in the right hand column.
Grazing Systems and Alternative Livestock Breeds // nal.usda.gov
Good sources of information to learn about your prospective market:
- Cooperative extension educators who specialize in your product area
- Specialized publications and newsletters, e.g. Wednesday food sections from major US newspapers: New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times
- Restaurants and Institutions Magazine
- Look under Food Consumption and Market Trends on the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center website
- Libraries at technical colleges with culinary departments
- Prospective customers’ preferences – ask what they need and want but are not finding among current produce choices
- Talk with other farmers and observe operations that are successful. Look at the Harmony Valley Farm website and their new farmer’s blog
“Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini” by Elizabeth Schneider. Imagine 350 vegetables from the culinary point of view; preparation, storage and cooking methods. This would be very useful for your produce information sheets.
Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: Amazon, Harper Collins