Online Resources for Farmers

Land | Financing & Funding | Disaster Preparedness & Assistance | Labor | Insurance | Record Keeping | Marketing | Networking & Advocacy | Governmental Agencies & Resources | Information & Education Resources | Business Planning | Out of State Resources

Land

  • About Procuring Land
  • ATTRA ‘s “Finding Land to Farm: Six ways to Secure Farmland” PDF Guide
  • FarmLAST Project’s “Land Tenure: A Curriculum for Beginning Farmers and Farm Seekers”
  • Cornell University Extension and The Greenhorn’s “Land. Liberty. Sunshine. Stamina: a mini compendium of resources for beginning farmers on the topic of finding sustainable land tenure”
  • Equity Trust’s “Gaining Ground: How CSAs can Acquire, Hold and Pass on Land”
  • Venues for Finding Land
  • Washington Farm link
  • American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
  • Lands of America
  • Land & Farm
  • Succession Planning
  • Office of Farmland Preservation
  • Center for Rural Affairs’ Estate Planning Tools
  • FSA Transitional Incentive Program (TIP)
  • American Farmland Trust’s Farmland Information Center’s Farm Transfer and Estate Planning Fact Sheet
  • Land for Good’s “Transferring the Farm: where do I start?”
  • UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s “Farmland Tenure & Leasing”
  • Renting & Leasing
  • Ohio State University Extension’s “Farm Rental Agreement Checklist”
  • Ohio Sate University Extension’s “Managing Landlord Tenet Relationships: A Strategic Plan”
  • Land for Good’s Sample Short Term Lease Agreement
  • Northeast Beginning Farmers Guide “Leasing Land and Buildings for Farming”
  • Conservation Programs
  • Overviews and Fact Sheets
  • Land Trust Alliance’s “Basic Facts and Resources for Land Owners”
  • Center for Collaborative Conservation’s “Common Questions on Conservation Easements”
  • American Farmland Trust’s Farmland Information Center’s “Agricultural Conservation Easements Fact Sheet”
  • NRCS Farm & Ranch Land Protection Program
  • Find a land trust

Financing & Funding

  • Overviews and Fact Sheets
  • FSA Conservation Loan Program Fact Sheet
  • FSA Farm Loans Fact Sheet
  • U.S. Small Business Association’s Loans & Grants Search Tool
  • Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s (WSHFC) “Cultivate the Soil” resource guide for beginning and small scale farmers and ranchers in Washington State
  • University of Vermont’s “Guide to Financing the Community Supported Farm: Ways for Farms to Acquire Capital Within Communities”
  • ATTRA’s “Financing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning Farmers”
  • ATTRA’s “Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities” A guide to Federal programs for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry, Entrepreneurship, Conservation and Community Development
  • ATTRA’s “Federal Conservation Resources Overview”
  • Center for Rural Affairs’ Beginning Farmers’ Resources
  • American Farmland Trust’s Farmland Information Center’s Differential Assessment and Circuit Breaker Tax Program Fact Sheet
  • NE Beginning Farmers Project “Financing a Farm Operation: Getting Money for Your New Enterprise”
  • Loans
  • US Small Business Association’s Loans
  • Basic 7(a) loan program
  • CDC/504 Loan Program
  • Microloan Program
  • USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Loan Programs
  • USDA Department of Rural Development Loan Assistance
  • Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant
  • Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan Program
  • FSA Conservation Loan Program Fact Sheet
  • Northwest Farm Credit Services
  • Whole Foods Local Producer Program
  • MercyCorps Northwest Microloans for Small Businesses
  • Tax-exempt Bond Programs
  • Grants
  • USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants
  • USDA Rural Development grants
  • USDA Agricultural Marketing Service grants
  • Western SARE grants
  • Farm Aid grants
  • Organic Valley Farmer’s Advocating for Organics (FAFO) grants
  • Organic Farming Research Foundation grants
  • Idea Café’s Small Business Grants
  • Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office’s Farmland Preservation Grants
  • Alternative Funding Sources, Conservation and Incentive Programs
  • Federal Conservation Resources Overview
  • WSDR Open Space Taxation Rate Fact Sheet
  • Easements
  • Land Trust Alliance Basic Facts & Resources for Land Owners Fact Sheet
  • NRCS Easements
  • Farm Service Agency (FSA) Conservation Reserve Programs
  • AMS National Organic Program Certification Cost Share Program
  • NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program
  • NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
  • Organic Initiative
  • Agricultural Water Enhancement Program
  • Conservation Activity Plan
  • Conservation Innovation Grants
  • Air Quality Initiative
  • On-farm Energy Initiative
  • King County Farming & Agriculture Incentives
  • PCC Land Trust
  • Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office grants
  • Rural Cooperative Stock Buying Program
  • Funding Programs for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Ranchers
  • FSA Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Loans
  • SBA Community Express Loans
  • SBA Patriot Express Loans
  • ACCION loan programs & financial education
  • FSA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans
  • NW Farm Credit Services Young & Beginning Producer Program
  • Indian Loan Guarantee and Interest Subsidy Program
  • Craft3 Indian Country Loans
  • Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Linked Deposit Program
  • MercyCorps Northwest
  • Lenders with Experience in Ag, Business, & Rural Related Loans
  • Craft3
  • Community Capital Development
  • Bank of the Pacific
  • Evergreen Community Development
  • One Pacific Coast Bank
  • Farm Bureau Bank

Disaster Preparedness & Assistance

  • NCAT & ATTRA Disaster Resources
  • FSA Emergency Farm Loans
  • FSA Disaster Assistance Programs
  • Farm Aid
  • National Agriculture Library’s Disaster Preparedness for Animal Facilities
  • FEMA’s Disaster Preparedness for Livestock Owners
  • SBA’s Disaster Loans

Labor

    • Internships
  • Managing and maintaining employees
  • ATTRA Resources
  • “Beyond Basic Compensation: Using Bonuses, Profit Sharing and Employee Ownership to Motivate and Retain Workers on Your Farm”
  • “Positive Practices in Farm Labor Management”
  • USDA Human Risk & Farm Safety Planning
  • L & I Workers’ Compensation Insurance
  • Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Agriculture Resources
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration Regulations and Responsibilities
  • Sample employee agreements

Insurance

  • NE Beginning Farmers Project “Farm Insurance”
  • Crop
  • Federal Crop & Livestock Insurance Plans
  • Liability
  • L & I Workers’ Compensation Insurance
  • NE Beginning Farmers Project “Farm Risk Management”
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration Regulations and Responsibilities
  • Farmers Market D & O Liability Insurance
  • Campbell Risk Management
  • Farmers Market Vendor Liability Insurance
      • Campbell Risk Management
  • Health
  • About L & I Workers’ Compensation Insurance
  • Washington State’s Reduced Cost Health Care Programs
  • Community Health Plan of Washington

Record Keeping

  • Certification
  • WSDA Organic Food Program
  • WSDA’s “Basic Requirements for Organic Certification”
  • National Organic Program
  • Certified Naturally Grown
  • Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) Audit & Verification Program
  • Guide to ATTRA’s Organic Publications
  • ATTRA’s “Organic Farm Certification & the National Organic Program”
  • Organic Materials Review Institute
  • International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
  • Food Alliance Certifications
  • USDA “Is Organic Right for Me” Brochure
  • USDA Blog: Organic 101
  • USDA National Organic Program resources
  • CSA software
  • Farmigo
  • CSAware

Marketing

  • WSDA Small Farm & Direct Marketing Program
  • USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) local food marketing programs
  • ATTRA’s Direct Marketing Resources
  • WSU Small Farms Team Marketing Resources
    • WA State Farmers Market Manual
  • Statewide marketing outlets
  • Washington State Farmers Market Association
  • Cascade Harvest
  • Puget Sound Food Network
  • Food Hub
  • Growing Washington
  • PCC Natural Markets
  • WSDA Farm-to-School Tool Kit
  • Agritourism Events
  • WSDA Savor Washington
  • County Farm Tours
  • USDA Emerging Market Opportunities for Small-Scale Producers
  • USDA Facts on Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing
  • ACRES“Marketing Your Crop”
  • NE Beginning Farmers Project “Assessing Your Market Potential. Market Analyses: What is my Target Market?”
  • NE Beginning Farmers Project “Pricing Farm Products: Know Your Cost, and Price for Profit”
  • NE Beginning Farmers Project “Finding Price Information”
  • NE Beginning Farmers Project “Direct Marketing Options”

Networking & Advocacy

  • WSU Small Farms Team
  • Immigrant Farmer Programs
  • Farm Finder
  • Washington Young Farmers’ Coalition
  • National Young Farmers’ Coalition
  • Greenhorns
  • The Women’s Agricultural Network
  • Farmers for the Future
  • USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach
  • Farm Aid
  • Rodale Institute
  • National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
  • ATTRA: National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
  • American Farmland Trust
  • PCC Farmland Trust
  • Farmers Legal Action Group Inc.
  • National Farmers Union
  • Rural Advancement Foundation International
  • National Agricultural Law Center
  • International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
  • Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises
  • Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network
  • Women Food and Agriculture Network
  • Washington State Grange
  • Puget Sound Regional Food Policy Council

SISTER TILTH ORGANIZATIONS

Tilth Producers is a member of the Washington Tilth Association. The following sister organizations are also members.

  • Seattle Tilth
  • South Whidbey Tilth
  • Sno-Valley Tilth
  • Tilth on the Willapa
  • Vashon Island Growers Association

ORGANIZATIONS SIMILAR TO TILTH

  • California Certified Organic Farmers
  • Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service
  • Northeast Organic Farming Association
  • Oregon Tilth

Governmental Agencies & Resources

  • National
  • 2008 Farm Bill
  • Side by Side Farm Bill
  • Grassroots Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill
  • Agricultural Marketing Service: National Organic Program
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Farm Service Agency
  • National Institute of Food & Agriculture
  • Office of Advocacy and Outreach
  • Economic Research Service
  • National Agricultural Statistics Service
  • Risk Management Agency
  • USDA National Agricultural Library
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  • USDA Organic Resource Guide 2012
  • State
  • WSDA Home
  • Washington Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Washington Farm Service Agency
  • Washington Organic Food Program
  • Washington Risk Management

Information & Education Resources

  • County WSU Extension
  • WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • WSU Small Farms Team Educational Programs
  • Cultivating Success Programs
  • Online Organic Agriculture Certificate
  • Farm Walks
  • Videos
  • Other Courses
  • WSDA’s Farm Wisdom Videos
  • Colorado State’s Integrated Resource Management Online Masters Program
  • Cornell Small Farms Program Videos
  • ACRES USA Archived Articles
  • BALLE Community Capital Webinars
  • 2007 Farming Sourcebook: With A Focus on Sustainable and Certified Production
  • ATTRA: National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
  • USDA National Agricultural Library
  • SARE Learning Center
  • U.S. Small Business Administration Training and Mentoring Programs
  • Northwest Business Agriculture Center
  • Cloud Mountain Farm Center
  • Washington State Small Business Centers
  • National Livestock Producers Association
  • Farm Incubator Programs & Intensive Training Programs
  • Viva Farms
  • WSU Cultivating Success On-Farm Internship Program
  • Food to Bank On
  • Greenbank Farm Ag Training Program
  • WSU Jefferson County FIELD Program

Business Planning

  • SARE’s “Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses” English | Spanish
  • Business Plan and Finance Templates
  • “Making Money: How Will You Know if Your Operation is Making Money?”, NE Beginning Farmers Project
  • SCORE Small Business Resources
  • MercyCorps Northwest
  • Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)
  • Sightline Institute
  • Sustainable Connections
  • Northwest Agriculture Business Center
  • Ecotrust

Out of State Resources

  • Northeast Organic Farming Alliance
  • Northeast Beginner Farmer Project
  • New Hampshire Farms Network
  • Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
  • Center for Ecoliteracy