Successfully accessing appropriate capital to grow or sustain your farm business takes focus and dedication. Below, you will find resources on farm financing solutions that will help you develop the skills and understand the steps needed to analyze, assess, prepare for, and manage farm financial risk. Resource topics on this page include:
Learning From Others Financial Terminology
Determining Appropriate Financing for Your Business
Learning From Others [who successfully used capital to advance their farm businesses]
These videos introduce several local farm financiers - check out additional financing resources in the Financing Sources for Farms section below.
More Resources to Learn From Others:
High Mowing Organics Seeds Case Study on convertible debt
Bread and Butter Farm Case Study on a complex land purchase
Liz Lovely Case Study on royalty financing
The Carrot Project’s Making It Happen: Profitability and Success case studies
CISA’s Farm Business Decision Making – Lessons from Farm Owners
UVM Extension’s Guide to Financing the Community Supported Farm
Coastal Enterprises Inc.: Success Stories
CISA’s Financial Management 101: Financial Statements
Penn State Extension’s Financial and Economic Terms
Penn State Extension’s Calculating the “Sweet 16” Farm Financial Measures
Julia Shanks Food Consulting Glossary of Business Terms
Becoming “Finance-Ready”: record keeping, communicating with lenders, credit scores
Webinar on Capturing and Organizing Farm Data with Chris Blanchard
Creating a Cabbige Account with Jessica Angell
Workshop on “Farming Smarter” with Richard Wiswall
Workshop on “Quickbooks for Farmers” with Julia Shanks
Webinar on Record Keeping for Organic Certification
The Carrot Project's Farm Financial Calendar Tool
Webinar on how to use The Carrot Project's Farm Financial Calendar Tool
New Entry’s Guide to Applying for an FSA Loan
Julia Shanks Food Consulting Video Tutorials & Webinars
The Carrot Project's Farmer Resources
CISA’s Financial Management 101: Tips on Receiving a Loan
Northeast Beginning Farmers Project: Plan Your Farm
UC Davis Small Farm Program: How to Finance a Small Farm
NH Ag Financiers working group’s Become a Prepared Borrower
Farm Credit East: Programs and Services
Whole-Farm Profit Management: Veggie Compass
Determining Appropriate Financing for Your Business
Farm Commons: Financing a Farmland Purchase
Julia Shanks Food Consulting Debt Service Calculator
Penn State Extension’s Ag Cost of Capital Calculator
CISA’s Financial Management 101: Raising Capital
UVM Extension’s Guide to Financing the Community Supported Farm
Elizabeth Ü’s Raising Dough: the Complete Guide to Financing a Socially Responsible Food Business
Grants
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources grant programs
New Hamphsire Department of Agricultural Resources grant programs
Natural Resources Conservation Services MA Financial Assistance Programs
USDA Rural Development Programs and Services for Businesses
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Organic Certification Cost Share Program
Loans
USDA Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Programs
Merrimack Small Business Center
NH Community Loan Fund’s Farm Food Initiative
Coastal Enterprises Inc Business Loan Financing
Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation’s list of Micro Lenders in MA by Region
