The Locating Funds to Mitigate Risk on the Farm: Crop Insurance, SARE, USDA Beginning Farmer Initiative and Other Federal Programs webinar, is part of the Investing in Your Farm: Accessing Grants and Loans for Growing Your Business workshop series, hosted by the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.

In this webinar, instructors share knowledge/understanding of state/federal grant and loan programs. Topics covered in the workshop include:

• Micro Farm Pilot Policy 2023 (Farm Credit East).
• Resources for Beginning Farmers at Farmers.Gov including Get Started Guide, 
• Technical and financial assistance from Natural Resources Conservation Services. 
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program. 
• NorthEast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program grants.
• An interactive and informative Q&A session with farmers sharing experiences in working with crop insurance and SARE programs. 

For additional information please reach us out at: nesfp@tufts.edu

This presentation was developed for a non-refugee audience but the content can be adapted. The main objective of the presentation is for growers to understand that some crops are better suited to hoop-houses than others, based on seasonality and spacing. Growers will think about which crops to put inside the hoop-house, which I like to call the “high rent district,” and which to plant outdoors, for the greatest sales potential over the course of the season. Farmers will understand the concept of degree days and that both temperature and day length affect plant growth. Finally, an overview of marketing options is presented, so that farmers can begin to think about this before learning more in-depth marketing information in future presentations.

This guide is for incubator farms and farmers working in shared spaces looking to gain knowledge and a foundational framework for implementing effective and sustainable pest management. 

Organize into different sections, this guide allows you to explore different aspects of pest management and provides you with pest fact sheets to support scouting and identification. 

• Understanding Pests: Learn about insect life cycles, how to identify insects based on their life stage, and how to differentiate between pests and beneficial insects. 
• Running a Shared Farming Site: Information for farm managers about frameworks, rules and expectations, and how to effectively address compliance concerns.  
• Farmer-to-Farmer Coordination: Key components of effective communication and tools to consider implementing to maintain strong communication among farmers
• Prevention Strategies: Understand why prevention is so important and learn best practices for prevention on shared farming sites. 
• Scouting: Dive into the basics of scouting, what it is, how to scout, important tools, and other helpful scouting resources. 
• Treatment and Intervention: Navigate common strategies to determine when treatment is necessary, how to read pesticide labels, apply pesticides, and learn important personal safety considerations.
• Appendix: Review several pest fact sheets that can be used as a resource during scouting to support pest identification, possible treatment thresholds, and effective methods of control and OMRI approved interventions.

PDF introductory manual for farmers about basic marketing practices.  Includes case studies and information on branding, identifying goals and vision, identifying customer base, sustainability and pricing. All Regions. English Level: Advanced. Farming Level: Beginning - Intermediate.  Literacy Level: Advanced. Key Words: marketing, pricing, branding, social media.

This is module 5 in a series of 8 modules in the Interational Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy. This training guide will help you, the trainer, to lead a 2-hour training on the building blocks of budgeting and recordkeeping. While this was designed to serve as one workshop, some of the activities can be used independently if desired. Farmers will understand what counts as income, and what counts as expenses, and will become familiar with basic recordkeeping words and forms. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 6 in a series of 8 modules in the International Rescue Committee's Micro-producer academy. This modules introduces farmers to post-harvest handling and food safety and farm rules, to maximize food quality and safety. Farmers will demonstrate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for market harvest days and will be able to identify what crops need and need not be cooled upon harvest. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 7 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy. Module 7 introduces farmers to forms of currency, money handling and making change. This guide provides talking points for each slide in the corresponding PowerPoint presentation, and includes activity steps, tips for allowing farmers to reflect, and ideas for how to assess for farmer learning. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 3 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy.This is an introduction to the concept of market gardening or farming, and to selecting crops that fit the market channel that producers anticipate using. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 4 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy.Understanding the difference between personal and commercial production. Growing techniques (as well as farm rules) to maximize production and timing production based around the markets they hope to sell at. Farmers will draft a planting and harvest calendar for the market crops they have chosen, and they will draw a potential succession planting map for one crop. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 8 in a series of 8 modules in the Interational Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy.This guide will help you, the trainer, to conduct this lesson on marketing success. This can be done as one complete workshop or lesson, or individual activities can be pulled out and done independently with farmers. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.