New Entry's farmer library has hundreds of resources on sustainable farming, marketing, and operating a successful small business. Our physical library at our office in Beverly, MA contains books, CD's, DVD's periodicals, pamphlets, and videos in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Khmer. You can also search the directory below for downloadable digital resources, helpful web sites, and online farming videos.
Please visit or email us at nesfp@tufts.edu if you can't find what you're looking for here. Sometimes we are out in the field, so it's best to let us know if you're planning on stopping by.
This is a tool (not a lesson) for farmers or gardeners to use in the field as a reference for plant spacing when planting out crops. Growers should be oriented to this tool before using, but in lieu of an actual lesson plan, see tips below.
Farmers will learn why it is important to use correct post-harvest handling techniques with different vegetables. They will learn about temperature, hydration and the proper tools and equipment for post-harvest handling. A post-harvest handling grid handout will be taught to reinforce and extend learning beyond the lesson. This teaching resource was developed by Transplanting Traditions in Chapel Hill, NC 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.
Calendar for vegetable plantings for April, May, June, July and August. Northeast region. English level: Beginner. Farming level: Beginner. Literacy level: Pre.
A simple excel spreadheet that helps farmers track their production totals for individual markets and by crop. Provided by Beth LaShell at the Old Fort Market Garden Incubator in Fort Lewis, CO.
This is a resource designed to introduce some key concepts to farmers familiar with basic production and marketing strategies: profit, revenue, profitability, cost of production, and enterprise budgets. The key takeaway is this: to make money, you need to make informed decisions about how much it actually costs to produce a crop. By working through several examples of costs of producing various crops, farmers can start to assess which crops are easiest to grow, highest grossing, and have the most potential for highest net profit.
A presentation from the 2015 NIFTI National Field School on Program Evaluation by Dr Noah Ranells of NC A & T State University Cooperative Extension Program and Eugenia Gusev of the International Rescue Committee.
Program Evaluation, both qualitative and quantitative, is critical to all new farmer training programs. The Most Significant Change technique ( MSC), a qualitative and participatory story driven evaluation methodology will be presented for its use in agriculture development programs across the world. Quantitative evaluation options for training program sustainability and participant entrepreneurial success will also be shared.
