Farmer Resource Library

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.

Season Extension

Media:

  • Digital Download

This guide helps trainers deliver a series of trainings or activities to refugee farmers on season extension in temperate regions. The trainings were designed as a package, but each session or activity can be done independently. Graphics can be used both during and after the activities.This teaching resource was developed by Global Garden in Chicago, Illinois 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.

Seedbank and Weed Management

Media:

  • Digital Download

This resource is designed to be a module in Cultivating Community’s Advanced Farm Production curriculum. Built for farmers who are familiar with the difficulty of weed management and frustrated by crop quality and pest problems that result from weed competition, this workshop is a standalone class designed to emphasize the value of preventing weeds from going to seed. This teaching resource was developed by Cultivating Community in Portland, ME 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.

Setting the Table, Toward Greater Food Security in Lowell, MA

Media:

  • Digital Download

Setting the Table: Towards Greater Food Security in Lowell, Massachusetts, evaluates the barriers Lowell residents face in obtaining food and recommends actions that might be taken to further food security in the city. This report was created for the Lowell Food Security Coalition, a collaboration of forty community organizations, formed to help residents become more self-reliant and foodsecure. Once the center of the textile industry, attracting workers from all over the world, Lowell today is still recovering from the departure of that and other industries. As some Lowell residents struggle to make ends meet, they can face the added challenge of fi nding food that is nutritious and culturally appropriate, in this city of immigrants.

Setting the Table proposes strengthening Lowell’s food system through community resource centers, backyard gardens (including some as large as whole blocks), rooftop gardens, public orchards, community fi sh farms, dealing with soil contamination, recycling waste, healthy corner stores, and changes to zoning.

Small Livestock: An Introductory Overview to Raising Chickens & Goats

Media:

  • Digital Download

This is a guide for training on the basics of raising farm livestock (specifically chickens and goats). Each lesson can be used independently if desired by the program. It was written for a community farm program in Central Virginia, however most of the concepts are transferable across geography. Local livestock laws and regulations and supply sourcing stores will need to be researched to be relevant for other locations.

Soil Fertility Series

Media:

  • Digital Download

This series of six workshops covers a range of topics related to soil quality and fertility management. For example, multiple workshops focus on learning plant families as a basis for understanding the importance of crop rotation and soil management planning. Other sessions introduce the concepts of crop rotation, soil nutrients, and teach the importance of giving soils an opportunity to “rest” in crop rotation planning. Most of the workshops are appropriate for beginning- to intermediate-level farmers.

 

Soil Health and Fertility

Media:

  • Digital Download

This module contains six mini-lessons on practices and knowledge related to soil health and fertility. These lessons can be chosen and combined in whatever way makes sense for your program. The lessons address soil texture, fertilizers, soil organisms, legume crops and nitrogen, cover crops, and nutrient problems. This teaching resource was developed by Global Garden in Chicago, Illinois 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.
 

Steps for Farmland Matching in Massachusetts

Media:

  • Digital Download

Slides from New Entry that illustrate the process of matching available farmland with farmers so that farmers can find the land they need while simultaneously conserving and utilizing the land. Outlines various tools and mechanisms that help make the connections possible.

Strategic Partnerships Worksheet

Media:

  • Digital Download

The Strategic Partnerships worksheet is a simple tool for helping you identify partners and how they can support your organization's work.

Strategies to Capitalize the Farm: Lessons from the Field Workshop Recording

Media:

  • Video

The webinar Strategies to Capitalize the Farm: Lessons from the Field, 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, Farmers share knowledge/understanding of state/federal grant and loan programs. Topics covered in the workshop include:

  • Scaling-up journey
  • Land access, funding, infraestructure and logistic challenges
  • Wish list of investments, farm profitability and grants available
  • Specialty crops and MDAR funding opportunities
  • Tips for grant writing
  • Challenges of grants

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

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