Guided discussion draws on farmers’ traditional strategies for dealing with catastrophic crop failures to introduce the concept of crop insurance. Participants are introduced to basic concepts and vocabulary related to insurance. USDA’s Whole Farm Revenue Protection is introduced through a discussion of its purpose and benefits.

Participants will review costs and benefits of WFRP crop insurance and learn about eligibility, the application process, required farming practices and record keeping. They will be advised on where to find assistance with accessing information about WFRP, decision making, program application, compliance, and, when appropriate, collecting payments. Trainers may need to begin by reviewing what was learned about Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), from Module 1: Introduction to Crop Insurance. This teaching resource was developed by Linda Seyler of Global Garden Refugee Training Farm in Chicago, in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions).

This guide covers essential components of crop planning. Participants will learn how to fill out and complete a production plan, determine transplants needed, complete a seed order using the seed calculator tool, and weigh and bag direct-planted or direct-seeded crops. At the end, farmers will be prepared with all their seeds for spring and summer planting and the crop production information needed for the upcoming year. 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.

This series of six workshops covers a range of topics related to crop planning. Farmers will be introduced to the concepts of harvest windows, succession planting, and days to maturity. Multiple sessions help farmers learn how to use calendars and tables to plan their growing season. One session teaches participants how to handle orders from customers and restaurants, and plan cropping and harvest schedules accordingly. Most of the workshops are appropriate for beginning- to intermediate-level farmers.

Crop planning sheet than provides space for farmers to record how much of each crop they planted over course of the season, including specific of frequency, successions, and materials needed.

This is a resource designed to provide farmers with readily accessible, technical information and cultural practices for organic vegetable production without relying on advanced English literacy skills. This manual can be introduced in pre-season crop planning settings and subsequently used throughout the planting season. Though the practices and suggested planting dates presented are specific to our New England growing season, the icons can be easily modified to represent practices and timing suited to your farm and locale.

Spreadsheet that includes a) specifics of how and when to plant specific crops and b) materials needed and their prices for planting each crop.

A nice overview of considerations related to crowdfunding for small farm operations developed by Mark Canella at UVM.

This user’s guide will help trainers introduce New American farmers to concepts and best practices for engaging direct wholesale customers at different market access points such as independent restaurants and groceries. This guide contains learning activities which can be used together for a comprehensive introduction to direct wholesale marketing or used in sections to focus specific market types.

Fact sheet and price guide on 6 E-commerce platforms. Based on the February Ag Tech workshop.