A Resource for Beginning FarmHers and RanchHers
As we all know, in life and business, half of the battle is simply finding the right resources or people to help you and your business thrive. As a Beginning or Young FarmHer or RanchHer, you are on a steady uphill climb and finding those people or resources can be the key between making it to the top or getting too fatigued to keep going. At a recent National Farmers Union (NFU) conference I attended, one of the speakers was the Coordinator of USDA’s New and Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program. After she gave her talk and opened it up to questions, one of the issues that was raised was the closing of a local USDA office and how that FarmHer could access the people and resources that she needed to be successful. Throughout the discussion that evening, one of the resources mentioned was a website, created by USDA, that serves as a launching pad for new and beginning farmers and ranchers. The website, www.usda.gov/newfarmers, offers a wide variety of services and is really worth a few minutes of your time if you fall in the category of being a new or beginning farmer or rancher.
The services and resources offered on the website are extensive from introduction to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to risk management resources to protecting the environment and everything in between, they have it covered. Below I am highlighting a few of the interesting items that I found on the site.
Protecting and Enhancing the Environment
Have you heard of the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA)? According to the site, the AMA helps agricultural producers use conservation to manage risk and solve natural resource issues through conservation. Find out more...
Building Markets and Expanding Business
What do you know about the Local Food Promotion Program? This program supports the development and expansion of local and regional food business enterprises to increase domestic consumption of, and access to, locally and regionally produced agricultural products. It also is intended to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets. The website directs users to planning and implementation grants to help support food hubs and other elements of a strong local food system. Find out more...
Access to Land and Capitol
Were you aware that USDA offers a youth Loans program for kids in 4-H or FFA to produce projects? This program, administered by the Farm Service Agency, offers youth loans to individuals to establish and operate income-producing projects of modest size in connection with their participation in 4-H clubs, FFA, and similar organizations. Youth loans are available to youngsters from 10 and 20 years. What a great way to get involved with a project and learn about loans and monetizing a business! Find out more...
Ag Risk and Farm Management Library
USDA funds a service called the Web-based Ag Risk and Farm Management Library to help you find information that can assist you in business planning. This website is built to help agricultural producers and professionals quickly find the information they need on risk management, marketing, financial management, and more. It also has more than 2,700 crop budgets representing over 280 crops, and more than 400 livestock budgets from over 30 states. These can serve as a guide as you create your business plan. Find out more...
Source: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/newfarmers?navid=newfarmers