The Farm to Market Handbook: How to create a profitable business from your small farm

Transform your pastime into your livelihood. If your sweet corn is tall, your brood of chickens is beautiful, and your half-dozen goats give delicious milk, then you know firsthand the rewards of running a small farm. But what if you could turn that Do-It-Yourself hobby into a long-term source of regular income? Nurturing a healthy harvest is only half the battle--what you really need to know is how to create a successful and sustainable business. In The Farm to Market Handbook, veteran dairy-goat farmer Janet Hurst combines her deep knowledge of farming life and farmers' markets with her hard-won experience turning farm products into a living wage. From CSAs and weekly markets to school programs and local chefs, Hurst guides you through every type of market available to small farmers. She explains how you can develop a realistic marketing plan, provides a breakdown of the food laws and regulations you'll need to be aware of, and offers insider tips on how to be a successful businessperson. Through enlightening interviews with producers around the country who speak of their successes - and their failures - this book takes a look at some of the nation's top markets and analyzes why they have thrived where others have not. So if you've ever wondered how to get started selling your produce, entertained the idea of raising meat goats, or wanted to spread the word about your homegrown honey, you should read The Farm to Market Handbook and figure out how to put money in your pockets.

• Compact Farms: 15 Proven Plans for Market Farms on 5 Acres or Less; Includes Detailed Farm Layouts for Productivity and Efficiency
• The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower's Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming
• Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business: Small-Farm Success Stories * Financial Assistance Sources * Marketing & Selling Ideas * Business Plan Forms & Documents
• The Profitable Hobby Farm, How to Build a Sustainable Local Foods Business
• Making Your Small Farm Profitable: Apply 25 Guiding Principles/Develop New Crops & New Markets/Maximize Net Profits Per Acre
• Farmers Markets: A Guide to Small Scale Business And Entrepreneurship
• Farm Marketing from the Heart: How to attract your dream customers and build your profitable farm.
• The Farmer's Office: Tools, Tips and Templates to Successfully Manage a Growing Farm Business
• Start Your Farm: The Authoritative Guide to Becoming a Sustainable 21st Century Farmer
• The Urban Farmer: Growing Food for Profit on Leased and Borrowed Land