1. Sustainable Small Farming and Ranching Researching a Potential Small Acreage Enterprise

2. What type of information do you need?  Production information about your crop or livestock enterprise  Marketing information about your product  Income and expenses projections

3. Passive vs Active Information Gathering  Not all of the information you need will be available without asking, phoning, visiting  Secondary information  Primary is developed by your experience

4. Information Gathering & staying ahead of the market Click on image to start video

5. Sources of Information  Books, publications (library, bookstore)  Journal articles (library, bookstore, subscribe)  Other farmers  Universities (Extension)  Agencies (NRCS, SBDC, FSA)  Non-profit organizations, farmer networks  Internet

6. Universities/Extension Service  Idaho Small Farms http://www.SmallFarms.ag.uidaho.edu  WSU Small Farms http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/  Missouri http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/  Penn State http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/  UC Davis http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/  Texas A&M http://aggie- horticulture.tamu.edu/alternatives/alternativelinks.htmlhttp://aggie- horticulture.tamu.edu/alternatives/alternativelinks.html

7. Federal (USDA) sites - general ● CSREES http://www.reeusda.gov/http://www.reeusda.gov/ ● SARE http://www.sare.org/http://www.sare.org/ ● Small Farm http://www.reeusda.gov/smallfarm/ http://www.reeusda.gov/smallfarm/ ● Natural Resources Conservation Service http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ ● National Ag Library http://www.nal.usda.gov

8. State Agency sites Idaho Department of Ag http://www.agri.state.id.us/http://www.agri.state.id.us/  Marketing http://www.agri.idaho.gov/marketing/http://www.agri.idaho.gov/marketing/  Organic http://www.agri.idaho.gov/plants/organic/gen_info.htmhttp://www.agri.idaho.gov/plants/organic/gen_info.htm Idaho Small Business Development Center http://www.idahosbdc.org/ http://www.idahosbdc.org/ Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/ http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/

9. Agencies - Prices and statistical data  Economic Research Service http://www.ers.usda.gov/ http://www.ers.usda.gov/  National Ag Statistical Service http://www.usda.gov/nass/ http://www.usda.gov/nass/  Ag Marketing Service (AMS) http://www.ams.usda.gov/ http://www.ams.usda.gov/

10. Farmer sites  The New Farm http://www.newfarm.org/ http://www.newfarm.org/  Cedar Meadow Farm http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com/ http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com/  Greentree Naturals http://www.greentreenaturals.com/ http://www.greentreenaturals.com/

11. Organizations  Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas http://www.attra.org http://www.attra.org  Rural Roots http://www.ruralroots.org/http://www.ruralroots.org/  North American Farm Direct Marketing Association http://www.nafdma.com/ http://www.nafdma.com/  The Food Alliance http://www.thefoodalliance.org/http://www.thefoodalliance.org/

12. Periodicals/Journal publications  Growing for Market http://www.growingformarket.com/ http://www.growingformarket.com/  Small Farm Today http://www.smallfarmtoday.com/ http://www.smallfarmtoday.com/

13. Summary  Read  Attend conferences  Network

14. Credits Presentation developed by Cultivating Success TM : Sustainable Small Farms Education. Video segments taken from: “Meadowlark Farm: A Case Study of a Small-Acreage Farm” produced by Ben Troka, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Copywrite 2005, University of Idaho.