Diversifying Your Products and Enterprises

Diversifying Your Products and Enterprises

Alternative Crop Production and Marketing

Funding Resources

*Each resource within the Four Corners region will be marked with an asterisk

See also:

Four Corners Marketing Programs & Services listings of regional resources applicable to a variety of topics.
Developing a Small Business for more on small business management.

Arizona Resources

*Arizona Department of Commerce: Small Business Services

Small Business Services provides information and resources for every stage of your business development. Small Business Services collaborates with state agencies and numerous business organizations to promote entrepreneurship among small, minority-, women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises.

http://www.azcommerce.com/BusAsst/SmallBiz/

*Arizona Small Business Development Center

Arizona’s Small Business Development Center Network is an innovative partnership between the state’s ten community college districts and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

http://www.maricopa.edu/sbdc/

*Sources of Small Business Assistance

This is a resource list for the state of Arizona to help with small business development. Listed are college courses, non-profits and other organizations that help with the development of business and marketing plans as well as other business resources.

http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/SourcesSBus.pdf

Colorado Resources

*Colorado Business Resource Guide

This is a guide produced by the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Division of Markets. It provides general information to assist you in starting and maintaining a business in Colorado. This Guide references most city, state and federal forms needed to establish a business in Colorado.

http://www.state.co.us/oed/business-resource-guide/index.cfm

*Colorado Department of Agriculture: Business Development Tools

There are numerous publications on this page to help with small business development. Resources include information on getting started, developing marketing plans, and financing information.

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Agriculture-Main%2FCDAGLayout&cid=1167928163382&p=1167928163382&pagename=CDAGWrapper#Business%20Development%20Tools

*Colorado Small Business Development Center Network

The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is dedicated to helping small businesses throughout Colorado achieve their goals of growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity, management improvement and success.

http://www.state.co.us/oed/small-business/index.cfm

*Licenses Required for Colorado Businesses: Agricultural Products

This resource page explains all of the various licenses necessary to sell agricultural products in the state of Colorado.

http://www.state.co.us/oed/industry-license/IndDetail.cfm?id=5

*Micro Business Development

Micro Business Development (MBD), a Colorado non-profit organization, was founded in 1993 to eliminate barriers to economic independence for community entrepreneurs, both youth and adult, through access to markets, resources, and business capital. MBD specializes in providing nontraditional loans for Colorado’s microentrepreneurs at a fair rate of interest to support emerging businesses.

http://www.microbusiness.org/gui/content.asp?lang=en

New Mexico Resources

*Arrowhead Center: New Mexico State University

Arrowhead Center is the economic and business development leader for New Mexico State University, helping to create an environment for small businesses to grow and thrive.

http://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/index.php

*New Mexico Department of Agriculture: Marketing and Economic Development

This department of the NMDA helps with marketing resources as well as licenses necessary for small food business in Mew Mexico.

http://nmdaweb.nmsu.edu/marketing-and-economic-development

*New Mexico Small Business Development Center Network

The NMSBDC is a partnership of the US Small Business Administration, the state of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Association of Community Colleges. The network helps with small business planning such as developing marketing and business plans.

http://www.nmsbdc.org/

Utah Resources

*State of Utah Department of Agriculture and Food: Marketing & Development

The mission of the Division of Marketing and Development is to raise the awareness of Utah agriculture and food products and enhance local, domestic and international marketing opportunities.

http://ag.utah.gov/marketing/promotion.html

*Utah Small Business Development Center

The USBDC helps current and prospective business owners, entrepreneurs, and others identify opportunities, develop business plans, refine strategies, overcome challenges, and connect with resources as they advance their business ventures.

http://www.uvsc.edu/sbdc/

*Utah State University Cooperative Extension: Development Centers

This page has information about the small business planning resources available through the Utah State University.

http://extension.usu.edu/agribusiness/htm/smallbusiness/centers

Alternative Crop Production and Marketing

A Checklist for Producers Starting a New Value-Added Agriculture Business

This Ag Innovation Guide provides a brief overview of some of the steps you need to take in forming a new value-added agriculture business.

http://www.mda.mo.gov/AgBusiness/resources/pdf/IdeatoImplementation.pdf

Companion Planting: Basic Concepts and Resources

Companion planting is based on the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted in near proximity. The scientific and traditional bases for these plant associations are discussed

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/complant.html

Marketing Alternatives for Specialty Produce

This article addresses topics such as identifying potential markets, meeting the needs of the market, transportation options, selling methods, and evaluating potential risk and returns.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/pnw/pnw241/

Value-Added and Processing Articles: ATTRA

This list of articles contains information about various ways to add value to agricultural products.

http://attra.ncat.org/marketing.html#valueadded

Missouri Alternatives Center: Alternative Field Crops

The MAC website has numerous articles about production information for various alternative field crops.

http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/links/index.htm

Business Planning

Agricultural Business Planning Templates and Resources

This resource list contains sources of business planning templates and further resources for agricultural enterprises. These resources include Internet and print resources as well as training courses and workshops.

http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/agriculture_planning.html

Agricultural Marketing Resource Center: Business Development Information

This resource website has information to help with business development and operation.

http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/business/

Alternative Marketing and Business Practices

This is a resources guide that has been compiled by the National Agricultural Library’s Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. Included are resources for developing Markbusiness plans.

http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=2&tax_level=1&tax_subject=299

Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses

Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses, was conceived in 1996 by a planning team for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) to address the evolving business planning needs of beginning and experienced rural entrepreneurs.

http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bizplan.html

Business Planning and Management: ATTRA Articles

This is a list of several articles about beginning agricultural business.

http://attra.ncat.org/marketing.html#business

Developing a Business Plan

This publication will help you create your own business plan. It includes a discussion of the makeup of the plan and the information needed to develop a business plan.

http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/farmmanagement/startbusiness/newDevelopBusPlanPM7.pdf

Diversifying Your Products or Enterprise

Diversifying Cropping Systems

Diversifying can soften impacts on environmental resources, spread farmers' economic risk, exploit profitable niche markets and-by creating new industries based on renewable agriculture resources-strengthen rural communities. This bulletin describes some of the many agronomic crop alternatives, with plentiful examples of on-farm successes.

http://www.sare.org/publications/diversify/index.htm

Diversity Crops to Boost Profits and Stewardship

This article explains how producers can mix new crops into a rotation to not only make money from an alternative crop, but also raise yields of the traditional crops in the rotation.

http://www.sare.org/publications/diversify/diversify04.htm

Evaluating a Rural Enterprise

This publication is for people who already live in rural areas and want to add new enterprises to their operations. Its sections guide the reader in evaluating resources, assessing finances, gathering information, and marketing. It also discusses choosing an "alternative" enterprise and offers further resources.

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/evalrural.html

Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers

This 20-page bulletin offers snapshots of the many alternatives to marketing commodities through conventional channels.

http://www.sare.org/publications/marketing.htm

Moving Beyond Conventional Cash Cropping

This publication is written for those looking for a way out of the high risk, long hours, low pay, poor prices, and dim future associated with conventional cash crop production.

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/cashcropping.html

Primer for Selecting New Enterprises for Your Farm

This publication is designed to help producers evaluate new enterprises for their farms or family businesses.

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AgEcon/pubs/ext_aec/ext2000-13.pdf

Starting or Diversifying an Agricultural Business

An existing farming operation considering diversification must carefully evaluate how adopting a new enterprise will impact existing land, labor, capital, and management resources. This guide will help walk you through the business planning process.

http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/farmmanagement/startbusiness/StartingAgBusiness%20PM7.pdf

Season Extension Resources

Greenhouse Growing

This website has an enormous amount of information related to greenhouse production.

http://www.greenhousegrowing.co.uk/

Greenhouse Production Articles: ATTRA

This is a list of ATTRA publications about greenhouse production.

http://attra.ncat.org/horticultural.html#Greenhouse

High Tunnels: Using Low-Cost Technology to Increase Yields, Improve Quality, and Extend the Growing Season

This is a 43-minute DVD that features six farmers from five northeastern states explaining how and why they constructed their high-tunnel system, what they grow in it, and how it helps sustain their farming operation.

http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/hightunnels.html

High Tunnel Manual

This is a free companion to the High Tunnel DVD. To order the manual, visit the following website.

http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/hightunnels.html

Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners

You can grow year-round with season extension techniques. These techniques can capture more markets and demand higher prices.

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/seasonext.html

Extending the Season: Six Strategies for Improving Cash Flow Year-Round on the Market Farm

This article, published by Growing for Market, presents ideas for making money over a longer season, even all year. Strategies include protected early and late crops; cold-weather crops; high-dollar greenhouse crops; storage crops; value-added products; and winter markets. $15.00 plus s/h. Available by calling 1-800-307-8949.

http://www.growingformarket.com/store/products/10

Funding Resources

*Micro Business Development

http://www.microbusiness.org/gui/content.asp?lang=en

Small Farm Funding Resources

Find tools to develop a business plan, write a grant proposal, and locate funding.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/small_farm_funding.htm

See also:

Financing for general resources to help fund agricultural marketing ventures.