Farmers
General Guidance & Services
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, a program of the USDA National Agricultural Library, identifies helpful resources about sustainable agriculture and food systems. They also provide a library of publications that includes bibliographies, resource guides, directories and databases to orient searchers to sustainable agriculture topics and information sources.
Farm Aid’s Farmer Resource Network provides resources to build thriving local and regional family farm-centered food systems. The site lists information about services such as farmland preservation, financial counseling, direct marketing assistance, emergency funds and urban agriculture.
The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture offers an extensive resources section on sustainable farming and ranching, alternative marketing, and food and agricultural policy.
Mother Earth News publishes a variety of interesting articles on how smarter farming can lead to better food and a healthier environment.
The Organic Crop Improvement Association has collected links to numerous government agencies, nonprofits, advocacy groups and academic organizations related to organic and sustainable agriculture.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education produced a 12-page publication gathering a collection of sustainable agriculture’s best practices. The document also profiles eight producers, educators and researchers who have successfully applied these practices.
Each state in the country has a USDA Rural Development office that provides news about activities and programs to assist rural farmers and producers.
Distribution & Organic Certification
Fact sheets, checklists and other resources compiled by Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture guide farmers who wish to transition to organic farming methods.
The Cornell University Farm to School Research & Extension Program provides farm to school resources for farmers in the form of downloadable PDF documents.
The Organic Trade Association’s How to Go Organic site is a collection of resources on subjects such as organic transitioning, certification, production and marketing.
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service offers information on the National Organic Program and is a go-to resource for farmers seeking organic accreditation and certification.
