I hear, and I forget;
I see, and I remember;
I do, and I understand

--Old Chinese Proverb

The worksheets provided and writing tasks recommended as part of these trainings are designed to be effective learning aids to integrate the information into your farm systems.

WORK FOR THIS WEEK 

POWERPOINT

• 1. Business Planning Powerpoint

BUSINESS PLANNING RESOURCES 

• Create Your Holistic Goal: Atina Diffley
• Handout-Worksheet: Atina Diffley
• Quality of Life Handout: Atina Diffley
• Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses 
• Writing A Business Plan, 6-Week Online Course || Cornell Small Farms Program

WORKSHEETS

• Diversification:Risk Template
• Action Plan Template
• Decision Makers
• Pg 18

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• the-art-of-powerful-questions ||  Eric E. Vogt, Juanita Brown, David Isaacs
• Organic Farmer's Business Handbook | Richard Wiswall
• Veggie Compass: Whole Farm Profit Management | University of Wisconsin Madison
• Cost Of Production | Enterprise Budgeting Tools | Iowa State

Funding Sources

• USDA Funding Opportunities
• FSA Microloan Program: National The focus of Microloans is on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche and non-traditional farm operations, such as truck farms, farms participating in direct marketing and sales such as farmers’ markets, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), restaurants and grocery stores, or those using hydroponic, aquaponic, organic and vertical growing methods.
• Value Added Producer Grants in Louisiana
• Beginning Farmer and Rancher Loan || USDA
• Farm Storage Loan Program || USDA

FEARLESS FINANCES || Marble Seed

This one-of-a-kind resource is packed with instructions, tips, and tools for setting up and managing a farm’s financial system. It includes real-life examples from successful farmers and sample data to show how forms and records should look.

• Fearless Finances Utube Trainings
• Fearless Finances Manual

Disaster Assistance

• Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) || USDA Farm Service Agency
• Whole Farm Revenue Protection || USDA Risk Management Agency

Powerpoint 

• Recordkeeping

Worksheets

• Master Recordkeeping Plan Template || Microsoft Word
• Master Recordkeeping Plan Template || PDF

Free Production and Sales Record Keeping Templates 

• Farmers-Market-Sales-Chart
• Weekly-CSA-Box-Chart
• Weekly-Sales-Chart
• Recordkeeping Templates for Organic Crop Farmers || USDA
• Organic Field Crops Recordkeeping Templates|| ATTRA

Farm Management Software Programs

• Record-Keeping-Software-Review|| Carolina Farm Stewardship Alliance
• Article on Small Farm Software Tools With Descriptions || Young Agrarians
• AgSquared
• CogPro

Traceability Templates

The templates in this collection are samples that you can adapt to meet the specifics of your operation. Templates are not provided for every Harmonized GAP criteria. 

General Food Safety Templates

• General Information
• G-8 Deviations and Corrective Action Log

G-6, G-7 Traceability - Recall Plan Templates

• 1. Traceback and Recall Plan
• 2. Traceability SOP 
• Form 1. Mock Recall Log
• Form 2. Recall Information Log
• Form 3. Product Information Log
• Form 4. List Of Resources And Entities Involved In Your Supply Chain
• Form 5. Recall Notification
• Form 6. Product Retrieval
• Form 7. Disposal Record
• Form 8. Deviations and Corrective Action Log

Powerpoint 

• Marketing

Worksheets

• Market Development Worksheet || Microsoft Word
• Markets Development Worksheet || PDF

Guest Presenters 

• Laura Frerichs, Loon Organic Farm
• Becka Carlson, Seeds Farm

Powerpoint 

• Branding

Worksheets

• Market Development Worksheet || Microsoft Word
• Markets Development Worksheet || PDF

Worksheets / Plan-Record Templates

• GOE Plan and Record Log
• Succession Planning

Power Point

Intercropping and Companion Planting ||Oregon Biodynamics Group

• Intercropping For Pest Reduction — Successful Trials

Seeds and Greenhouse

• Vegetable Cultivator Descriptions for North America | NC University
• Organic Greenhouse Vegetable Production Horticulture Systems Guide | ATTRA
• Bare Root Transplants Outdoor Seedbed Production Manual | Atina Diffley, OFW

Soil And Fertility Management

• Web Soil Survey: Free Soil Report | USDA
• Soil Management: National Organic Program Regulations - ATTRA
• Midwest Cover Crops Council
• northern-rivers-soil-health-card | New South Wales
• Caring for the Soil as a Living System  | Mark Schonbeck | Virginia Association for Biological Farming

Core Library for Organic Farmers

• Building Soils For Better Crops, $20 | SARE
• Managing Cover Crops Profitably, $19 | SARE
• Manage Insects on Your Farm $15 | SARE
• Crop Rotation on Organic Farms $24 | SARE
• Steel In The Field | SARE

Or free digital download from SARE Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Pest Management

• Biorationals: Ecological Pest Management Searchable Database | ATRRA
• Pest Management Publications | ATTRA
• Manage Insects on Your Farm | SARE
• Biological Diversity: An Organic Farmer's Guide | Wild Farm Alliance
• Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control | ATRRA

Organic Farming Resources

• Organic Farming Exchange | Michigan State University
• Organic Webinars | eOrganic

Crop Planning Information || Pam Dawling

• Cold-hardy Winter Veg Handout 4 pg 2021
• Use Every Opportunity Handout

Pam Dawling Training Videos

Pam Dawling Training Videos || Drop Box Link

• Cold Hardy Winter Vegetables
• Use Every Opportunity: Season Extension and Succession Planting

BONUS: Pam Dawling Slideshows

Season Extension Powerpoint Slide Shows: Pam Dawling on Slideshare

POWERPOINT

• Biological Weed Management Powerpoint

Core Library for Organic Farmers

• Building Soils For Better Crops, $20 | SARE
• Managing Cover Crops Profitably, $19 | SARE
• Manage Insects on Your Farm $15 | SARE
• Crop Rotation on Organic Farms $24 | SARE
• Steel In The Field | SARE

Weed Management Resources

• An Ecological Understanding of Weeds | U of M Extension
• Twelve Steps Toward Ecological Weed Management in Organic Vegetables | U of M Extension
• Weeds And Why They Grow, Jay L. McCaman
• Weed The Soil, Not The Crop: A whole-farm approach to the weed-free market garden. Nordell.

Soil And Fertility Management

• Web Soil Survey: Free Soil Report | USDA
• Sustainable Soil Management - ATTRA
• Midwest Cover Crops Council
• northern-rivers-soil-health-card | New South Wales
• Caring for the Soil as a Living System  | Mark Schonbeck | Virginia Association for Biological Farming

POWERPOINT

• Cost of Production Powerpoint

COST OF PRODUCTION TEMPLATES 

• Carrots Cost Of Production Template
• Salad Greens Cost of Production Template
• High Tunnel Mixed Greens Budget

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Organic Farmer's Business Handbook | Richard Wiswall
• Veggie Compass: Whole Farm Profit Management | University of Wisconsin Madison
• Cost Of Production | Enterprise Budgeting Tools | Iowa State
• Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Budgets || Iowa State
• Vegetable Production Budgets for a High Tunnel || Iowa State
• Cost and Return Studies || U of Davis CA
• 33 Sources Of Crop Cost Of Production Data

FUNDING SOURCES 

• USDA Funding Opportunities
• FSA Microloan Program: National The focus of Microloans is on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche and non-traditional farm operations, such as truck farms, farms participating in direct marketing and sales such as farmers’ markets, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), restaurants and grocery stores, or those using hydroponic, aquaponic, organic and vertical growing methods.
• Value Added Producer Grants in Louisiana
• Beginning Farmer and Rancher Loan || USDA
• Farm Storage Loan Program || USDA

DISASTER ASSISTANCE 

• Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) || USDA Farm Service Agency
• Whole Farm Revenue Protection || USDA Risk Management Agency

FEARLESS FINANCES || Marble Seed

This one-of-a-kind resource is packed with instructions, tips, and tools for setting up and managing a farm’s financial system. It includes real-life examples from successful farmers and sample data to show how forms and records should look.

• Fearless Finances Utube Trainings
• Fearless Finances Manual

TIME MANAGEMENT

• Time-Managment-and-the-Eisenhower-Box

POST HARVEST PRODUCTION RESOURCES

Powerpoints

Worker Food Safety Training

The templates in this collection are samples that you can adapt to meet the specifics of your operation. Templates are not provided for every Harmonized GAP criteria. 

Powerpoints 

• Post Harvest Facilities
• Facilities and Sanitation PP

University of Vermont Resources: Cleaning & Sanitation

• Cleaning and sanitizing tools, harvest containers and surfaces || U of M MN
• A Guide to Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting | Web Page, PDF || UVM
• Improving Hand washing Stations | Web Page, PDF || UVM
• Labeled Sanitizers for Produce – Excel Tool Version 4 | Download, Instructional Video || UVM
• Sanitation and Postharvest Handling | Web Page || UVM

University of Vermont Resources:Hygienic & Sanitary Design

• Backflow Prevention on Produce Farms | Web Page, PDF
• Bins Buckets, Baskets & Totes | Web Page, Video
• Cleaning Tools & Supplies for Produce Farms | Web Page, Video
• Drains for Produce Farms | Web Page, PDF
• Finish Surfaces for Produce and Food Areas | Web Page, PDF
• Floor Design for Vegetable Wash, Pack, and Storage Areas | Web Page, PDF
• Hygienic and Sanitary Design for Produce Farms | Web Page, PDF
• Rats & Rodents | Web Page, PDF
• Repairing Cracks and Pitting in Concrete Floors | Web Page, Video
• SCRUB Shorts Series | Video
• Spray Tables for Produce Farms | Web Page, Podcast
• Vegetable Wash Sinks | Web Page, PDF

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• Bubbler/Aerator Cleaning | Factsheet, Editable Cleaning SOP (Word doc)
• Cleaning Produce Washing Equipment: Root Barrel Washer Checklist | PDF
• Cleaning and Sanitizing Cold Storage for Produce Safety | Video
• Cleaning the Conveyor in a Brush Washer System | PDF
• Detergents for Farm Food Contact Surfaces | Webpage
• “Dry Cleaning” on Produce Farms | Webpage
• Farm Cooler Checklist | Web Page, PDF
• How to Clean Bins | PDF
• How to Clean and Sanitize | Video
• What are SOPs? | Video

Post Harvest Handling and Facilities: Logs and SOPs

• Daily Food Safety Pre-Operational Checklist
• Post Harvest Assessment/Repair Log
• Packing and Facility Inspection Log
• Pre-Operation Inspection Sample SOP
• Cooler Temperature Log
• Pest Control Log
• Pest Monitoring - SOP

Post Harvest Vehicles and Equipment: Logs and SOPs

• F-8- Vehicles, Equipment, Tools and Utensils 
• Cleaning Produce Transport Vehicles-SOP
• Transportation Vehicle Inspection and Corrective Action Log
• Transportation-Log-Truck
• Thermometer Calibration Log
• Thermometer Calibration SOP

POST HARVEST PRODUCTION RESOURCES 

Temperature and Humidity Needs 

• Produce Storage Information
• Produce Respiration Rates
• Produce Cooling Chart
• Produce Packing guidelines

1 - Materials to Gather Before The First Class on March 24

• 3 ring binder
• 3 ring hole punch
• 16 / 3 ring binder separator tabs

2 - Please Prepare a Farm Map in Advance of the 1st Class 

Create a basic map of your farm. It can be a pen line drawing, copy of a survey, or a google image. Fields and buildings should be clearly indicated. Bring 3 copies.

Download full instructions: Create Your Farm Map

3 - Print These Templates

• F-1.1 Field and Land Risk Assessment
• F-1.1 Land-Use-History-and-Adjacent-Land-Risk-Assessment

The templates in this collection are samples that you can adapt to meet the specifics of your operation. Templates are not provided for every Harmonized GAP criteria. 

Powerpoints

• 1. FSIntroWriteYourPlan
• 2. Land Use
• Animals
• Biological Soil Amendments

Land Use

• F-1 Farm Maps--Field History And Assessment
• F-1. Sample Land Use Plan With SOPs
• F-1.1 Land Use Action Plan –Co-Management Guide
• F-1.1 Field and Land Risk Assessment
• F-1.1 Land-Use-History-and-Adjacent-Land-Risk-Assessment
• F-1.3 Land Use-Log-Septic

Co-Management

• Wild Farm Alliance: Co-Managing Farm Stewardship with Food Safety GAPs and Conservation Practices
• Wild Farm Alliance: A Farmers Guide To Food Safety And Consecration

Animals

• F-6 Sample Animal Management Plan

Animal Control SOPs

• F-6.1 Seasonal Animal Control Risk Assessment SOP
• F-6.2 Monitoring Animal Activity During the Production Season
• F-6.2 Pre-Harvest Risk Assessment SOP
• F-6.3 Managing Animal Intrusion and Contamination
• F-6.3 Worker Training- Animal Control

Animal Control Logs

• F-6.1 Seasonal Animal Control Risk Assessment LOG
• F-6.2 Animal Monitoring Log
• F-6.2 Pre-Harvest Assessment Log

Soil Amendments

• F-7 Sample-Soil-Amendment Plan
• F-7.1 Biological-Soil-Amendment-Risk-Assessment
• F-7.2 Soil Amendments-Log-Soil
• F-7.2 Compost Treatment Record
• 3rd Party Soil Amendment Suppliers Certificate of Conformance
• National Organic Program, Subpart C—Organic Production and Handling Requirements, 7 CFR 205 (2015), § 205.203(c)(1)(ii and iii).

Agricultural Chemicals

• F-2. Sample Agricultural Chemicals Plan With SOPs
• F-2.1 Agricultural Chemical Use Log
• F-2.3 Chemical Application Personnel Log
• F-2.5. Chemical Storage Facility Monitoring and Maintenance Log

The templates in this collection are samples that you can adapt to meet the specifics of your operation. Templates are not provided for every Harmonized GAP criteria. 

Powerpoints 

• Training, Health & Hygiene PP
• Agricultural Water PP
• Water Use and Washing

G-4 Worker Qualifications and Training

• Personal Qualifications & Training SOP
• Worker Training Log
• Write a Standard Operating Procedure

G-10 Human Health and Hygiene

• Health and Hygiene Plan With SOPs
• Visitor Policy
• Visitor Log
• Restroom Cleaning and Restocking Schedule and Log
• Worker First_Aid Log
• Worker Illness Log
• Waste Management Plan with SOPs
• OSHA Regulation for Field Sanitation

Worker Food Health and Hygiene Training Video

• https://youtu.be/_fQTk14VE_o || Cornell

F-3, F-4 Water Description and Risk Assessment

• Water Descriptions & Risk Assessment Plan
• Creating a Water System Diagram
• Water-System-Risk-Assessment

F-5 Water Management Plan

• Sample Water Management Plan
• Water Sampling-SOP
• Production Water-Log-Test
• Agricultural Water Inspection Log
• Agricultural Water Die-off
• Water Treatment Monitoring
• FSMA Produce Rule Agricultural Water Microbial Quality Criteria
• CFSA_2019-WATER

Post Harvest Water and Washing Produce

• F-10 Water:Ice in Harvesting:Post-Harvest
• Produce Washing Assessment
• Postharvest Water-SOP
• Product-Washing_Hydro-Cooling_Recirculating-Water-Treatment-and-Monitoring-Log

WATER

• Infiltration in Produce During Washing | Video || UV
• Introduction to Selecting an EPA-Labeled Sanitizer | PDF
• Safely Dispensing Sanitizers | Web Page, PDF
• Requirements for Harvest and Post-Harvest Agricultural Water in Subpart E for Covered Produce Other than Sprouts  || FDA

Produce Safety Alliance Water Resources

• The Water Analysis Method Requirement in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule
• FSMA Produce Safety Rule Water Requirements: Insights to Get You Organized!
• MWQP Agricultural Water Calculators (online tools)
• Labeled-Sanitizers-for-Produce Spreadsheet || Produce Alliance

Water Quality: Calculate Geometric Mean and Statistical Threshold Value

These tools were developed to make it easier to calculate the GM and STV and to determine if your water meets the water quality criteria for appropriate application to produce.

Untreated Surface Water:

• Download the Excel Tool (Western Center for Food Safety, Version 6.0, October 2nd, 2017) (Will download as Excel Spreadsheet, 309 KB) 
• Get the Ag Water App (University of Arizona Coop. Ext.)
• Access the Online Calculator (University of Arizona Coop. Ext.

Untreated Ground Water:

• Download the Excel Tool (Western Center for Food Safety, Version 5.0, October 2nd, 2017) (Will download as Excel Spreadsheet, 309 KB)

FSMA Produce Rule Status

• Interactive FSMA Produce Rule Flowchart || Carolina Farm Stewardship
• FSMA Produce Rule Status Template
• Qualified Exemption Template
• What is my food hub’s status? What does it mean?
• FSMA Produce Rule: Coverage and exemptions for farms with multiple business entities

FSMA Produce Rule Information

• Complete FSMA Produce Rule
• FDA - Produce Rule Draft Guidance 
• Glossary
• FSMA Produce Rule Record Keeping Requirements
• TAN Technical Assistance Network

Produce Safety Alliance

• General Resources
• FSMA Produce Rule Training manual references and links
• Records Required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule

Food Safety & Legal Issues

• FSMA Produce Rule: Produce Farms, foodborne illness, and legal liability
• FSMA Produce Rule: Inspections and 3rd-party audits
• Food Safety and Legal Matters || Farm Commons

Exempt and Qualified Exception Status

• FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut Offs (Note: Updated annually in March.)

Qualified Exemption: A farm is eligible for a qualified exemption if the average annual monetary value of all food sold during the 3-year period preceding the applicable calendar year was less than $500,000, adjusted for inflation, and sales to qualified end-users during such period exceeded the average annual monetary value of the food sold by such farm to all other buyers.

Not covered farm: A farm or farm mixed-type facility with an average annual monetary value of produce sold during the previous 3-year period of less than $25,000 (on a rolling basis).

Harmonized Gap

• Harmonized GAP Standards
• Harmonized GAP Checklist
• Tips and Strategies to Reduce Risk and Pass an Audit || Carolina Farm Stewardship

Additional Resources and Templates for Writing a Food Safety Plan

• Fundamentals of On-Farm Food Safety || Carolina Farm Stewardship
• Bridging the GAPS || WA State
• Good Agricultural Practices U of Maine Cooperative Extension
• Food Safety Plan Template || Cornell
• SOPs and Logs Templates || Cornell
• A Farmers Guide to Food Safety And Conservation || Wild Farm
• Co-Managing Farm Stewardship with Food Safety GAPs and Conservation Practices || Wild Farm

Worker Training Materials

• GAPs Worker Training Videos || North Carolina (8 topics in English and Spanish)
• Worker Posters and Educational Materials || Cornell

Food Safety: Leafy Greens

• Improving the Safety and Quality of Organic Leafy Greens Webinar EOrganic

Commodity Specific / Industry

• Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
• California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
• California Strawberry Commission
• Mushroom GAPs
• Tomato GAPs