Organic Farming Resources

A look into our library at the publications and resources we have found to be most valuable for our farm.

Core Library for Organic Farmers

SARE materials can be downloaded for free. Or paper copies purchased.
"Best $78 you'll ever spend! Our favorite books."

• 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

Intercropping and Companion Planting ||Oregon Biodynamics Group

• Intercropping For Pest Reduction — Successful Trials

Business Plan

• Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses |  Purchase | SARE
• Quality of Life Business Planning

Certification - Organic

• Organic Materials Review Institute | OMRI
• National Organic Program | NOP
• Vegetable Grower's Guide to Organic Certification | National Young Farmer's Coalition

Drift Protection

• Register with Driftwatch™  tool to help protect pesticide-sensitive crops and habitats.

Farm Safety

• Agricultural Tailgate Training Safety Modules | Ohio State U
• Farmers and Asbestos

Finance

• Organic Farmer's Business Handbook | Richard Wiswall
• Veggie Compass: Whole Farm Profit Management | University of Wisconsin Madison

Food Safety and Post Harvest Handling

• Atina Diffley's Resource Page

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

Holistic Management

• Whole Farm Planning | Sustainable Farming Project

Loans

• Farm Storage Facility Loan Program |USDA

Marketing

• Marketing Success: Differentiate Your Product

A Wholesale Success workshop in Leelanau County gave local food producers an opportunity to learn how to enhance their success in the marketplace. Wholesale Success program trainer Atina Diffley said it's important for local growers to add value to their products and differentiate themselves from large producers.

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

Seed

• Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America | NC State

Soil And Fertility Management

• Web Soil Survey: Free Soil Report | USDA
• Soil Management: National Organic Program Regulations - ATTRA
• Midwest Cover Crops Council
• Soil Health Card | Northern RIvers
• Caring for the Soil as a Living System  | Mark Schonbeck | Virginia Association for Biological Farming

Organic Farming Resources

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

Weed Management

• An Ecological Understanding of Weeds | U of M Extension
• Twelve Steps Toward Ecological Weed Management in Organic Vegetables | U of M Extension
• Video: Vegetable Farmers and their Weed-Control Machines | 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.