Organic Farming Resources

A look into our library at the publications and resources we have found to be most practical for organic farmers.

Core Library for Organic Farmers

"Best $78 you'll ever spend--don't farm without these 4 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

Or free digital download from SARESustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Business Plan

• Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses | Download | MISA | Purchase | SARE

Beginning Farmers and Transition to Organic

• Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program | MOSES
• Transition to Organic On-line Class | Rodale Institute
• Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture | Iowa State University
• Transitioning to Organic Production | SARE
• Farm Beginnings Program | Land Stewardship
• How To Go Organic | Organic Trade Association

Certification

• Organic Materials Review Institute | OMRI
• National Organic Program | NOP

Disease Management

• Organic Farmers and the Disease Triangle | U of M Extension
• Managing Disease by Managing Soils | U of M Extension

Drift Protection

• Register with Driftwatch™  tool to help protect pesticide-sensitive crops and habitats.
• No Toxic Spray – Organic Farm Signs | MOSES
• Protecting Your Organic Land from Unwanted Chemical Sprays | MOSES Fact Sheet

Farm Safety

• Agricultural Tailgate Training Safety Modules | Ohio State U

Farm Planning Track & Skills Assessments

• Farming Skills Self-Evaluation | Land Stewardship Project
• Growing Season Learning Plan | Land Stewardship Project

Food Safety

• GAP Educational Materials | Cornell University
• NCMarketReady | NC State University
• Food Safety Plan Tools | On-Farm Food Safety Project | Food Safety Plan Template | RMA

Greenhouse

• Vegetable Cultivator Descriptions for North America | NC University
• Organic Greenhouse Vegetable Production Horticulture Systems Guide | ATTRA
• Growing Bare-root Transplants in an Outdoor Nursery | Atina Diffley, OFW

Holistic Management

• Whole Farm Planning with Holistic Management | University of Massachusetts
• Whole Farm Planning | Virgina Tech
• Whole-Farm Planning: Ecological Imperatives, Personal Values and Economics | Elizabeth Henderson, Karl North

Marketing

• Organic Price Report | Rodale Institute
• Cost Of Production | Enterprise Budgeting Tools | Iowa State

Pest Management

• Biorationals: Ecological Pest Management Searchable Database | ATRRA
• Pest Management Publications | ATTRA
• Manage Insects on Your Farm | SARE
• Use of Cover Crops and Green Manures to Attract Beneficial Insects | U of Connecticut
• Biological Diversity: An Organic Farmer's Guide | Wild Farm Alliance
• Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control | ATRRA

Post Harvest Handling

• Small-Scale Post-Harvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops | UC Davis
• Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Post Harvest Handling, and Packing Produce. |FamilyFarmed.org
• Post Harvest Facts for Vegetables | UC Davis
• Links to a Comprehensive Collection of Post Harvest Handling Resources | UC Davis
• Storage Requirements For Vegetables | Respiration Rates of Vegetables | Organic Farming Works LLC Workshop Handouts
• Production Guide For Storage Of Organic Fruits and Vegetables | Cornell University

Rotation

• Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual | SARE

Soil And Fertility Management

• Web Soil Survey: Free Soil Report | USDA
• Soil Biology Primer - Online | Purchase
• Soil Building Videos | U of M Extension
• Soil Management: National Organic Program Regulations - ATTRA
• Midwest Cover Crops Council
• Soil Health Card | New South Wales
• Building Soils For Better Crops |SARE
• Managing Cover Crops Profitably | SARE
• Caring for the Soil as a Living System  | Mark Schonbeck | Virginia Association for Biological Farming

Weed Management

• Design the Cropping System to Minimize Niches for Weed Growth | 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.
• Steel in the Field: A Farmer's Guide to Weed Management Tools | SARE

Conferences

• The Organic Farming Conference | MOSES
• Minnesota Organic Conference | MN. Department of Agriculture

Farm Newsletters--Free Subscription

• Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services | MOSES
• NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Project | ATTRA
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition | NSAC
• Organic Center
• Land Stewardship Project | LSP

General Organic Farming Resources

• Organic Farming Exchange | Michigan State University
• Organic Webinars | eOrganic
• Video Clips about Organic Farming | eOrganic
• Conference Workshop Recordings | Organic Voices
• Information Exchange | MISA
• Organic Gardening Manual

Organic and Sustainable Farming Organizations

• Rodale Institute
• Organic Seed Alliance | OSA
• National Organic Coalition | NOC
• Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture | MISA
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition | NSAC
• Land Stewardship Project | LSP
• NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Project | ATTRA
• The Organic Center
• The Organic Field School OFS
• Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services |MOSES
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program | SARE