Note: SEMAP is working on an educational campaign for consumers on the value of locally-produced food, and we hope you will use it to educate customers and market local food!

In the meantime, check out two calculator tools created by our friends at CISA: current impact calculator and calculator for impact of shifting purchases. The National Farmers’ Union also has a useful campaign called The Farmer’s Share. If you have contributions to our educational campaign, please reach out to info@semaponline.org.

Seeking advice or templates drafting a business and marketing plan?

Marketing expert Myrna Greenfield, through her business Good Egg Marketing, offers personalized assistance on marketing planning. She has a newsletter, book, written resources, and 1-on-1 opportunities. We hosted a webinar on customer retention with Myrna in December of 2023, and you can access it here. Also check out marketing tips from My Digital Farmer, which includes written resources, a podcast, webinars, and live courses to develop marketing plans, especially for CSA farms.

There are many farmer-specific resources for the business planning process, including New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Cornell Small Farms, and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). Some business planning resources geared towards beginning farmers are provided by Farm Commons, New Entry, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)’s MEGA Grant Program.

Incorporating as a business for the first time or rethinking your ownership structure?

Northeast SARE and Farm Commons put together an extensive resource called Farmers’ Guide to Business Structures that can be viewed online for free here.

Curious about e-commerce opportunities and strategies?

Watch a webinar hosted by Pasa Sustainable Agriculture where farmers discuss their experiences with online sales platforms. If e-commerce is right for your farm, view the CSA Innovation Network’s collected farmer feedback on some of the most popular national platforms.

Interested in one-on-one consultation or planning courses?

SEMAP can offer planning assistance through our business assistance program, and Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) also offers a business planning course.

Want to implement agritourism into your business plan?

USDA offers a dashboard of useful resources here.