This guide, produced by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), helps certified organic and transitioning produce farmers understand wholesale pricing. It covers four pricing strategies, tools for estimating market prices, how prices are determined across wholesale relationships, and best practices for communicating prices to buyers — accompanied by a Competitor Price Comparison Spreadsheet and tutorial videos.

Managing soil fertility doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. In this workshop from the 38th Annual California Small Farm Conference, we demonstrate a suite of free, easy-to-use online tools that any farmer can use to improve nutrient use efficiency, reduce costs, minimize nutrient loss to the environment, and support soil health management practices.

This publication outlines direct marketing channels and strategies for organic producers. It covers CSAs, farmers markets, u-pick operations, farm stands, restaurant sales, farm-to-school and institution programs, agritourism, and online marketing — providing an overview of each channel's advantages, startup considerations, and resources to help farmers develop effective single or multi-channel marketing strategies.

Join Mark Schonbeck and Diana Jerkins for Part 4 of the “Soil Health and Organic Farming” webinar series by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and eOrganic. Learn about selecting the best cover crops, mixes, and management methods for soil health, including crop rotations and cropping system biodiversity.

This publication provides an introduction to farm direct marketing and explains how organic farmers can sell directly to customers at near-retail prices. It covers advantages including price control and immediate payment, challenges such as increased risk and added business responsibilities, and guidance on niche marketing — identifying products that meet specific consumer needs and differentiate the farm in the marketplace.

Join Mark Schonbeck and Diana Jerkins for Part 5 of the “Soil Health and Organic Farming” webinar series by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and eOrganic. Learn about plant breeding and variety selection for performance in sustainable organic systems, including nutrient and moisture use efficiency, competitiveness toward weeds, and enhanced interactions with beneficial soil biota.

This guide helps organic farmers evaluate, negotiate, and manage marketing contracts. It covers contract law basics, a Quick Organic Contract Checklist, how federal organic regulations interact with contracts, over 100 types of contract provisions, and dispute resolution — providing certified organic operations with independent legal guidance for crop, dairy, livestock, and other organic product contracts.

Join Mark Schonbeck and Diana Jerkins for Part 6 of the “Soil Health and Organic Farming” webinar series by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and eOrganic. Learn about the role of soil health and organic soil management in water conservation and water quality.

This guidebook introduces producer marketing cooperatives as a vehicle for small-scale farmers to collectively improve market access, pricing, and business stability. It covers cooperative functions, member responsibilities, alternatives to cooperatives, and includes a marketing planning supplement addressing ideal client profiles, messaging frameworks, and website essentials to help cooperatives achieve revenue growth.

Join Mark Schonbeck and Diana Jerkins for Part 7 of the “Soil Health and Organic Farming” webinar series by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and eOrganic. Learn about the role of soil health and the soil food web, including guidelines for optimizing crop nutrition, minimizing adverse environmental impacts of organic fertility inputs, and adapting soil test-based nutrient recommendations for organic systems.

From NC Cooperative Extension, agricultural agent Debbie Roos outlines practical guidance for farmers selling to independent retailers. Drawing on farmer and store manager perspectives, it covers crop selection and niche timing, post-harvest handling, quality standards, pricing strategy, professional communication practices, and service expectations — emphasizing that small growers must compete on quality and reliability rather than price or volume.

Join Mark Schonbeck and Diana Jerkins for Part 8 of the “Soil Health and Organic Farming” webinar series by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and eOrganic. Learn about the capacity of organic systems to sequester soil carbon, minimize nitrous oxide and methane emissions during crop and livestock production, and enhance agricultural resilience to weather extremes.