HOOSIER YOUNG FARMERS COALITION
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Resources for Beginning Farmers

Farming in a Covid-19 Reality

Beginning farmers all around Indiana are adapting to the realities of selling local food amidst the pandemic. We are impressed with all of your creative and safe solutions, from drive-thru farm stands to pop-up markets, brand-new online stores to crystal-clear communication with your supporters about how they can support local farms and eat good food during this uncertain time. Good work, team!

If you want to hear how other farmers in Indiana are adapting, check out our 9 farmer-to-farmer webinars that happened in May and June 2020. Even if you're already selling online, we think you'll find value in these conversations.

If you need more info on the nuts and bolts of how to add online sales, these resources might be for you!
  • National Young Farmers Coalition's Farmers Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms.
  • Indiana Uplands Webinar Series: https://sfss.indiana.edu/projects/indiana/inuplands/index.html
  •  West Central MO Community Action Agency (7 farms discussing 8 different platforms): 
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wI9SWWC1j4
  •  Oregon Tilth: https://tilth.org/education/resources/online-sales-platforms-for-farmers/
  •  C-Fare: https://www.cfare.org/new-blog/c-fare-webinar-april-24-2020-e-commerce-during-covid-19-opportunities-for-food-producers-to-make-direct-market-sales-online
  •  U of KY/ CCD: https://www.uky.edu/ccd/promotion-recording
  • Development of web store: https://youtu.be/5wI9SWWC1j4

Some other key resources:
  • NYFC has put together a response fitting of a farmer-focused organization (that is: practical). Click here for their resource page.  
  • Here's a super webinar from PASA about how to adapt to selling local food in amidst the Covid-19 outbreak.
And last but not least, ​Covid-19 Guidance from Purdue Extension. The good folks who bring you the Small Farm Conference and serve as resources year round via the Diversified Food and Farm Systems team have put together excellent guidance:
  • Two guides for local food producers: one that covers adapting everything from production to crop scheduling, and one that focuses on alternative delivery options.
  • A guide helping farmer's markets operate and adapt (and keep serving their communities!)
  • A consumer guide for buying local amid Covid-19

​Know of other resources that we should share? Email us at info@hoosieryfc.org, and we'll get the word out to other young farmers!

Building a More Equitable Food System

We stand with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) farmers communities. Racial justice is a human right, not a political issue, and our leadership team is putting together a plan for how HYFC can be part of the solution.

We want to acknowledge our limitations right here at the start, and apologize for any harm we cause in pursing this work. Our leadership team consists entirely of white 30-somethings who are straight and cisgender, and we have significant white privilege. We know our perspective is limited and we pledge to listen to and lift up voices from BIPOC farmers and others who have been historically marginalized in food spaces.

We're taking time this summer to start finding ways to be of use, and start listening. We would love to hear your input on how HYFC can help (email us here). We'll also be connecting with other NYFC chapters and of course of BIPOC members here in Indiana to hear what they're doing to address racial equity, and how we might learn from their work. We're eager to dig in to something of substance. In the mean time, if you're wondering how your farm can work for racial equity in the food system, we wanted to share the new Racial Equity Toolkit, from the National Young Farmers Coalition. Take a look at how farmers and farmer organizations are working for equity in the food system.

More Resources for You

Starting a farm is, well, kind of a big deal. We’ve compiled a few of the resources that have been especially useful to members of the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition.  

Land!


Land access is often the biggest hurdle that young farmers face. If you're looking for land in Indiana, try our Classifieds page!

Here are a few new tools from NYFC:
1. A list of "land-link" programs that
help young farmers find land.
2. The Land Affordability Calculator - an online (and free!) calculator to help potential farmland buyers make sure they're getting the best deal possible.



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​Partners!



​We're all in this together - and lots of folks are cheering young farmers on. Here are some groups that want to help:

Gleaning
Want to see your extra produce help feed people in Indiana? The Society of St. Andrew's is here to help. Check out their Young Farmer Classifieds Ad or contact Ann Radke at in-glean@endhunger.org or at 317-607-0004

SNAP + Farmers
Hoosier Action is pulling together SNAP users and farmers to work on farm policy. For more info, email Chi Coppinger at chi@hoosieraction.org

Knowledge! Connection!

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Purdue University's Diversified Farming and Food Systems Team 

This is the go-to resource for farm tours, the annual Small Farms Conference, and resources about small-scale farming in Indiana. This small, dedicated team stands ready to help you start your sustainable farm. Check out their website today!
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The National
​Young Farmer's Coalition

Joining NYFC is an easy way to connect to other young farmers nationwide, get incredible discounts on the things you need for your farm (irrigation! fencing! seeds!), and support the policy we all need for young farmers.
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Purdue University's
​ Extension Agents

Many counties have fantastic Extension Agents who are focused on local food and small, sustainable farms. Click here to find the agent near you!

Another great option? Try the new resources about Organic agriculture.

Money!

Hoop Houses, Fencing, Loans...

You've got a friend at the NRCS and FSA Offices. If you don't speak alphabet soup, those stand for the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency. Most counties have a "USDA Service Office," where these agencies are housed. Inside the doors, you'll find government employees who are paid to help beginning farmers! They can help with planning and, sometimes, finances. Talk with them about their many offerings, from loan programs that help you buy land to high tunnel funding and incentive payments for converting cropland to more sustainable farming practices.

They put out this neat guide to resources - and this one - for small farms.

The National Young Farmers Coalition has just released a fantastic guide to FSA loans, specifically for young farmers, so check it out and put it to use.

Grants for On-Farm Research

Let's say you have an innovative idea, but you need some help funding the on-farm trial. Or you want to see what other small farmers have learned in the last 30 years.

SARE is just the resource for you. They're the "Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education" program. They have grants each year for farmers to conduct trials, test out new ideas, and educate the public (and farmers).

​The application is just five pages (5!) and you're only competing against other Midwest farmers, so if your idea is truly innovative and useful to other farmers, you've got a solid chance.

SARE funded the launch of the Hoosier Young Farmer's Coalition, so you can see that we're big fans. 

Business Planning

It's time to put pen to paper. How are you funding your farm startup or that new enterprise? How are you going to sell your meat, veggies, fruit, wool, etc.? What's your market like?

You can answer all of these questions when you write your business plan...but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Get a helping hand from the 
Indiana Small Business Development Center. They offer free training and planning assistance for beginning farmers. 

We've also just heard about SCORE, another free business-planning program.

Legal Help for Farmers!

Starting a CSA? Hiring your first workers? Or maybe you have other farm-specific legal questions. Farm Commons is the resource for helping you navigate the legal world.
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  • Fellowship
    • Meet Our 2021 Fellows
    • Meet Our 2020 Fellows
    • Fellowship FAQs
  • Classifieds
  • Events
  • Stories
    • Meet the Farmers
    • Listen to the Podcast
    • Read the Podcast
  • About
    • Solidarity Statement
    • Join
    • Allies
    • Our Board
    • Contact
  • The Future
  • Policy
  • Resources
  • Find Food