Education
- Getting Started with Backyard Chickens - This short course walks participants through how to order, care for and protect your new flock. The course covers brooding chicks, appropriate feeders and waterers and coop construction tips.
- Heartland Regional Food Business Center - Looking for assistance in scaling a food business? We provide technical assistance, coordination and capacity building.
- Food Safety - Information on the Produce Food Safety Rule, upcoming classes and events.
- MarketReady - MarketReady is a one-day workshop to help Iowa farmers sell food to restaurants, grocery stores, food service buyers, and schools.
Production Resources
- Farmers Markets Wireless EBT Project (publication), Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. This project provides wireless point-of-sale machines to qualified direct marketing farmers across the state. Find more information and how to become a qualified vendor.
- Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Production Budgets (downloadable spreadsheets), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Use these decision tools to estimate the costs and returns for fruit and vegetable production. Budgets for multiple products are available.
- Iowa High Tunnel Fruit and Vegetable Production Manual (publication), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. This publication provides growers with information to use high tunnels effectively, enhance productivity and increase income.
- Machinery Sharing Manual for Fruit and Vegetable Growers (publication), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Discusses operational and organizational issues related to sharing farm machinery for fruit and vegetable production.
- Post-Harvest Handling Decision Tool (publication), Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. This publication outlines post-harvest equipment, packing facility and handling procedures for eight classes of vegetables.
- Shared use Kitchen Planning Toolkit (publication), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. A guide to starting shared-use kitchens as an affordable venue for new and existing value-added food production entrepreneurs, farmers and caterers.
- Vegetable Production Budgets for a High Tunnel (publication), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Figure high tunnel profitability for vegetable production with the systems and budgets described in this publication.
Aggregation/Distribution Resources
- Farmer and Buyer Toolkit for Wholesale Readiness (webpage), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Find information and resources for both buyers and farmers to prepare for purchasing and selling wholesale.
- Food Hub Resources (publications), Food Systems Leadership Network. Online library of recent and featured food hub resources.
- Marketing Local Foods in Iowa (publication series), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Series of publications for new agricultural entrepreneurs related to marketing local foods, including: red meat, poultry, dairy, seafood, eggs, fermented food, preserves, juices, cut produce, and honeys and syrups.
- Regional Food Hub Resource Guide (publication), USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Food hub impacts on regional food systems, and the resources available to support their growth and development.
- A Report by the Iowa Food Hub Managers Working Group on the Impacts of the Local Protein and Produce Program (report), Iowa Food Hub Managers Working Group. This report discusses the impact of the Local Produce and Protein Program (LPPP) on food hubs in Iowa.
- Using Accounting Software for Food Hubs: Processing Traceable Orders (publication), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Step-by-step tutorial guiding users to expand their use of QuickBooks to improve product traceability, accounting, basic inventory management and recordkeeping.
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