For New Farmers

You have made the decision to put in a commercial orchard, start a flower farm or begin a market vegetable operation. Congratulations, you are about to become a small-scale grower! But where do you start?!

As a new grower, you have numerous decisions to make before you even plant a crop: how much time, money and property to invest in your enterprise; what to grow; how much to grow; how, where and to whom you will market your crop; what kind of cropping management techniques you will use; and a host of others. If you are a newcomer to the agricultural world, it can be difficult to navigate the maze of regulations and organizations that you need to understand in order to succeed as a commercial grower.

That said, there are some really great resources out there to help you along the way, and we hope to be able to point you in the right direction.This website is intended to help you find your way to success.

A great place to start is our rough and ready guide to starting your agricultural enterprise:

Getting Started as a
Direct Market Grower

For links to more information:

Internet Resources for New Growers

Talk to Other Farmers and Ranchers

Funded in part by WSARE

Getting started with...


Vegetables Cost Studies: Mixed Vegetables Eggplant Organic Leaf Lettuce	Grapes & Vineyards Growing Grapes Cost Study: Wine Grapes	Citrus Growing Citrus Cost Study: Mandarins

Flowers & Berries Cut Flower Production Cost Studies: Blackberries Blueberries Raspberries Strawberries	Sheep & Goats A Beginner's Guide to Raising Sheep Cost Study: Meat Goats	Orchards & Tree Fruit Cost Studies: Apples Pears Pomegranates Olives (Orchard & Processing)

Cattle Beef Marketing Alternatives Cost Study: Organic Cow-Calf Beef Cattle	Poultry Alternative Poultry Production Systems & Outdoor Access Case Study: Pastured Poultry	Christmas Trees & Forestry Christmas Tree Production Cost Study: Christmas Trees

For more information please refer to the Crops and Livestock pages.

Beginning Farm Planning

Handouts from our Beginning Farm Planning classes may be useful to help you get started. The handouts cover a variety of topics, from Economics to Farmers Markets and Marketing Strategies.

Getting Started in Agriculture

Getting Started in Marketing

The Farm as a Business

Small Farm Economics