This practical step-by-step guide, put together by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), University of Wisconsin-Extension, and other partners, outlines how beginning farmers can get started on their farming journey.
Table of Contents
Identify a vision for your business and develop a framework for a value proposition.
Research all aspects of producing and marketing.
Develop a strategy, create a budget, analyze costs of production, and evaluate feasibility.
Identify and seek out sources of capital.
Think about choosing an appropriate business entity and securing the requisite licenses, permits, and registrations to operate.
Monitor your balance sheet, evaluate earnings, and utilize risk management strategy.
Build relationships with industry professionals and establish peer support.
Stay informed on the variety of resources available to you.
Brainstorm
As you begin your farming journey, you will start by identifying an idea and vision for your farm business. You should also develop a framework for a value proposition you’ll offer customers.
UW-Madison Division of Extension Farm Management — Beginning Farm & Enterprise Development
A collection of articles and podcast episodes providing guidance and resources for starting a farm enterprise.
UW-Madison Division of Extension — County Offices
Fast access to your county extension office to connect with a local agriculture and/or community development educator to share ideas with.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — How to Start a Farm
Webpage dedicated to helping beginning farmers and ranchers learn what support is available to them from the USDA.
Learn
It is critical to educate yourself on your farming enterprise of choice. It is important to research all aspects of producing and marketing the food and fiber products that interest you.
University of Wisconsin System
Information on 13 public universities delivering world-class education, research, and outreach. UW-Madison, UW-River Falls, and UW-Platteville are known for their agricultural programs.
Wisconsin Technical College System
Webpage with information on Wisconsin technical schools offering hands-on agriculture education programs. Includes information and a map of Farm Business and Production Management Programs.
UW-Madison Division of Extension Farm Management — Farm Pulse Financial Management Program
A self-paced online program for farmers interested in learning how to use farm financials to explore their farm business decisions.
UW-Madison Division of Extension Farm Management — Educational Events
A calendar of both virtual and live training educational opportunities.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) — Outreach Publications
A wide range of informational resources on sustainable agriculture, as well as competitive grants that help farmers innovate. Visit SARE's regional grant program information webage.
Edible-Alpha Learning Center — Food Finance Institute
Having the right resources, information, and benchmarks can be the difference between success and failure. Find help building a profitable and impactful food or farm business.
Land Stewardship Project — New Farmers
The Land Stewardship Project works to ensure future generations of stewardship-minded farmers are successfully established. Visit the Farm Beginnings webpage for more information on its Farm Beginnings class.
Mentor Program — PDP
Program increasing opportunities for students to experience modern dairy production systems and to stimulate career planning with production agriculture as an option.
Apprenticeship USA — Agriculture
Discover apprenticeship opportunities in agriculture across the U.S.
Plan
A solid business plan is a necessary next step. You will need to develop a strategy, create a budget, analyze costs of production, and evaluate feasibility under different economic environments.
UW-Madison Division of Extension — Business Modeling
Article on using the business model canvas to refine your farm business idea. This simple one-page matrix can be a valuable tool to help farm entrepreneurs test a business idea.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) — Building a Sustainable Business
A guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses, bringing the business planning process to life and helping today’s sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs.
SCORE — The Startup Roadmap
SCORE is a nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Startup Roadmap is a step-by-step, how-to guide for starting a business.
SCORE — Help for Farmers and Ranchers
SCORE partners with the USDA to provide free business mentorship to help farmers and ranchers succeed. Its website can assist in finding a business mentor near you.
Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The Wisconsin SBDC offers consulting, education, referrals, sophisticated tools, and resources, whether you’re just getting started or looking for ways to improve your business.
AgPlan
This free online tool can be used to help develop your business plan. It includes tips and tricks, sample plans, and can be printed and downloaded for work with your own reviewers.
Fund
With your business plan in hand, you will begin to identify and seek out sources of capital to purchase business assets to put to work on your new farming venture.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) — Farm Loan Programs
FSA offers loans to help farmers and ranchers get the financing they need to start, expand, or maintain a family farm. Visit the loan programs page for more farm loan information, options, and tools.
Farm Credit — Wisconsin
Provides loans to farmers and ranchers and supports rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) — Economic Development & Innovation Center (EDIC)
Supports the growth and success of local and regional food systems through business, farm, and rural development. Visit
the EDIC grants page for DATCP grant opportunities.
Once you have your business plan and funding in place, it's time to think about choosing an appropriate business entity and securing the requisite licenses, permits, and registrations to operate.
Farm Commons — Choosing a Business Structure
Farmers can use this article and webpage of helpful resources to help determine where to start when deciding which business structure is the right one for their farm or ranch.
UW-Madison — Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
Free legal advice for new farmers and value-added agriculture. Assists clients in determining the type of legal entity that best suits their goals, assistance with purchase of farms and businesses, writing contracts, and understanding regulations.
Department of Financial Institutions — Business Entity Frequently Asked Questions
Links to information and online forms for choosing an entity type.
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection — Food, Dairy, and Retail Food Licenses
Webpage for fees, resources, and contact information on food licensing and permitting. Call your local health department before starting any food business!
Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC) — Register Your Premises
Premise registration allows for much faster traces when there is an outbreak of an animal disease. Registering your premises is mandatory in Wisconsin, but there is no cost associated.
Department of Revenue — Sales and Use Tax Exemptions
Information on how to claim an exemption from state, county, local exposition, and premier resort sales or use taxes on eligible farm purchases.
Operate
You can focus energy on optimization with your business plan officially in motion. You will need to monitor your balance sheet, evaluate earnings, and utilize risk management strategy.
Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance — Farms
Website including information on the unique insurance needs for farmers and farm families, insurance tips for farm owners, and more.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) — Price Support Programs
Webpage including information on a variety of price support initiatives, loan, and market loss assistance programs available from FSA.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency (RMA)
Website including information about crop insurance for American farmers and ranchers.
Use the agent locator tool to find a provider near you.
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection — Wisconsin Farm Center
Free and confidential services include financial and transition planning, conflict mediation, veteran farmer assistance, veterinary analysis, and a Farmer Wellness Program.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) — State Programs and Initiatives
NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources sustainably.
UW-Madison Division of Extension — Becoming the Employer of Choice
A human resource management curriculum geared at current and future dairy farm managers and owners looking to improve their human resource management skills.
UW-Madison Division of Extension — Human Resources
A collection of articles to help participants acquire the knowledge and skills needed to recruit, motivate, and retain quality people.
Taxes and USDA Programs — farmers.gov
Information and resources related to USDA program payments, asset protection, and the important relationships between federal income taxes and USDA farm programs.
UW-Madison Division of Extension — Integrating Health Care and Health Insurance Into Your Wisconsin Farm
This course will guide you through aligning your family's health needs with your farm business goals, exploring insurance options, understanding key terms and costs, and planning for changing needs.
DATCP Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants
DATCP provides funding to producer-led groups that focus on nonpoint source pollution abatement activities through the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program (PLWPG).
Network
The value of peer support and industry professionals cannot be overstated. Many of the most successful farm businesses prioritize producer groups and membership in industry organizations.
Below are some general examples with active memberships. However, there are many others tailored to specific farming enterprises and agriculture products. It is key to seek groups you share interests with.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF)
As the largest general farm organization in the state, WFBF serves as a voice for farmers via legislative representation, education, public relations and leadership development.
Wisconsin Farmers Union
A grassroots membership organization committed to enhancing the quality of life for family farmers, rural communities, and all people through education, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement.
National Young Farmers Coalition
An intersectional coalition working for justice and collective liberation of our food and farm systems. Work for a future in which people, land, and relationships are respected.
Marbleseed
Marbleseed has worked in community with the Midwest’s regenerative and organic farmers for over 30 years by focusing on continuing to grow the region’s organic farming movement.
Ag Solidarity Network
Connects a diverse network of farmers, farmer workers, homesteaders, and food system professionals who are collectively growing the organic movement.
Soil Sisters
Offers resources, inspiration, networking, and connection opportunities that support women wanting to start farms or other rural-based enterprises.
Wisconsin Women in Conservation
Here to connect, empower, educate, and inspire women for the sake of the land, and also because of the great satisfaction and healing experienced through stewardship.
Farmer Veteran Coalition
Supports service members and veterans moving into careers in agriculture or starting farms. Cultivating a new generation of farmers through collaborating with farming and military communities. Visit
fvcwisconsin.org for the Wisconsin Chapter.
Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Departments
Connect with your county's land and water resource professionals and representatives for help achieving land management objectives while meeting conservation standards at the same time.
Resources
American Farmland Trust
Backers of conservational agricultural movement with three priorities: protecting farmland, promoting environmentally sound farming, and keeping farmers on the land.
Beginning Farmers
Offers information on how to start a farm, plan a new farm, funding resources, and finding land. Internships and employment opportunities are posted here regularly.
Cornell Small Farms Program
Support farmers at all phases of small farm business development. This website contains information about project opportunities, courses, and resources that help small farms succeed.
Farm Answers
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture beginning farmer and rancher clearinghouse, providing resources and tools to help you get started and succeed in farming.
Food Finance Institute
Focused on making sophisticated financial technical assistance available to every growing food, beverage, and value-added farm enterprise.
Renewing the Countryside — Farmland Access Hub
A large network of agricultural organizations, policymakers, advocates, and service providers who are working together to solve the issue of land access.
U.S. Department of Agriculture — Create Your H-2A Visa Checklist
The H-2A temporary agricultural workers program — often called the H-2A Visa Program — helps American farmers fill employment gaps by hiring workers from other countries.
UW-Madison Division of Extension — Food Business Development
Research-based training and resources for small scale food and farm entrepreneurs on topics such as food safety and licensing.
Wisconsin Office of Rural Prosperity — Resource Directory
Whether you’re an individual, a business, or a community organization, you can use this online directory to search a library of resources, tools, and services for rural communities.
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)
Provides direct lending and access to fair and responsible capital, quality business training, and one-on-one technical business assistance and coaching to increase financial wellness for individuals interested in starting or expanding a business.