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You are here: Home / Alternative Marketing and Business Practices / On-farm Enterprises and Value-added Products 
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Alternative Marketing and Business Practices

Honey as a value-added product.
Today's farmers are exploring new enterprises for diversification or considering alternative marketing strategies that increase a customer's perceived value of existing agricultural products.
AFSIC Highlights
The wheel of a red antique push tractor. [Source: IStock International, Inc.]Great Places to Find Information About Farming Alternatives
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Looking to diversify your farming business? These government programs, universities and organizations offer resources and information contacts that can help you research alternative farming opportunities and develop business and marketing plans.
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White angora goat with long horns. [Source: IStock International, Inc.]List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Lists alternative livestock species and livestock-related enterprises with links to Extension sources that help evaluate and start non-conventional farming enterprises.
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Information from Other Sources
Reading Rooms: Agritourism
National Center for Agricultural Research and Information.
Site includes Congressional reports, agency listings, Center reports and references to statutes, case law and other government information pertinent to agricultural enterprises that are combined with tourism to create new sources of revenue.
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Agritourism Associations and Networks  (PDF|134K)
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.
Identifies contacts in each state for farmers who want to diversify their businesses and for customers seeking agritourism activities.
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Farm-Based Recreation: A Statistical Profile
USDA. Economic Research Service
Identifies who operates farm-based recreation enterprises. Discusses the importance of various farmer and farm characteristics, estimated income and other factors related to this farming diversification option.
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Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism. Farming for Profit and Sustainability Resource Manual
USDA. Natural Resources Conservation Service.
This manual identifies and describes publications, Web sites, marketing options, resource lists, funding programs, data and more related to many aspects of farm diversification. Replaces the "Tool Kit".
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Agricultural Marketing Resource Center
USDA. Rural Development; Iowa State University.
Assists U.S. agricultural producers assess value-added market opportunities, study selected industries and markets, develop and manage a business, review market research and find value-added resources or contacts at the national, state and local levels. Produces online directories: Agricultural Innovation Centers, State Resource Directory and Value-Added Businesses.
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Key Points to Consider for Various Alternative Enterprises  (PDF|1.1 KB)
University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Assists farmers identify goals and explore the decision-making and planning processes to select alternative agricultural enterprises. Discusses 16 key points to consider for several enterprises and charts the relative costs for each.
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Missouri Alternatives Center: Link List
University of Missouri. Cooperative Extension Service.
Links to hundreds of full-text Extension publications that address all kinds agricultural alternatives including a wide range of crops, livestock species and production systems.
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Straw hat beside basket of hand picked strawberries.Diversification Options - Marketing and Value-added Agriculture
Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Minnesota Grown Opportunities.
Lists search keywords for more than 40 farm diversification options related to agricultural enterprise management, farm-based energy, emerging markets and specialized production, season extension options, and value-added agriculture.
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Agri Tourism
USDA. Rural Development; Iowa State University. Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.
Defines agri tourism; describes and links to selected publications and farms.
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Marketing for the Value-Added Agricultural Enterprise  (PDF|1837 KB)
University of Tennessee. Agricultural Extension Service.
Subtitled "Concepts, Principles and Practices for Planning, Developing, and Marketing New Opportunities," this publication serves as a primer for farmers who are considering new marketing strategies.
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Food Industry
USDA. Rural Development; Iowa State University. Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.
"Provides information to help you understand and analyze the food industry in terms of value-added markets and industries." Topics include organics, community supported agriculture, e-markets, farmers' markets and market trends.
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Last Modified: Nov 20, 2009  
Alternative Marketing and Business Practices
  On-farm Enterprises and Value-added Products
  Direct Marketing
  Farm Business Planning and Management
  Food Industry and Trade
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