Guides
These original publications detail various aspects of the business of farming. Published by the Cornell Small Farms Program, these guides were created in partnership with educators, researchers and others.
For the most up-to-date information, please use the HTML versions of the guides below when available.
Along with these guides, the Cornell Small Farms Program also produces the Small Farms Quarterly, a farming magazine that is published in cooperation with Country Folks.
Guide to Farming in New York State
Our most popular resource, this guide contains fact sheets on everything from finding land to financing an operation, regulations on marketing and processing, and tax benefits of farming.
Free Download [PDF] | View Online [HTML] | En Español [HTML]
Lead Author: Monika Roth | 2021 | 121 pp
Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
A series of fact sheets to guide farmers producing food in urban centers and on the urban fringe. Topics include site contamination, soil renovation, rooftop farming, urban livestock, farming with neighbors, and much more!
Free Download [PDF] (1.36 MB) | View Online [HTML]
Author: Hannah Koski, Anu Rangarajan | 2013 | 105 pp
Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry
A guide to the regulations every livestock producer should know, providing details on everything from meat certifications to butchering cuts. It has undergone an extensive review to align with current food safety regulations.
Free Download [PDF] | 2020
On-Farm Poultry Slaughter Guidelines
Do you process less than 1000 poultry/year on your farm? Have you had difficulty getting liability insurance because your birds aren’t processed in an inspected facility? Designed to complement a hands-on training in how to properly kill and prepare a poultry carcass for sale.
Free Download [PDF](5.50 MB)| View Online [HTML]
Authors: Lynn Bliven, tatiana Stanton, Erica Frenay | 2012 | 30 pp
Campus to Farm Guide: A Directory of Research and Extension Projects Supporting Small Farms
Are you interested in university and extension research that is applicable to your small farm? This guide highlights small farms-focused research and extension projects led by Cornell faculty and educators around the state.
Free Download [PDF] (1.36 MB)
Editors: Anu Rangarajan, Rachel Whiteheart, Violet Stone | 2013 | 37 pp
Guide to Marketing Channel Assessment: How to Sell Through Wholesale and Direct Marketing Channels
This guide offers tools to evaluate the success of your markets to ensure they’re the most profitable for your business.
Free Download[PDF](4 MB)
Authors: Matthew LeRoux, Monika Roth, Molly Shaw, and Todd Schmidt | 2010 | 38 pp
Green Grass, Green Jobs: Increasing Livestock Production on Underutilized Grasslands in NYS
This report focuses on recommended actions in research, education, extension, and policy to realize the potential of our grasslands as a farming resource that will spur rural economic development, grow the regional food supply, and enhance environmental outcomes.
Free Download [PDF] (722 kB)
Editor: Daniel Welch | 2011 | 37 pp
NY Small Farm Energy Innovators
This booklet describes how farmers save energy and decide which renewable systems are right for their farm. Profiles detail the cost of installation, any grants or incentives available, amount of energy saved or produced, and where to go for further information.
Free Download [WORD] (3.52 MB)
Authors: Adrienne Masler, Annie Bass | 2010 | 11 pp
NY Small Dairy Innovators: Successful Strategies for Smaller Dairies
The book features 7 small dairies all over NYS that have found methods of increasing profit and leisure time even in the face of a very challenging time for the dairy industry.
Free Download [PDF] (5.12 MB)
Editor: Violet Stone | 2010 | 13 pp
