Rural Resources

Resources for Farmers & Food Growers

This page is intended to be a collection of great places to go for information on raising food (and other ag products too!) Please contact us with sites and information that you love!

Agriculture Production

Do you know about ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas)? Since 1987, this project has provided FREE technical information to anyone practicing sustainable agriculture (all crops and livestock). Thanks to 2011 budget cuts, the organization that houses the ATTRA project, The National Center for Appropriate Technology, now charges a modest amount for their info. Check out their site! You will be glad you did!

e-Organic: Check out the eXtension website for lots of great organic production info (plant & livestock)! It provides an interactive learning environment delivering the best, most researched knowledge from the smartest land-grant university minds across America. eXtension connects knowledge consumers with knowledge providers - experts who know their subject matter inside out.

You Bet your Garden radio show and questions of the week cover a myriad of organic gardening and yard maintenance topics.

Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing seeds.

Rural Resources has long been associated with Appalachian Sustainable Development based in Abingdon, VA. They have a wealth of production resources as well as their Appalachian Harvest Growers Manuel.

Agri-tourism

Education Materials from UTs Center for Profitable Agriculture can be found right here!

Farm Listing for Agritourism: Agritourism World is an Internet directory for agritourism, including a search engine to help tourists find farms and farmhouses. More information is available at: www.agritourismworld.com

Auction Reports

Marketing reports for Tennessee

Business Planning

Our neighbors in WNC have amassed some great info! Click here.

Conferences

What can we say? SSAWG: It's just THE BEST southern regional conference for sustainable agriculture! Click here.

Farmland Preservation

Tips from our friends in Western NC!

Farm Finder Services

Local Harvest: Over 5,000 visitors to their interactive site daily with free listing for farm stands, CSA's, U-picks, and farmers' markets including a searchable map! Go to www.localharvest.org to check out examples of other listings, then register as a new member to put your farm and your market on the map! Additional services include an online sales service, farm photos, and more information on buying local.

Farm Locator from The New Farm and Rodale Institute: Rodale Institute also has a free electronic directory. You can register for free on their Farm Locator directory at http://www.thenewfarm.org/farmlocator/index.php.

Organic Food Database: OFDB is a project created by volunteers to help organic food farms, organic restaurants and organic food product makers/manufacturers get in touch with consumers seeking Organic food products and/or services. Email for for more information, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit online athttp://www.organicfooddatabase.net .

Farm Listing for Agritourism: Agritourism World is an Internet directory for agritourism, including a search engine to help tourists find farms and farmhouses. More information is available at: www.agritourismworld.com

Raw Food Planet: Free raw lifestyle support/resource center, including listings of Organic farms, educational centers, potlucks and support groups, restaurants, vacations and retreats, chefs and caterers, garden and kitchen products, and more. Online at http://www.RawFoodPlanet.com.

Online Sales: www.e-cooperatives.com is another site offering online sales opportunities for selling agricultural products.

Food Safety

National Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS) Program: Cornell's Good Agricultural Practices website. It includes info on food safety and handling, research articles, and contact info for extension specialists.

Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Grower's Guide (2000): This report reviews Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) focusing on how to manage manure, processing, and irrigation in produce. Contaminants such as e.coli and salmonella can be found in many areas, and this article describes how best to handle these potential problems. The authors focus on cleanliness and timing to ensure the safety of farm products and point to the recent nationally publicized food-borne illness outbreaks as examples of the failure to implement GAPs. Published by Cornell University, Department of Food Science.

UT Vegetable Production-Food Safety Page

Produce Safety Alliance