Struggling to price your products at the farmers market? It’s a balancing act between attracting customers and ensuring profitability. From calculating your costs to understanding market trends and perceived value, this post breaks down key steps to help you set the perfect price. Ready to optimize your pricing strategy? Read on for tips that will boost your sales and sustain your business!
With the uncertainty of USDA contracts and funding while federal programs are being reviewed by the new administration and some programs being canceled, it is important for producers and organizations to understand their rights and key timelines. Farm Commons has recently published a resource aimed at helping producers navigate this situation. Key points from this resource are summarized in this post.
Starting or growing a business is an exciting journey filled with opportunities and challenges. Whether you’re launching a startup, expanding an existing operation, or simply rethinking your strategies, it’s always helpful to have a well-thought-out business plan. This document isn’t just a formality—it’s a foundational step that can turn your vision into reality while ensuring you stay on track to achieve your goals.
The USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program is a cornerstone for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers who wish to diversify their operations and expand their value-added products. For the current 2025 cycle and future cycles, there are some significant changes that you need to know if you’re interested in applying.
Struggling to price your products at the farmers market? It’s a balancing act between attracting customers and ensuring profitability. From calculating your costs to understanding market trends and perceived value, this post breaks down key steps to help you set the perfect price. Ready to optimize your pricing strategy? Read on for tips that will boost your sales and sustain your business!
With the uncertainty of USDA contracts and funding while federal programs are being reviewed by the new administration and some programs being canceled, it is important for producers and organizations to understand their rights and key timelines. Farm Commons has recently published a resource aimed at helping producers navigate this situation. Key points from this resource are summarized in this post.
Starting or growing a business is an exciting journey filled with opportunities and challenges. Whether you’re launching a startup, expanding an existing operation, or simply rethinking your strategies, it’s always helpful to have a well-thought-out business plan. This document isn’t just a formality—it’s a foundational step that can turn your vision into reality while ensuring you stay on track to achieve your goals.
Learn about opportunities and challenges for the Kentucky dairy industry in this guest blog post from our friends at the Center for Crop Diversification!
Farming is a risky business with significant costs, and one of the most expensive mistakes is failing to plan or oversimplifying the transition of the farm. At its core, successful transition planning boils down to clear, honest communication and planning ahead. When communicating across generations, consider addressing key issues early to build mutual understanding and ensure a smoother transition.
KCARD will be hosting a Planning for Farm Diversification workshop on October 22 in Murray, KY to assist agricultural producers who are transitioning out of dark tobacco and diversifying their farming operations with produce or raising livestock for value-added products. The workshops will provide information on business planning, marketing, produce safety practices, and production resources.
A well-hosted class or workshop can be one of the more profitable (and fun!) ways to engage visitors on your farm and offer agritourism opportunities. However, they can be quite labor-intensive and require lots of planning and thoughtfulness. Check out these tips to get you started!
KCARD works specifically with farmers markets on a wide range of topics, including where to find funding, how to structure the market, and how to think of the farmers market as a business entity. In this post, Terryn Varney, KCARD Business Development Specialist who specializes in farmers market assistance, answers questions about how and when KCARD can help your farmers market.
Engaging visitors on your farm through agritourism can transform a simple trip into a memorable experience. As more people seek authentic, hands-on activities, farms have a unique opportunity to diversify their income and connect with visitors by showcasing daily operations, offering interactive tours, and hosting fun, educational events.
Since agritourism is such a growing industry, you may also be wondering how to set yourself apart from everyone else. Here are 5 ways to engage visitors on your farm.
KCARD helps clients with a variety of services, including business planning, grant facilitation, recordkeeping, and financial development. In addition to those services, KCARD works with clients on developing marketing plans and social media strategies. Kati Bowman, Marketing and Business Development Specialist, answers a few questions about how KCARD can assist you with your marketing.
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development is a non-profit organization established to facilitate agricultural and rural businesses in Kentucky. We are supported primarily through grants provided by the USDA Rural Cooperative Development Program and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Additional support is provided through our work with partners around the state and through fees charged for select client services.
