4 Resources

Here are a number of resources that you might find helpful.

Honeycomb to Consumer - Marketing Small Scale Honey Guide
Small-scale farmers and hobbyists are keeping more honeybees than ever in NY.  With concerns about adultered foreign honey, local honey is becoming more popular.  This new bulletin provides guidelines for small-scale honey producers who are extracting, packing, and marketing honey.  It covers New York's honey rules, proper labeling, packing area sanitation, health claims, and includes a wide range of marketing ideas to inspire newer honey farmers.   The guide was written by Jim Ochterski, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County in collaboration with small-scale beekeepers and the Empire State Honey Producers Association. You can download it here: http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/files/2014/06/Honeycomb-to-Consumer-13n5j37.pdf 

Building Local and Regional Food Systems Topic Room
The local food movement is more than a trend among many consumers - it is becoming a way of life, one that presents farmers with new business opportunities. But the know-how and infrastructure to get food to local markets is not always readily available. Now, you can use SARE's new topic room, "Farm to Table: Building Local and Regional Food Systems," to find the materials you need to join the movement. Resources compiled in the topic room are grouped into the following categories: Business Issues, Marketing and Markets, Distribution and Aggregation, Food Safety, Food Processing, Strong Communities, and Training Resources for Practitioners.

High Tunnel Construction Guide Available Online

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation has published High Tunnel Hoop House Construction Guide. According to author Steve Upson, the publication is the product of 17 years of experience in hoop house (high tunnel) design, construction, and utilization. The guide introduces the novice grower/ hoop house builder to the various tools and techniques used in constructing a wide range of commercial and homemade hoop house models. Upson comments that careful study of this publication prior to purchasing a hoop house kit or materials to custom-build a structure will save the builder time and money as well as reduce the level of frustration encountered during the construction process. The 102-page publication is online in PDF and can be found here.

Farm Commons Releases Food Safety and Farm Event Legal Guides
Farm Commons has just released the Farmers' Guide to Reducing the Legal Risks of a Food Safety Incident. The detailed legal explanations explore the background behind the law while action points help farmers move forward with reducing their legal risk exposure. In addition, Farm Commons' newly updated guide, Hosting Safer, More Legally Secure On-Farm Events, is now available online. While learning about how things can go wrong, farmers and advocates will also find action points to help reduce legal risk exposure while having a great time.