MSU Extension Beginning Farmer

The Beginning Farmer Resource and Decision-Making Guide provides a pathway to resources a new farmer or decision-maker may need to get started and support their production journey. Starting with production in mind, resources give farmers an introduction to important farming topics and direct them to education and decision-making tools as well as how to connect with agricultural partners.

View the Full Guide by clicking the "Download" button or select individual sections at the links below.

Table of Contents

Bees & Livestock

• Beekeeping
• Behavior and Welfare
• General Housing
• Health Management and Disease Prevention
• Manure & Mortality
• Procuring Animals
• Recordkeeping
• Appendix (Resources & Partners)

Equipment

• Plastic and Drip-Layers
• Sprayers and Spreaders
• Tillage Equipment
• Transplanters/Seeders

Organic Farming

• Organic Farming

Plants

• Nutrient Management
• Pest Management
• Seeds
• Transplants & Grafting

Soil Health

• Soil Health

Water Management

• Agricultural Drainage
• Drip Irrigation
• Pivot Irrigation

General Topics

• Business Planning
• Environmental Risk Management
• Farm Labor
• Financing
• Land Access
• Marketing
• Risk Management
• Setting Up a Business
• Tax Management
• Urban Farming

Future Updates to the Resource Guide

The Beginning Farmer Resource & Decision-Making Guide is a living document that will be updated as new content becomes available.  If you have suggestions for existing or new content, we welcome your input towards future updates.

Click Here For Content Feedback Survey