Starting a Farm
From Scratch:
Resources to Invest in
Equipment and Infrastructure
A farmers’ decision tool to access funding,
consider risks, and plan for the future.
1
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project | Beverly, MA | December 2023
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Table of Contents
733 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
www.nesfp.org Enterprise Selection.............................................4
December 2023 Production focus........................................................................5
Marketing plan...........................................................................10
This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number Budget..........................................................................................11
2021‐70027‐34693.
Food safety requirements...................................................... 12
Contacts...................................................................................... 13
Land Access.......................................................... 14
Finding available land.............................................................. 15
Suitability....................................................................................16
Text in this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- Financing and contacts........................................................... 17
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. You are free to: Share—copy
Utilities and Energy............................................ 18
and redistribute the material in any medium or format; Adapt—remix, transform,
and build upon the material; Attribute - You must give appropriate credit, provide Water infrastructure................................................................19
a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any Electricity................................................................................... 22
reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggest the licensor endorses you or Energy conservation & renewable resources................... 23
your use; NonCommercial—You may not use the material for commercial purposes; Fuel.............................................................................................. 24
ShareAlike—If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute
your contributions under the same license as the original. You may not apply legal Structures............................................................25
terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything Wash station............................................................................. 26
the license permits. For detailed information on the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA
Equipment storage.................................................................. 28
and other CC licenses, please visit the Creative Commons website:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/. Fencing.......................................................................................30
Greenhouse & hoop house.................................................... 32
PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGES Housing......................................................................................34
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project is largely responsible for photography Retail space & farm stand..................................................... 36
throughout the guide, except as noted. Pack sheds & coolers..............................................................38
Permission is required to use or reproduce photos, graphics, or other images. Livestock handling facilities..................................................40
Please contact New Entry for additional information, [email protected].
Equipment...........................................................42
SUGGESTED CITATION Selection.................................................................................... 43
Types of equipment................................................................44
Singer, Jacqueline, Maarit Ostrow, Madeleine Stein, Jennifer Pethan, Medina
Korajkić, Jennifer Hashley, and Benjamin Zoba. 2023. Starting a Farm from Scratch: Fuel and Maintenance............................................................46
A Decision Tool. Tufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Safety......................................................................................... 47
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. Beverly, MA. Funding......................................................................................48
2
Introduction
To a beginning farmer, the project of establishing a working farm
at a new site can feel overwhelming. Depending on what resources
already exist at the property, the task of identifying, prioritizing,
and paying for needed improvements can be a difficult road to
cultivate productive farmland.
This tool is designed to help a farmer who is considering
establishing a farm at a new site to examine the scope of
improvements the site may require, to prioritize which upgrades
should be made, and to identify various organizations and funding
sources that might offer advice and/or financing for farm-related
improvements. Beginning with a section about selecting a farm
enterprise, this resource then addresses Land Access, Utilities and
Energy, Structures, and Equipment.
This tool is designed with farmers in Massachusetts specifically
in mind, but many of the elements considered are applicable to
farmers in other states, as many of the MA-based organizations
and resources have parallels in other states as well. Each
section below will include 1) Key Considerations and Questions,
2) Resources, and 3) Contacts related to that section, and some
sections will also have 4) Financing information as well.
This is not an exhaustive list of key considerations and resources
associated with starting or improving a farm on a new site.
Hopefully the information provided will prove valuable to farmers
as they undertake the important and demanding work of creating
the conditions by which a property can generate value for the
community and provide a sustainable income for the producer.
3
Enterprise Selection
• What will your farm focus on?
• What will you produce?
• How will you sell your products?
• How profitable might your farm business be?
It is important to determine your farm focus before you
consider buying or leasing land because what you plan to
produce will affect the type of land and infrastructure your
business will require. On the other hand, if one acquires (e.g.
inherits) land first, the land and location might determine
what the farm production focus should be and through
which market channels products will be sold.
While profitable farm enterprises involve planning
and budgeting, farmers regularly revisit the process of
determining what exactly to produce and through which
channels to sell as time goes on and they interpret their
financial records and explore new market opportunities.
Business planning is an iterative process, you may find
yourself revisiting your enterprise selection multiple times.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Production focus Marketing plan Budget
Food safety requirements Contacts
4
Production Focus
What will your farm produce?
The type of products you will grow or raise is a key
factor in determining the infrastructure requirements
for your farm. A focused approach can make for a
more cost-effective and efficient operation. When
deciding on a focus for your farm, consider location,
climate, seasonality, amount of land available, costs,
infrastructure requirements, efficiency, profitability,
resources, personal preference, and sustainability.
CATEGORIES
Vegetables Small fruits/berries Grain Orchards
Greenhouse crops & floriculture Nursery Livestock
ENTERPRISE SELECTION production 5
