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There are many types of direct farm businesses, including:

  • Farmer's market
  • Roadside stand
  • U-pick
  • Agri-tourism
  • Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)
  • Delivery service to homes, restaurants, schools, or other institution
  • Mail order/Internet site

A direct farm business may consist of one of these options, or a combination.  For example, a farmer could sell his products at the farmer's market on Saturday, and to a CSA during the week.  Or, a farmer could run a U-pick pumpkin farm, a concession stand that sells foods made from pumpkins, and offer bed and breakfast facilities to guests.  What type of direct farm business you choose triggers different legal considerations.  These considerations are covered within the different topics found on the navigation bar.

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Although beyond the scope of this online guide, several other online resources are available that can help you choose the direct farm business that is right for you:

1. Business Planning Assistance is available from Small Business Development Centers (sponsored by the Illinois Entrepreneur Network and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (ILDCEO)). 

One of the first tasks the potential direct farm business owner should ask is "is the business I am proposing feasible?"  The ILDCEO has published a comprehensive guide to starting a small business, which includes the basics of how to conduct a feasibility study.  The feasibility study portion of the comprehensive guide can be found in Appendix A.

The second step in deciding what direct farm business is right for you is developing a business plan.  Appendix B of the comprehensive guide contains information on developing a business plan.  The Illinois Entrepreneur Network also offers a step-by-step guide on developing the business plan.

2. The Guide to Direct Farm Marketing, published by The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Center, through the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program, details several direct farm business alternatives, including case studies, and provides resources for further reference.

3. The Initiative for the Development of Entrepreneurs in Agriculture program, sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, provides educational support and technical assistance for those interested in alternatives to commodity agriculture, including direct farm marketing.  The website contains a link to resources related to starting a direct farm business.  The program also includes the MarketmakerTM website, which examines and establishes agricultural supply chain partners and to help direct farm marketers by improving knowledge of where food consumers are located and how they make food-related purchasing decisions.

4.  How to Direct Market Farm Products on the Internet, a 50-page guide published by the Agricultural Marketing Branch of the USDA in 2002, contains information on reasons to consider internet marketing, how to develop a marketing plan, how to research the market, and how to set up and market a website.  The appendix contains examples of actual direct farm marketers on the internet.

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