Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG): COVID-19 Guide

Farmers’ Legal Action Group is a nonprofit law center dedicated to providing legal services and support to family farmers and their communities in order to help keep family farmers on the land.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges for nearly everyone. At Farmers’ Legal Action Group, our top priority is supporting family farmers and their communities so that farmers can stay on the land. Although our offices are closed to the public during this crisis, FLAG’s attorneys and staff are working full time to help farm families face the stresses of dealing with COVID-19 and its legal and financial consequences.

FLAG’s most recent Farmers’ Guide to COVID-19 Relief can be found at the link below.

Updated Farmers’ Guide to COVID-19 Relief April 27, 2020

Also see a quick summary of COVID-19 relief for farmers below, published in collaboration with our partners at Farm Aid, the Indigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative, the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Rural Advancement Foundation-International, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Navigating COVID-19 Relief for Farmers

Online Farmers Marketplace

Wildkale is an online farmers market where farmers can sell directly to local consumers within 300 miles around the farm. The farmers can earn full retail prices and reach 10-15 million households, including suburbia. The customers’ orders are conveniently delivered from the farm to their doorstep in less than 24 hours. Please contact us for more information if you want to start selling directly to consumers online.

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LOANS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury,
intends to provide timely additional guidance to address borrower and lender questions
concerning the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), established by section
1102 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act or the Act). This
document will be updated on a regular basis.

Question 3 pertains to nonprofit organizations

Question 34 pertains to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers

South Dakota Farmers Market List

Map and list of active farmers markets in South Dakota

Creating a Farmers Market Living Lab: Lessons Learned in Growing a Farmers Market

This booklet is the result of asking the question, “What can we do to increase sales and attendance at our market?”, reports the results from using our market as a “living lab” to systematically test ideas to answer this question.

North Dakota Farmers Market and Growers Association Resources

The NDFMGA has compiled extensive lists of resources for farmers markets, producers/growers, community, and other useful links.

Farmers Market Resources include:

• Marketing Toolkit for Farmers Markets and Vendors

• 2010 Market Exploration Grant Final Results

• Best Practices for Food Sampling at Farmers Markets

• Color Combinations for Signs and Banners

• Guide to Food Handling

• Guide to Starting your own farmers market

• Ideas for cooing demonstrations at the farmers market

• Letter visibility chart for signs and banners

• ND Farm to Market Guide

• ND market pricing study 2011

• Organic Labeling at Farmers Markets

• Starting a new farmers market management guide

• ND State Health Department ruling on selling home preserved items.

Check out these resources and more! 

Farm Advertising 101

While advertising may not be a typical marketing strategy for traditional farming operations, farmers and agri-entrepreneurs involved in direct-marketing, value-added or agritourism enterprises should include advertising in their marketing plan. These entrepreneurs need to become familiar with advertising fundamentals and concepts.

CSA Solutions Hub

The Hub collects information from CSA farmers, Small Farm Central staff, and others working with CSAs to bring you knowledge to help you move your CSA program forward including:
Resources to assist you in marketing your CSA, like “47 Tips and Tricks for CSA Farm Marketing”.
Articles dealing with problem members
Philosophical discussions about what constitutes a CSA

Local Food Demand in the U.S.: Evolution of the Marketplace and Future Potential

According to U.S. Census of Agriculture statistics, direct sales of edible farm products for human consumption rose dramatically from $404 million annually in 1992 to roughly 3 times that amount ($1.2 billion) by 2007. By 2012, this sales value had topped $1.3 billion per year, representing a 223 percent increase in growth over a 20‐year span and far outpacing the average rate of sales growth in the U.S. agricultural sector. This chapter in the Federal Reserve Board’s 2017 report Harvesting Opportunity outlines the performance of the direct-to-consumer marketing sector and charts its course in the coming years.

Accounting Software for Farmers

Accounting software for Agriculture and farming