Resources for Farmers and Ranchers
HDFFA has worked with Central Oregon producers for over 10 years. Dig into some of our resources below.
Can't find what you're looking for? Email us and we'd be happy to help!
🥕 Indicates the resource is Regional/Central Oregon-specific
Agritourism
For farmers interested in agritourism, including information on getting started and laws and regulations.
Developing a Successful Agritourism Business in Oregon - self-paced course developed by OSU
Travel Oregon Agritourism Consultation
A free service offered by Travel Oregon for one hour of in-depth consultation from a contractor regarding any questions you may have for your agritourism business in Oregon.
Oregon Agritourism Network Handbook
Travel Oregon guide on getting started in agritourism in Oregon.
Planning a Farm-to-Table Dinner 🥕
A guide put together by Explore Prineville after going through the process of supporting a Farm to Table Dinner at a local ranch.
Deschutes County Agritourism FAQs 🥕
A Deschutes County-specific hand guide to common permitting questions, definitions, and where to contact at the county office for more information.
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR)
HDFFA Growing Together Mentorship Program: 🥕
HDFFA pairs beginning with more experienced producers in Central Oregon.
Oregon State University Small Farms Program:
current and relevant information for small farms and local ecosystems.
OSU Central Oregon Small Farms: 🥕 research-based educational programming and resources.
Growing Vegetables in Central Oregon: 🥕 A guide to growing vegetables in Central Oregon.
What Can I Do with My Small Farm?: A guide related to the use of small-farm property.
Whole Farm Management: From Start-up to Sustainability: A guide to help aspiring and beginner farmers make smart business decisions to ensure lasting success.
OSU Agristress Helpline for Oregon🥕
24/7 hotline for mental health support for farmers, ranchers, fisheries, and forestry professionals across the state.
OCFSN - Oregon Beginning Farmer and Rancher Resource Guide:
A guide on training, business training, financing, land access, and bilingual services from an Oregon-based working group.
Oregon Beginning Farmer and Rancher Service Providers: A map of state-wide organizations
A non-profit training the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
Oregon Department of Agriculture New and Small Farms:
resources for small and new farms.
Steps to starting a farm and specific resources for women, youth, and veterans.
BIPOC & Latine Farmers and Ranchers
OSU Agristress Helpline for Oregon🥕 24/7 hotline for mental health support for farmers, ranchers, fisheries, and forestry professionals across the state.
Warm Springs Community Action Team 🥕
Empowering individuals and groups of people to realize their potential, become self-reliant, and affect positive change for themselves, their families, and their community.
Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance
Supporting Native communities nationally with advocacy education, and networking as they revitalize their indigenous food systems.
Oregon Farm Link Navigate Program 🥕
A one-on-one support and coaching for farmers of color seeking land in Oregon.
Fueling Black-led food systems transformation across the Pacific Northwest.
Creating opportunities for Black farmers in Oregon to collectively own land, build generational health and wealth, and birth sovereign, thriving communities.
National Black Food and Justice Alliance
A coalition of Black-led organizations aimed at developing Black leadership, supporting Black communities, organizing for Black self-determination, and building institutions for Black food sovereignty & liberation.
Resources from bookkeeping, licensing, insurance and more for all business owners.
Black Food Sovereignty Coalition
Member-based organization working in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and POC (BIPOC) growers, policy makers, advocates, and educators to stabilize food systems infrastructure for marginalized communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Offering Latina women and their families holistic programs and the tools to achieve self-determination in the areas of education, leadership training, and enterprise.
Causa Oregon’s Immigration Rights Organization 🥕
Working to “improve the lives of Latino immigrants and their families in Oregon through advocacy, coalition building, leadership development, and civic engagement.
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN) 🥕
Empowering farmworkers and working Latinx families in Oregon by building community, increasing Latinx representation in elections, and policy advocacy on both the national and state levels.
Business Planning
SARE Building a Sustainable Business
Guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses.
Clackamas Small Business Development Center
Resources and classes to help small business owners with some courses specializing in farm management.
AgWest Farm Credit Service Business Tools
Strategic business planning, risk management planning, preparing agricultural financial statements, land buying checklist, and more.
Using Cost Information for Business Management and Business Decision Making
A presentation from Oregon Tilth on ways that cost of production information can be used to manage your business and make better business decisions.
NMPAN Small Meat Processors Business Planning Guidebook
Comprehensive document put together by the Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network with resources, case studies, and more on how to design a successful plan for your small processor facility.
Courses designed for farmers to be financially sustainable and build profits. Membership options plus additional courses available.
Livelihood NW: Business Development with Purpose
Offering workshops and trainings from branding to bookkeeping. Not specific to farmers, but all prospective and current business owners looking for direct support.
Offering business coaching, trainings, loans, and networking. Not specific to farmers, targeting startups and new business owners.
Conservation
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) (Oregon): Works with private landowners to conserve soil, water, and other natural resources.
Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network 🥕
Collaboration with farmers to build a regenerative agricultural economy in Oregon that is rooted in community and thrives through disruptions.
Non-profit that supports and advocates for organic food and farming, as well as certifies for organic certification.
Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative 🥕
Collaborative organized by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council of stakeholders working on critical water allocation and management issues in the Deschutes Basin.
Non-profit dedicated to empowering sustainable solutions in agriculture by promoting and supporting real-life farming models to the public and offering practical guidance on achieving truly sustainable livestock farming systems to farmers and ranchers.
ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program:
Program from the National Center for Appropriate Technology that “provides high-value information and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture.
Water Rights and Water Law: Using Your Irrigation Rights Legally 🥕
This publication, by OSU Extension, outlines the basics of water law before going more in-depth into exceptions to rules and a self-assessment worksheet.
Direct-to-Consumer Sale
List of Central Oregon Farmers Markets 🥕
Crook County Markets
CROP Market Crooked River Open Pastures (CROP, Prineville) Stryker Park, at NE 4th & Elm St Prineville, OR Saturdays
June – Sept; 9am-1pm.
Deschutes County Markets
Bend Farmers Market Brooks Alley, Bend, OR Wednesdays May 7 – Oct 9; 11am-3pm.
Northwest Crossing Farmers Market NW Crossing Drive, Bend, OR Saturdays June – Sept; 10am-2pm
Redmond Farmers Market Centennial Park, Redmond, OR Friday May – August; 3pm-7pm
Sisters Farmers Market Fir Street Park, Sisters, OR Sundays June – October; 10am-2pmJefferson County Markets
Sahalee Park, Madras, OR Saturdays May-Sept; 9am – 2pm
Oregon Farmers Market Association 🥕
Non-profit organization “supporting local agriculture and healthy communities by strengthening and promoting Oregon’s farmers markets.
Increasing Food Access through CSA:
Blog post by Megan French from Boundless Farmstead explaining how to apply to accept SNAP/EBT.
The CSA Farmer’s Nationwide Guide to Accepting SNAP/EBT Payments
Zenger Farms guide to help navigate the process of accepting SNAP/EBT for CSA purchases.
National resource for local farmers to deepen their understanding of effective CSA programming.
Farmer’s Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms
A guide to all of the available sales platforms for direct channels.
Oregon Farm Direct Marketing Law 🥕
The Oregon Farm Direct Marketing Law was updated and revised in 2024. This page provides a flow chart for legal farm-direct sales of value-added products without being licensed food processors.
Funding and Grant Opportunities
Grants and Loans Offered by the USDA:
Determine which grant is right for you.
Farmers Market Promotion Program (grant):
Funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products.
Helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products.
Organic Certification Cost-Share Program
Cost share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification.
Financial assistance to implement conservation practices for organic producers.
NRCS High Tunnel System Initiative:
Cost-share high tunnels to extend producer's growing season.
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans:
Farm Ownership Loan access to land and capital.
Farm Operating Loans: Assistance for operating or family living expenses, accessing new market opportunities, assist with diversifying operations, and more.
Microloan Program: Financial assistance during a farm’s start-up years.
Emergency Farm Loans: Rebuild and recover from sustained losses when a natural disaster is declared.
search by organization, location, and more.
Black farmers in Oregon and Washington.
Provides affordable financing to new farmers for financing capital purchases.
FarmAid Family Farm Disaster Fund:
Provides emergency funds to farm families for family household and medical expenses.
Supports agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.
AgVision: A lending program for young, beginning, and small producers.
Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities:
Guide to federal programs for sustainable agriculture, forestry, entrepreneurship, conservation, food systems, and community development
Land Access
Website for land seekers and holders to find each other and access agricultural land.
A free tool from the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems to draft your own farmland lease.
Land trust collaboratively working to safeguard Oregon’s farm and ranch lands and the rural communities that depend upon them.
"Developing equitable, scalable, and inspiring solutions to protect farmland and secure tenure for farmers"
Organization working at the intersection of land access and environmentally sound farming practices.
AFT: Farmland for the Next Generation: Curriculum built to train farmers in the options available to them for land acquisition.
National resource list by organization navigating land access, tenure, and transfer.
Marketing
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
Tools and services for producers to help create marketing opportunities.
OSU Extension Business Marketing resources: 🥕
Location and crop-specific guides for agricultural marketing in Oregon.
Pasture/Meat Production
A program of Friends of Family Farmers offering networking, mentoring, marketing, and more for pasture-based farmers.
Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network
Offers resources for meat processing education and assistance including food safety, business planning, navigating regulations, and more.
An organization focusing on providing marketing tools and resources for meat producers, as well as peer education opportunities. Includes the Women's Good Meat Network, Grassfed Alliance Initiative, and more.
Policy
Non-profit amplifying the voices of Oregon’s independent family farmers, food advocates, and concerned citizens.
1000 Friends of Oregon - 2025 Legislative Overview🥕
Regularly updated guide to the policy issues in the Oregon Legislature related to management. This resource is thorough and up to date, although the endorsements do not necessarily reflect the views of HDFFA.
Non-profit advocating for family farmers, ranchers, fishers, and their communities through education, cooperation, and legislation.
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Alliance advocating for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
Reports
HDFFA - Agricultural Support Tri-County Action Plan 🥕
Report by HDFFA and OSU Extension that highlights strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing Central Oregon farmers and ranchers and outlines a training and resource plan for the tri-county region from 2021-2024.
HDFFA - Economic Impact of Local Food Producers in Central Oregon 🥕
An analysis from HDFFA, Central Oregon intergovernmental Council, OSU Extension and the Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems to measure the value of local food on our region
Central Oregon Community Food Assessment (2010) 🥕
Highlights the need to build fertile soil, preserve farmland, and address hunger, food insecurity and health disparities in Central Oregon
Central Oregon Farmers and Organic Certification: Perspectives, Challenges, and Opportunities🥕
Written in 2025 as a part of the Transitioning to Organic Partnership Program, this report outlines findings from focus groups and surveys of Central Oregon producers to understand potential areas for programming regarding organic transitioning and certification in this region.
Veterans
OSU Agristress Helpline for Oregon🥕
24/7 hotline for mental health support for farmers, ranchers, fisheries, and forestry professionals across the state.
Central Oregon Veterans Ranch 🥕
Nonprofit working ranch that restores purpose and spirit to veterans of all ages.
Non-profit mobilizing veterans to feed America and transition from military service to a career in agriculture.
American Farmland Trust Veteran Women for the Land
Project aiming to foster community among veteran women farmers in the Pacific Northwest
Wholesale
HDFFA - Introduction to Wholesale for Farmers and Ranchers 🥕
Guide for producers explaining what wholesale is and how wholesale pricing and volume impacts your business.
HDFFA - Selling to Restaurants 101 🥕
Guide includes information for farmers and ranchers on how to sell wholesale directly to restaurants and food businesses with topics on quality, consistency, ordering, and marketing.
HDFFA - Post Harvest Handling Wholesale Guide 🥕
HDFFA created this guide for Central Oregon producers in collaboration with Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and Agricultural Connections. The revised guide is edited from the original version published by FamilyFarmed.
Selling to Local and Regional Markets: Barriers and Opportunities for Beginning Farmers
Report by ATTRA presenting the findings of a national survey on the use of intermediated and direct-to-consumer marketing channels by farmers, particularly new and beginning farmers, participating in local and regional food systems.
Guide to Market Channel Selection
Resource from Cornell University to help farmers that are considering expanding into a new marketing channel (wholesale and direct-to-consumer).
A practical guide to Planning, Launching, and Managing a Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen by The Food Corridor
HDFFA Local Food Producer/Buyer Mixer 🥕
Producers and businesses build relationships, troubleshoot barriers, and celebrate successes. Connect with restaurants, grocers, value-added producers, and other growers. Email agsupport@hdffa.org. Next event coming April 2025!
Agricultural Connections Cooperative 🥕
Multi-stakeholder cooperative that sources locally and distributes to consumers, restaurants, and more.
Non-profit that supports local food and farms through educational programs and a year-round indoor farmers market.
Miscellaneous and Other Resource Guides
Shows programs and organizations in the OCFSN Network that are geared toward farmers and ranchers.
Looking for someone to bounce ideas off of, help you navigate burnout, marketing challenges, and everything in between? Katia Steckly, co-owner of Double F Ranch, can help yo create a healthy and sustainable work-life balance through mindset coaching, goal development, and business support.
Field Network Resources for Writing a Food Safety Plan
Series of worksheets and guides to help make sure your on-farm operations are as food safe as possible.
OSU Agristress Helpline for Oregon🥕
24/7 hotline for mental health support for farmers, ranchers, fisheries, and forestry professionals across the state.
Steps for Healthy & Sustainable Rural Living on Small Acreages in Oregon🥕
NRCS guide with tools and resources to design a customized land management strategy for a small acreage property in Oregon.
Can't find what you're looking for? Email us and we'd be happy to help!