Business Management and Marketing
An Introduction to Third-Party Auditing in a Food-Manufacturing Facility
If you sell a food product regionally, larger distribution contacts will undoubtedly require that your manufacturing business undergo a third-party audit. This publication tells you the basics of...
Back to Basics: Hedging and Basis in Grain Marketing
Basis in grain marketing refers to the difference between cash and futures prices. Having a solid understanding of it and its seasonal patterns is crucial to any successful marketing plan. Learn...
Business Management Guide for Grazers
Describes the management process for management-intensive grazing (MiG) as a series of three recurring operations: strategic, tactical and operational. Provides sample enterprise budgets and...
Changing Idaho Feed Crop Supply and Demand—Implications
The number of animals in concentrated animal feeding operations has increased since the early 1990s. The upsurge has influenced the supply and demand for crops used as feed, like alfalfa hay,...
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Idaho: Seasonal Eating Week by Week
How to find Idaho food producers who share their crops with subscribers via a program known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is focus of this publication. Some 60 food producers in Idaho...
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): A Marketing Strategy for Small Acreage Producers in Idaho
For some small-acreage producers, a CSA program is a valuable marketing strategy that contributes to whole farm sustainability. This seven-page publication helps growers think through whether CSA...
Consejos para Emprendedores: Gestión del Dinero para Empresarios
Esta hoja informativa de dos páginas, que forma parte de la serie Consejos para Emprendedores, le indica cómo administrar las finanzas de su empresa, incluido el establecimiento de un presupuesto,...
Consejos para Emprendedores: Regulaciones para la Venta de Alimentos Caseros en Idaho
Este documento informativo de dos páginas es parte de la serie Consejos para Emprendedores. Este boletín brinda información sobre cómo establecer un negocio de alimentos caseros en Idaho (productos...
Consejos para Emprendedores: Regulaciones para Vender Alimentos Preparados
Como parte de la serie Consejos para Emprendedores, este boletín informativo de dos páginas proporciona información sobre cómo Idaho regula la industria de alimentos preparados. Se indican los...
Consejos Para Emprendedores: Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada
Como parte de la serie Consejos para Emprendedores, este boletín informativo de tres páginas proporciona información sobre cómo formar una Sociedad de Responsibilidad Limitada (LLC por sus siglas...
Contribution of Agribusiness to the Magic Valley Economy, 2010
Taking into account the ripple effects of exports from Magic Valley agribusinesses in 2010, agribusiness in the Magic Valley contributed close to 60% of the region's sales, 45% of its gross...
Contribution of Agribusiness to the Magic Valley Economy, 2013
Agriculture in the Magic Valley has grown from family farmsteads into a giant agribusiness industry, providing jobs for the valley's residents and food for national and international markets. In...
Contribution of Agribusiness to the Magic Valley Economy, 2018
Agriculture in the Magic Valley has grown from family farmsteads into a giant agribusiness industry, providing jobs for the valley's residents and food for national and international markets. In...
Creating Farmer Networks: A Toolkit for Promoting Vibrant Farm Communities
A toolkit for farmers, extension agents, community organizers, and other agricultural professionals interested in starting and maintaining a successful farmer network. The publication is divided...
Custom Rates for Idaho Agricultural Operations: 2013-2014
This publication reports the rates being charged for custom agricultural operations in Idaho. It also provides information on how to calculate machinery costs for setting custom rates and how to...
Customer Complaints: An Important Food-Safety and -Quality Opportunity
No one really likes to handle customer complaints, yet ignoring them might prove hazardous to your bottom line. Indeed, they can be a gold mine of information that, used shrewdly, improves your...
Economic Development Challenges for Small Towns in Idaho's Butte, Custer, and Lemhi Counties
Small towns in Idaho's Butte, Custer and Lemhi counties face particular challenges because of their rugged remoteness and also because of the area's biggest, most famous employer — the Idaho...
Ensuring Training Effectiveness: Evaluating Good Manufacturing Training
Food-manufacturing facilities spend a tremendous amount of time developing and delivering training. If employee competencies don't improve, however, it's important to know why. Learn the basics...
Expansión de un Negocio Mediante la Adición de Empleados Remunerados
Como parte de la serie Consejos para Emprendedores, este boletín informativo de tres paginas proporciona informacion sobre que debe hacer al agregar empleados remunerados a su negocio. Tal...
A sturdy envelope contains this series of 15 fact sheets designed to help farm and ranch managers conduct employee training on health and safety topics. Each fact sheet can be used as a master for...
Farm-direct Marketing: An Overview and Introduction
This revision summarizes benefits, drawbacks and requirements of several direct marketing options, including farmers markets, farm or roadside stands, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), U-pick,...
Farm-direct Marketing: Costs and Enterprise Selection
This revision covers how to do a general budget analysis for your farm-direct enterprise. Includes how to identify fixed and variable costs and do a breakeven analysis. Author: Larry Lev 6 pages
Farm-direct Marketing: Financial Management
This revision looks at several aspects of a successful farm-direct enterprise, including benefits of good farm financial planning, explanation of important terms used in financial planning, keys to...
Farm-direct Marketing: Food Safety and Product Quality
This is the new, eighth publication in the Farm-direct Marketing set. Includes information on aspects of keeping your products fresh and safe, such as proper cooling, handling, storage, chilling...
Farm-direct Marketing: Legal Guide to Farm-direct Marketing
This is the new, seventh publication in the "Farm-direct Marketing" series. Covers the risks and regulations associated with a farm-direct small business, including choosing and registering a...
Farm-direct Marketing: Location and Facilities for On-farm Sales
This revision discusses aspects of good location and facilities for a farm-direct marketing business, including location, site selection, parking and types of facilities (such as a roadside stand...
Farm-direct Marketing: Merchandising and Pricing Strategies
This revision discusses the strategies direct marketers use to make sales. It includes making a merchandising plan, display and packaging, customer service, pricing strategies and techniques, and...
Farm-direct Marketing: Personnel Management
This revision includes information on complying with labor laws, ways to find good employees, employee orientation and training, employee policies and employee management. Author: Christy Anderson...
Gold Standard of Customer Relations
This curriculum for small-business managers and their employees brings a unique approach to customer service based on research into effective customer-business interactions. It frames customer...
Landscaping and Utilities: Problems, Prevention, and Plant Selection
Without careful planning and plant selection prior to planting, trees and shrubs can become a nuisance and a dangerous and costly problem for homeowners and businesses. This publication has...
Managing Price Risks Using Grain Contracts
Managing price risks in commodity markets is a complex task. Indeed, grain producers must think globally, which is always a challenge. Sharpen your marketing strategies by learning the basic...
Margin Protection Crop Insurance for Idaho Corn Growers
Margin protection is an area-based insurance plan that protects producers from a decline in operating margins due to high input costs, low county yield, low commodity prices or any combination.
Marketing Alternatives for Specialty Produce
Describes marketing and farm business management for Pacific Northwest vegetable and fruit growers as well as a snapshot of practices used in specialty agriculture. Authors: Larry Burt, Curt...
Marketing Strategies for Idaho Wheat Producers: Identifying Top Performers
Grain markets have significantly changed over the past thirty years, but many wheat growers still rely solely on the elevator quote at harvest time. Discover a better approach in this study of the...
Mission Statements and Strategic Goals: Bringing Businesses into Focus
Focusing a business is a challenging but worthwhile pursuit, one that earns dividends as a business matures. The best way to hone your enterprise' trajectory is to define your strategic goals and...
Pasture Principles for Smaller Acreages
Ranchettes and small farms are cropping up in rural landscapes across Idaho, spurring demand for information on pasture management. This updated publication addresses the most common concerns...
Premiums and Discounts for Market Beef Cows and Bulls Sold at Auction
The results of the beef quality audits reported here will help beef producers to optimize the value of their market (cull) beef cows and bulls with the ultimate goal of improving the quality and...
Preparing for a Third-Party Audit in Food Manufacturing
Third-party audits are part of running a food-manufacturing business, but the prospect of them can be intimidating if you aren’t prepared. This bulletin helps you to identify the crucial issues...
Recordkeeping for Your Small Ruminant Operation
Keeping records is important when running a small ruminant operation. Otherwise, it won’t be clear if you are reaching operational goals or production levels or ably managing costs. This five-page...
Risk Assessment and Decision-Making Guidelines for Dairy Risk Management: Part 3
Dairy farmers, particularly those who run small- and middle-sized enterprises, face significant economic challenges. Financial guidance is more critical than ever. This three-part series offers...
Risk Assessment and Decision-Making Guidelines for Dairy Risk Management: Part 2
Dairy farmers, particularly those who run small- and middle-sized enterprises, face significant economic challenges. Financial guidance is more critical than ever. This three-part series offers...
Sanitizer Basics for the Food Industry
Cleaning and sanitation are critical to maintaining quality and safety in your food industry operation. This PNW helps food industry operations make cleaning and sanitizing programs part of their...
Southern Idaho Dryland Winter Wheat Production Guide
Wheat is an important crop throughout Idaho, especially in the dryland cropping areas of southern Idaho. However, the region's rolling landscape with high-wind and water-erosion potential plus low...
Straw Removal Calculator Guide
Straw removal has become a widespread practice in dryland wheat production in the inland Pacific Northwest. Although straw harvest may provide short-run economic benefits, it also can incur hidden...
Things to Consider When Buying Used Commercial Food-Processing Equipment
Buying used equipment for a food-processing facility or commercial kitchen can be a money-saving move, but you need to do your homework. Otherwise, the purchase might cost you more in the long run.
Ties to the Land: Succession Planning for Property Owners
Whether you own a farm, forest or rangeland, you care about your property and what happens to it. That's why you need a succession plan to help guide its transition to future owners. Ties to the...
Tips for Entrepreneurs - Expanding a Business: The Physical Site
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this two-page fact sheet provides information on what you need to do when expanding your business' building or facilities: acquiring proper zoning and...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: Choosing a Domain Name for Your Business’s Website
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this four-page resource sheet provides information on how to set up a domain name for your online business. Learn what domain names are, how they work,...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: Expanding a Business by Adding Paid Employees
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this three-page fact sheet provides information on what you need to do when adding paid employees to your business. Such an expansion requires applying...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: Idaho Regulations for Selling Cottage Foods
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this two-page fact sheet provides information about establishing a business in cottage foods (edible products made in a person's home or other location...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: Liability in E-Commerce
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this three-page fact sheet provides information about liability in e-commerce. In addition to providing tips about four types of product liability issues,...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this three-page fact sheet provides information on how to form a limited liability company (LLC) in Idaho. Learn about federal registration requirements,...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: Money Management for Business Owners
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this two-page fact sheet tells you how to manage your business' finances, including setting a budget, tracking income/expenses, generating financial...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: Regulations for Selling Prepared Foods
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this two-page fact sheet provides information on how Idaho regulates the prepared food industry. Included are the types of food establishments that are...
Tips for Entrepreneurs: What to Think About When Starting a Business
Part of the Tips for Entrepreneurs series, this two-page fact sheet provides the answers to some of the commonly asked questions when considering starting a business. Included is an informational...
Tips for Native American Entrepreneurs : A Resource Guide for Business Planning
Part of the Tips for Native American Entrepreneurs series, this three-page fact sheet provides information on how to write a business plan. Along with defining different business plan types, the...
Tips for Native American Entrepreneurs: Business Formation
Part of the Tips for Native American Entrepreneurs series, this three-page fact sheet provides information about how to choose the correct business structure for your enterprise. Learn the the four...
Understanding Budgets and the Budgeting Process
Budgeting is crucial to a business' success. This publication helps you navigate this often intimidating task by discussing the four budget types most commonly used by agricultural producers (whole...