- Educational Programs, Land, Legal, PFL Academy
Welcome to the Understanding Agricultural Leasing and Leases course, presented by Ross Pifer, Director of the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law at Penn State University. In this course you will gain comprehensive knowledge on the intricacies of agricultural leasing and leases. This course aims to equip learners with the necessary insights to make informed decisions regarding leasing or purchasing agricultural land, negotiate favorable lease agreements, understand lease duration and renewal options, and manage liability as an agricultural lessee. Each lesson includes a quiz to reinforce understanding. Arm yourself with the knowledge to make informed leasing decisions with Penn State Ag Law!
- Educational Programs, PFL Academy
Welcome to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Course! In this comprehensive course, we will explore the various divisions and programs offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support farmers and ranchers. Throughout the lessons, you will gain valuable insights into the assistance available for beginning farmers and ranchers, such as the conservation practices provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), funding opportunities from Rural Development (RD), and risk management through the Risk Management Agency (RMA). Each lesson is accompanied by a quiz to reinforce your understanding. Let’s dive in and discover the resources and programs that can help you thrive in the agricultural industry.
Resources, Guides, Tools, Webinars and More
PA Farm Link Resource Hub
Our extensive Resource Hub offers a wealth of websites, documents, videos, and more, covering all facets of farming. Whether you’re just beginning, exploring new ideas, or are a seasoned expert, we have resources tailored to suit your needs.
PA Farm Link Resources
- Educational Programs, PFL Academy
PFL Academy
Our academy offers a collection of free online video courses focused on various organizations that can provide assistance and support to farmers like you. Gain insights, expand your skills, and discover opportunities to thrive in the agricultural industry.
- Marketing
PFL Meat Cutting Diagrams
Explore the art and science of meat processing with PFL’s interactive Meat Cutting Diagrams. This educational tool breaks down beef, pork, and lamb into their primal and retail cuts, offering insights into each section’s characteristics, yields, and recommended cooking methods. Perfect for farmers, butchers, and consumers alike, these diagrams empower you to make informed processing and purchasing decisions. Whether you’re marketing meat directly or simply curious about where each cut comes from, this resource brings clarity and confidence to the world of meat processing.
- Succession / Transition
Long Term Care and the Farm, Pennsylvania Edition
This publication aims to provide a basic explanation of Long-Term Care (LTC) issues and strategies that may minimize exposure to LTC risks. Special thanks to Robert Moore and the National Ag Law Center for permitting PA Farm Link to adapt the publication for Pennsylvania use.
- Marketing
PFL Meat Sales Considerations
In this booklet, you find information on food safety and inspection, meat pricing resources, effective meat marketing options, consumer outreach, and more. We hope that the information and useful links found within this booklet helps you navigate your meat producing decisions.
End of Content.
- Marketing
The manual freezer trade pricing calculator was created for those who prefer to calculate prices by hand. It will lead you through steps similar to the online Cornell Meat Price Calculator allowing you to determine a profitable price for quarters and sides. Utilize the calculator to best meet your pricing needs.
- Marketing
The manual meat pricing & yield guide meat cuts pricing calculator was created for those who prefer to calculate prices by hand. It will lead you through steps similar to the online Cornell Meat Price Calculator allowing you to determine a profitable price for direct marketing meat cuts. Utilize the calculator to best meet your pricing needs
- Educational Programs
In 2024, Chester County Government and the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) joined forces to create an expanded AgConnect program that serves to ensure the agricultural industry in Chester County and the southeast Pennsylvania region remains a leading economic sector, now and in the future.
AgConnect includes a newly-established AgConnect Executive Advisory Committee, designed to steer and set strategic priorities. The 11-person committee includes chairpersons from the four AgConnect action teams (see below), three agriculture industry leaders appointed by the Chester County Commissioners, three agriculture employers appointed by the CCEDC, and one staff member from the County Commissioners’ Office.
- Educational Programs, PFL Academy
Our academy offers a collection of free online video courses focused on various organizations that can provide assistance and support to farmers like you. Gain insights, expand your skills, and discover opportunities to thrive in the agricultural industry.
- Marketing
Explore the art and science of meat processing with PFL’s interactive Meat Cutting Diagrams. This educational tool breaks down beef, pork, and lamb into their primal and retail cuts, offering insights into each section’s characteristics, yields, and recommended cooking methods. Perfect for farmers, butchers, and consumers alike, these diagrams empower you to make informed processing and purchasing decisions. Whether you’re marketing meat directly or simply curious about where each cut comes from, this resource brings clarity and confidence to the world of meat processing.
- Educational Programs, Marketing, PFL Academy
This course provides a practical guide for farmers on how to create, market, and price bulk meat bundles in a way that appeals to modern consumers. Through three video lessons and corresponding quizzes, you’ll learn to understand consumer behavior, explore innovative bulk selling formats, and use MeatSuite’s Bundle Builder to build successful, profitable marketing strategies.
- Educational Programs, Marketing, PFL Academy
This course guides farmers through the essential steps of creating a website that effectively engages customers, builds an email list, and drives sales. By understanding website strategy, customer focus, and content optimization, participants will learn how to transform their farm websites into essential business tools.
- Educational Programs, Legal, PFL Academy
This course provides an in-depth look at the essentials of legal farm succession planning, presented by Darlene Livingston and Attorney Jody Leighty. Through real-life insights, explore the best approaches to initiate family discussions, organize assets, and develop a feasible succession plan. The course also covers key legal structures, tax implications, and long-term planning essentials to ensure a seamless and legally sound transition of the family farm to the next generation.
- Business Planning
Getting a loan for your agricultural business — no matter the size or scope — means asking the lender to have faith in your ability to manage a full-fledged operation and your finances in a healthy way. The best way to prove that is by coming prepared with a farm business plan proposal.
- Educational Programs
Marketing is important to all farm enterprises, regardless of size.
- Educational Programs
The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences is helping produce growers, food processors, and feed manufacturers prepare for new regulatory standards required under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011.
- Educational Programs
The beginning farmer program is a state-wide initiative to support a next generation of producers from diverse backgrounds.
- Educational Programs
Before starting your new food business, you need a clear vision of how you want your business to operate, such as how it will be managed, marketed, and financed, and how you expect it to perform in the future.
- Educational Programs
An important task in starting a new venture is to develop a business plan, which is a “road map” to guide the future of a business or venture.
- Educational Programs
As you begin the business transition process, learn steps to take to make financial and personal decisions, including to sell or liquidate your business.
- Educational Programs
Learn what to consider and how to communicate about succession, retirement, and estate planning; property transfers; and avoiding unnecessary taxes and costs.