Farmers benefit from building knowledge about often nuanced and complex farm labor legal obligations. Farmers need to know more about their employment law obligations before they can set priorities, decide on action steps and begin to take action.  This fact sheet covers basic farm employment law in Massachusetts:  minimum wage, overtime, meal and rest breaks, workers' compensation, and unemployment insurance.

The MDAR Grants and Financial Assistance Programs Fact Sheet, is product of the Investing in Your Farm: Accessing Grants and Loans for Growing Your Business workshop series, hosted by the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.

In this Fact Sheet (PDF) you can find information about the following topics: APR Improvement Programs (AIP), Farm Viability Enhancement Program (FVEP), and Matching Enterprise Grants for Ag (MEGA) process and timelines, and other MDAR grants. 

For additional information please reach out: nesfp@tufts.edu

This is module 5 in a series of 8 modules in the Interational Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy. This training guide will help you, the trainer, to lead a 2-hour training on the building blocks of budgeting and recordkeeping. While this was designed to serve as one workshop, some of the activities can be used independently if desired. Farmers will understand what counts as income, and what counts as expenses, and will become familiar with basic recordkeeping words and forms. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 6 in a series of 8 modules in the International Rescue Committee's Micro-producer academy. This modules introduces farmers to post-harvest handling and food safety and farm rules, to maximize food quality and safety. Farmers will demonstrate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for market harvest days and will be able to identify what crops need and need not be cooled upon harvest. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 7 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy. Module 7 introduces farmers to forms of currency, money handling and making change. This guide provides talking points for each slide in the corresponding PowerPoint presentation, and includes activity steps, tips for allowing farmers to reflect, and ideas for how to assess for farmer learning. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 3 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy.This is an introduction to the concept of market gardening or farming, and to selecting crops that fit the market channel that producers anticipate using. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 4 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy.Understanding the difference between personal and commercial production. Growing techniques (as well as farm rules) to maximize production and timing production based around the markets they hope to sell at. Farmers will draft a planting and harvest calendar for the market crops they have chosen, and they will draw a potential succession planting map for one crop. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 8 in a series of 8 modules in the Interational Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy.This guide will help you, the trainer, to conduct this lesson on marketing success. This can be done as one complete workshop or lesson, or individual activities can be pulled out and done independently with farmers. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 2 in a series of 8 modules in International Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy. In this workshop, farmers will explore the pros and cons of indirect and direct marketing options. In addition to learning vocabulary and concepts with the help of PowerPoints, farmers will complete a pros and cons smiley face (or color dot system) ‘Activity Board’, and do some farmers’ market role play activity to explore these topics. In module 6, farmers will have a chance to build their direct marketing skill. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.

This is module 1 in a series of 8 modules in the International Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy.Farmers get an overview of the program, its context, and what they can expect from their participation in it. They also will have the opportunity to envision what they want their year to look like which can both help farmers to get excited about the season and help program directors better understand what their participants want from the program. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.