Effective July 1, 2011 the Domestic Marketing & Economic Development, Small Farm Direct Marketing and Farm-to-School programs have been eliminated due to legislative budget reductions and these programs have ceased operation.

Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook:
Regulations and Strategies for Farm Businesses in Washington State 

Welcome to the "Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook: Regulations and Strategies for Farm Businesses in Washington State." This is the sixth edition of this guide, popularly known as " The Green Book." Our goal is to help beginning, established and/or transitioning farmers understand the rules and regulations for direct marketing an endless range of food, flower, seed and nursery products in Washington State. New information on direct marketing strategies and regulations for specific products is in response to the frequently asked questions we get from farmers around the state.

New information on getting connected to farm listservs, farm maps for marketing, and educational opportunities, as well as labor regulations for interns and apprentices, and farm loan programs have been created.  All of the information on licensing, taxes and insurance, benefits and challenges for each direct marketing strategy and market statistics for direct sales in Washington, as well as specific product regulations, has been expanded, updated and reformatted.

The Handbook's new format is intended to make it easier to find what you need, to keep information as updated as possible, and to be able to easily add new topics in the future.  Click on the links below to download the entire handbook, a whole chapter or an individual fact sheet as a PDF.  To view PDF files, you may need to download Adobe Reader.  

WSDA Small Farm & Direct Marketing Handbook - entire handbook (PDF 2.04 MB)    

Start by Reading:   How to Use this Handbook (PDF 115 KB) and   
                              Message from WSDA Director, Dan Newhouse (PDF 236 KB) 

Getting Connected - complete chapter (PDF 348 KB)
        1. Networks for Washington State Small Farms (PDF 118 KB)
        2. Resources for Latino Farmers in Washington State (PDF 121 KB)
        3. Resources for Hmong Farmers in Washington State (PDF 193 KB)

Running A Successful Farm Business - complete chapter (PDF 453 KB)
        1. Licensing (PDF 151 KB)
        2. Financing Your Farm (PDF 98 KB)
        3. Taxes (PDF 110 KB)
        4. Insurance (PDF 116 KB)
        5. Labor on the Farm (PDF 109 KB)

Direct Marketing Strategies - complete chapter (PDF 548 KB)
        1. Direct Marketing in Washington State (PDF 143 KB)
        2. Selling Directly to Consumers (PDF 95 KB)
        3. Selling Directly to Restaurants and Grocery Stores (PDF 135 KB)
        4. Selling Directly to Institutions (PDF 134 KB)
        5. Organic Certification (PDF 97 KB)
        6. Other Certifications and Eco-labels (PDF 99 KB)

Regulations for Specific Products - complete chapter (PDF 1.14 MB)
        1. Selling Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (PDF 180 KB)
        2. Selling Eggs (PDF 106 KB)
        3. Selling Honey (PDF 121 KB)
        4. Selling Mushrooms (PDF 132 KB)
        5. Selling Dairy Products (PDF 117 KB)
        6. Poultry Processing and Marketing Regulations (PDF 110 KB)
        7. Selling Beef, Pork, Goat and Other Meat (PDF 98 KB)
        8. Selling Fish and Shellfish (PDF 608 KB)
        9. Selling Prepared Foods (PDF 110 KB)
       10. Food Processing (PDF 97 KB)
       11. Selling Wine, Beer, Hard Cider and Distilled Spirits (PDF 92 KB)
       12. Selling Personal Care Products (PDF 115 KB)

The "Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook" is a publication of the Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) Small Farm and Direct Marketing Program in collaboration with the WSDA Food Safety and Organic Food Programs. The design is inspired by Cornell University's "Guide to Farming in New York State" developed by Monika Roth, a Marketing Specialist at Cornell. The USDA Risk Management Agency's Community Outreach and Partnership Assistance Program generously provided funding to expand, update and print this edition.

Hard copies of this publication are available free of charge by contacting program staff. To make suggestions on how to improve the handbook, please share your feedback with us.    

For more information, e-mail us or call (360) 656-5063 or (360) 902-2057. 

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