Qualifications and Training
Lantra - the lead training organisation for land-based industries www.lantra.co.uk
Soil Association - information on organic production and local food marketing www.soilassociation.org
WWOOF - willing workers on organic farms - farmers give bed, board and practical farm experience in return for work - www.wwoof.org
Scottish Agricultural College has lots of advice for those considering diversification www.sac.ac.uk/management/external/diversification/default.asp
Marches Farm Enterprise Group advice and case studies from farmers who have diversified www.mfep.co.uk
DEFRA offer free guidance to farmers wishing to diversify - this is their diversification planning leaflet www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/pdfs/farmdiversificationguide.pdf
SWRDA will give you information on government rural development programmes in the South West www.southweststrda.org.uk
NFU www.nfu.org.uk
UKonline - links to government departments and agencies www.ukonline.gov.uk
Business Link advice on setting up and running small businesses www.businesslink.org
National Association of Farmers' Markets www.farmersmarkets.net/
BAGMA - British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association www.bagma.com/ accredits courses. Their website has details of courses on offer
WIRE - Women in Rural Enterprise - www.wireuk.org
Federation of Small Businesses - www.fsb.org.uk
If you are looking for contact details of professional associations in a sector you are not familiar with, look in the 'Directory of British Associations' in your local public library.
