Beginning January 1 the standard mileage rates are:

a.. 51 cents per mile for business miles driven
b.. 19 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes
c.. 14 cents per mile in service of charitable organizations

Farm and Agricultural Resources for Media (FARM)

An NSAC initiative that helps connect the farmer's voice to the media and supports farmers with media training. Resources available include a media toolkit for farmers, webinar, and database.

Depreciation and Section 179 Expense

IRS guidelines for the HIRE Act of 2010 and the Section 179 deduction

Grassroots Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill

Quick-guide charts to 2008 Farm Bill Programs and Grants, including relevant links and deadlines. Information is updated regularly as new Requests for Applications (RFAs) are released.

Organic Price Report

This is a great tool to help you set your pricing, particularly if you are selling in a wholesale market. Recommend looking at it often to see the seasonal and supply shifts around the country!

Rodale Institute says, "Find out with The New Farm Organic Price Report (OPR). The OPR is an online tool that helps you price competitively. The tool tracks selected prices from the fruit, vegetable, herbs and grain sectors, comparing organic prices to conventional prices in markets across the country."

USDA: Fruit and Vegetable Market News

Another opportunity to look at pricing for wholesale products is on the USDA site. If you look to the left on the site, you will see different selections to help you look at terminal markets closest to your farm business. They also have some great reports that could help you understand retail market pricing too.

9 Helpful Tips for Business Blogging

It's one thing to create a blog - it's another to create a blog that readers want to visit again and again. This article from Network Solutions offers nine tips to follow when developing a business blogging strategy.

Local Food - Wikipedia

New IRS Rules regarding start-up and organizational costs for small businesses to consider.

You generally deduct a cost as a current business expense by subtracting it from your income in either the year you incur it or the year you pay it.

If you capitalize a cost, you may be able to recover it over a period of years through periodic deductions for amortization, depletion, or depreciation. When you capitalize a cost, you add it to the basis of property to which it relates.

Business start-up and organizational costs are generally capital expenditures. However, you can elect to deduct up to $5,000 of business start-up and $5,000 of organizational costs paid or incurred after October 22, 2004. The $5,000 deduction is reduced by the amount your total start-up or organizational costs exceed $50,000. Any remaining costs must be amortized. For information about amortizing start-up and organizational costs, see chapter 8.

Start-up costs include any amounts paid or incurred in connection with creating an active trade or business or investigating the creation or acquisition of an active trade or business. Organizational costs include the costs of creating a corporation. For more information on start-up and organizational costs, see chapter 8.

How to make the election. You elect to deduct the start-up or organizational costs by claiming the deduction on the income tax return (filed by the due date including extensions) for the tax year in which the active trade or business begins. However, if you timely filed your return for the year without making the election, you can still make the election by filing an amended return within 6 months of the due date of the return (excluding extensions). Clearly indicate the election on your amended return and write "Filed pursuant to section 301.9100-2." File the amended return at the same address you filed the original return. The election applies when computing taxable income for the current tax year and all subsequent years.

IRS 20-Point Checklist : Contractor or Employee? [Word document]

A checklist to help you determine if you're hiring an individual as an employee or an independent contractor

Assessing My Business's Legal Form [PDF file]

A worksheet to help you think about whether your current legal structure is best for you.