The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.
Food Production Support Services
Agricultural Pest/Disease Control Assistance
Programs that provide information, technical assistance and support to help agricultural establishments eradicate agricultural pests and weeds and/or control pathogens which cause plant disease using natural and/or chemical means. Pests include insects and mites that damage crops, weeds that compete with field crops for nutrients and water, plants that choke irrigation channels or drainage systems, rodents that eat young plants and grain, and birds that eat seedlings or stored foodstuffs.
Programs that conduct soil analyses for farmers, homeowners, landscape contractors, golf course superintendents, ornamental nursery establishments and others who are interested in determining the nutrient content, composition and other characteristics of their soil as well as the optimum lime and fertilizer requirements for the crop, grasses, flowers or other plants they wish to grow. The tests generally include major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), secondary nutrients (sulfur, calcium and magnesium), minor nutrients (iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, molybdenum and aluminum), physical properties (soil acidity, electrical conductivity), soil organic matter, moisture content and soil contaminants (e.g., fuel components such as benzene, toluene, xylene, petroleum hydrocarbons). The final report includes the chemical analysis of the soil along with lime and fertilizer recommendations for the crop specified. Included are programs that provide soil fertility test kits (which usually include tests for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and for soil acidity) as well as soil testing labs that conduct the analyses using soil samples submitted by the individual. Soil testing can help agricultural establishments optimize their nutrient inputs, increase the soil quality of their land or garden and select the type of crops most appropriate to their soil type.
Programs that provide information, technical assistance and support regarding the selection, breeding, care and marketing of livestock for individuals or commercial establishments including farms, ranches, dairies, stockyards and feedlots that are engaged in keeping, grazing, feeding and/or selling cattle, hogs, sheep, goats and other small farm animals.
Programs that provide information, technical assistance and support regarding the cultivation and harvesting of oilseed, grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, mushrooms, sugarcane, hay and other feed, and other crops for individuals who operate farms, orchards, groves, greenhouses or other agricultural establishments.
Programs that provide information, technical assistance and support regarding the business side of managing a farm, ranch or other agricultural enterprise. Included is assistance in business management, accounting, taxation, capitalization, purchasing, marketing, planning, human resources management, government programs and regulations and other similar areas.
Sustainable Agriculture Programs
Programs that provide information, technical assistance and support for farmers who want to implement an integrated system of plant and animal production practices that will meet the basic needs of the current population for food, feed and other fiber products and sustain the economic viability of farming operations while preserving nonrenewable resources and the fertility of farmlands enabling future generations to flourish. Sustainable farming practices include crop rotation; alternative crops and livestock; low input production for local markets; targeted marketing of organically produced meats, vegetables and grains; community-supported agriculture; free range raising of poultry; and nutrient and pest management practices that reduce the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers and rely instead on resistant cultivars, timing of planting, use of compost and mulch, planting of cover crops, biological pest control and other alternatives.