Small-Scale Production and Processing

This unit guides students through planning and managing small-scale crop and garden production, soil health and pest management, greenhouse basics, and postharvest handling. It also introduces food preservation and value-added processing (dairy, sauces, breads), basic meat and fiber processing options, and selling strategies to turn homegrown goods into marketable products, building on earlier animal care and introductory production units and preparing learners for enterprise and business-focused work in Unit 4.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze site, season, and household or market needs to calculate planting area, select appropriate crops, and produce a one-season planting plan with estimated yields and timelines
• Apply soil testing, composting, amendment, and integrated pest management practices to prepare planting spaces and document changes in soil indicators and crop performance
• Demonstrate safe harvest, short-term storage, and long-term preservation and value-added techniques by producing at least three preserved or processed products (e.g., cheese, yogurt, salsa, canned goods, baked goods) that meet basic food safety criteria
• Evaluate postharvest marketing and processing pathways by comparing options (direct sale, whole-animal sale, hiring a meat cutter, fiber processing) and developing a simple cost-revenue plan for at least one product or enterprise