Worden Farm Consulting
Worden Farm Consulting advises on the planning, establishment, improvement, and management of organic farming systems as long term assets.
Sectors Served
Worden Farm Consulting advises on projects across a range of sectors and scales, including Private Clients, Family Offices, Farmland Investments, Commercial Farming, Hospitality, Education, Conservation, Healthcare, Wellness, and Community Development. What these clients share is perspective: agriculture as a productive investment in legacy and stewardship, with organic practices as a foundation for enduring value.
Areas of Advisory
Consulting services are tailored to owner objectives, governance structures, and project scope. Custom agricultural advisory may include:
Agricultural Property Evaluation
- Soil quality and fertility analysis
- Water and irrigation capacity
- Infrastructure delineation and functionality
- Environmental and conservation assessment
- Market potential and investment feasibility review
- Crop yield projection and agricultural enterprise options
Crop Production
- Appropriate equipment specifications and sourcing
- Crop and cultivar selection for temperate, subtropical, or tropical climates
- Field preparation, planting schedules, seeding and transplanting
- Irrigation systems and water management
- Soil test interpretation and soil fertility improvement
- Cover cropping and composting
- Livestock integration and rotation
- Insect, weed, and disease management
- Harvesting and post-harvest handling, packing and processing
Agricultural Marketing
- Retail and wholesale marketing opportunities
- Farm events, tours, and agritourism programming
- Alternative farm revenue streams
- Community engagement and organizational partnerships
- Agricultural industry networking
Organic Certification
- Developing a customized Organic Systems Plan and applying for certification with the USDA National Organic Program
- Starting a new organic farm or converting from conventional to organic
- Crop rotation, input selection, documentation, and compliance
Engagement Samples
A multigenerational family with a 3,000 acre historic estate engaged with Worden Farm Consulting for advising on their transformation from conventional to certified organic production. The engagement addressed organic certification planning, soil remediation strategy, equipment specifications, and operational frameworks.
A private college engaged with Worden Farm Consulting to advise on the development of strategic crop planning for efficient and consistent campus food service supply.
A hospitality group operating three waterfront restaurants serving 900,000 annual guests engaged with Worden Farm Consulting to enable capacity building for their 26-acre organic farm. The engagement included organic certification planning, crop selection with executive chefs for fresh produce supply, soil building strategy, and design of a closed-loop restaurant-to-farm composting system.
A major master-planned community engaged with Worden Farm Consulting for developing a farmers market, establishing an organic produce program, and designing educational wellness events.
Principals
Chris Worden, Ph.D. Crop Science, University of Connecticut
Eva Worden, Ph.D. Ecosystem Management, Yale University
Scientific background and more than twenty years of continuous organic farm ownership inform the consulting methodology. Research-based horticultural knowledge is integrated with practical decision-making developed under real operating conditions, including climate variability, pest pressure, regulatory compliance, and commercial production requirements.
Featured in "Organic Certification Made Simple," a multi-part video series produced for the USDA that serves as a national resource for producers navigating the certification process. Collaborator with Organic Farming Research Foundation, Florida Organic Growers, University of Florida, and Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Recipients of the Florida Innovative Farmer Award. Named Gulfshore Life Sustainability Heroes. Featured as organic farming experts by the Organic Trade Association. Listed with Quality Certification Services (QCS) as consultants for organic certification.