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INVESTIGATOR: Holmes, G.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
HOLMES COUNTY FOOD HUB
163 HEAD START RD
GOODMAN, MISSISSIPPI 39079

FARM TO SCHOOL ACADEMY FOR BEGINNING FARMERS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Theproject is designed to enhance food security by providing beginning farmers with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to facilitate Farm to School market opportunities. Theproject is a standard BFRDP project and a new application. The one year developmentalproject addresses the following priority topics: 1) diversification and marketing strategies, 2) entrepreneurship and business training, 3) basic crop farming practices. The target audience for the project is limited resource, beginning farmers, and 100% of the project budget is allocated to address the needs of this audience. Farm-to-School Academy for Beginning Farmers, is designed to train beginning, limited resource farmers in the basic tenets of farm-to-school marketing. Academy graduates will receive certification on how to establish, facilitate and sustain farm to school markets. Specific objectives of the project are to:Establish a training and assistance program for facilitating farm to school markets, and;Facilitate increased participation of beginning, limited resource farmers in school markets.The project is designed to equip new and beginning farmers in Mississippi with relevant and measurable, knowledge, skills and tools to make informed decisions that lead to successful agricultural operations. Specifically the project will teach and demonstrate: 1) marketing strategies that enhance competitiveness of new farm operations; 2) business management and decision making strategies that enhance the financial viability of new farm operations, and; 3) production and management practices that enhance land stewardship.

OBJECTIVES: Theproject is a developmental BFRDP project to develop opportunities to sustain new and beginning farms through marketing strategies that enhance competitiveness. The project seeks to encourage farm entry by removing barriers that face the next generation farmer, particularly access to viable and profitable markets and the training and assistance related to such. Theproject is designed to develop the Farm-to-School Academy for Beginning Farmers and evaluate the effectiveness of the program utilizing a small group of beginning, limited resource farmers. Theproject is targeting a small group of fifteen (15) new, beginning and veteran farmers providing group and individual training and assistance activities. This small group will provide feedback as to best practices and effective educational methods in order to reach underserved audiences. Eventually, the Academy graduates will receive certification on how to establish, facilitate and sustain farm to school efforts. The objectives of the project are to:Establish a training and assistance program for facilitating farm to school markets, and;Facilitate increased participation of beginning, limited resource farmers in school markets.Specifically the project will teach and demonstrate: 1) marketing strategies that enhance competitiveness of new farm operations; 2) business management and decision making strategies that enhance the financial viability of new farm operations, and; 3) production and management practices that enhance land stewardship.