Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Mayes, I.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIV OF IDAHO
875 PERIMETER DRIVE
MOSCOW, IDAHO 83844-9803

CULTIVATING SUCCESS: A COMPREHENSIVE BEGINNING FARMER TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR IDAHO

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The purpose of Cultivating Success:A Comprehensive Beginning Farmer Training andMentorshipProgram for Idaho, is to increase the number and success of beginning small farmers and ranchers in Idaho. Methods will include comprehensive training (in-person and via site-hosted interactive webinars), facilitating access to land and capital (via networking and meaningful online resources), and coordinate ongoing farmer-to-farmer mentoring (on farms). This system combined with the 42 county reach of University of Idaho (UI) Extension will allow the project team to reach nearly all of Idaho. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Idaho's farms and ranches are working on less than 180 acres. Many of these farmers are women. UI Extension's Cultivating SuccessTM Sustainable Small Farms Education program has been the primary educational resource for the target audience in Idaho for nearly 15 years. Since 2001, 575 people have completed one or more Cultivating SuccesTM courses in Idaho. Participants identified land costs, land availability, start-up costs and access to capital as barriers to small farm success. This project proposes to re-invigorate the existing Cultivating SuccessTM program to address current needs. Key partners include Rural Roots, an existing farm networking and education non-profit organization, and several farmers who are already trained and experienced farmer mentors. The proposed programwill provide needed education, mentoring and resource information to Idaho's small-acreage farmers and ranchers. Post-workshop evaluations will be conducted to measure behavioral change and the effectiveness of the delivery formats. The project activities are in alignment with USDA-NIFA's priorities addressing hunger and food security.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this project is to increase the number and success of beginning small farmers and ranchers in Idaho through comprehensive training, access to land and capital, and ongoing farmer-to-farmer mentoring. Small farmers provide multiple benefits to the community. For example, they help grow the local economy, they improve the nutrition of those who access local produce, they support environmental health with sustainable practices, and they improve food security for the local community. This program proposes "Cultivating Success: A Comprehensive Beginning Farmer Training and Mentorship Program for Idaho" which will provide needed education, training, mentoring, and resources to small-acreage farmers and ranchers thereby supporting USDA-NIFA's goals for improving the circumstances of small farmers and addressing hunger and food security. Local farmers and ranchers have been integral to the development of this proposal.Objective 1. Improve BFRs' awareness of and access to educational materials, land, and capital for start-up and expansion. Objective 2. Increase BFRs' knowledge of and capacity to evaluate land, resources, and enterprise potential and initiate whole farm planning.Objective 3. Increase BFRs' adoption of sustainable production practices, marketing, and farm management skills through short courses, farm mentoring, and experiential on-farm learning.Objective 4. Increase BFRs' production, marketing, and management skills through formal mentorships with experienced farmers.