Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Hedeen, L.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
Minnesota Food Association
14220-B Ostlund Trail North
Marine on St Croix, MINNESOTA 55047-9538

GROWING SUSTAINABLE FARMS: TRAINING, LAND AND RESOURCES FOR BEGINNING SOCIALLY-DISADVANTAGED FARMERS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The Growing Sustainable Farms project will serve only individuals from socially-disadvantaged (SDA) backgrounds, but is open to the highly diverse groups which meet this definition - including immigrants and refugees from all over the world, women, limited-resource and African- and Hispanic-American farmers. This open approach is unique in the Midwest, as most of the newer farmer training programs established in recent years serve only one specific ethnic group. Our model offers rich rewards to the farmers and the community, as it creates the opportunity for strong, cooperative relationships to develop amongst diverse groups of people who would otherwise rarely form those bonds. Our farmer participants over the years have expressed their gratitude for the many new ideas they've learned from their peers in the program, who bring knowledge of culturally-specific foods and growing practices to our program. During the previous BFRDP grant period, a total of 19 distinct farms participated in our training program, representing 55 individual farmers from SDA backgrounds. All of these farmers were also limited-resource. Ethnicities of the immigrants served in the program were Hmong, Somali, Latino, Oromo, Karen, Liberian, Russian, Guatemalan, Ethiopian, Burmese, Bhutanese and Kenyan. We also had participation by African American farmers and military veterans.Minnesota has a strong agricultural tradition and vibrant, growing markets for local and sustainably-grown foods. However, SDA farmers continue to be underrepresented as farm operators. According to the USDA 2012 Census, there were 109,349 farm operators reported in Minnesota in 2012. Of those, only 798 (0.7%) were from non-white SDA groups, including individuals from Latino, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, or African American backgrounds. Despite recent growth in the number of certified organic farms in the state, the census also indicated underrepresentation by SDA farmers in this sector: only 3 of 519 farms with organic sales had principal operators from non-white backgrounds (0.6%). These numbers are disproportionate to the total non-white population of the state, which was approximately 18% as of the 2013 census. The first Certified Organic farm in Minnesota operated by a Hmong farmer, Mhonpaj's Garden, was a graduate of the MFA training program. The farm operator - who is also a woman - continues to play an integral role in our program as a farmer mentor (May Lee).These gaps in farming statistics follow broader trends in Minnesota for continuing economic gaps between white residents and minorities. As recently as January 2016, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal shared a report posted on Wallethub.com, which scored each state and D.C. on 10 measures of racial integration from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. According to this report, Minnesota had the largest gap between blacks and whites in high-school graduation rates, the second-largest racial gap in income and home-ownership, and the third-largest racial poverty gap (Connor Nikolic, "Minnesota Ranks Dead Last for Racial Integration"). It continues to be of vital importance that organizations such as MFA focus their resources on assisting socially-disadvantaged individuals with improving their employment and economic status, in this case by successfully operating their own farm businesses. As stated earlier, MFA's training and incubator programs are open to all groups considered socially-disadvantaged and/or limited-resource, and are not limited to one particular ethnic group.MFA is committed to offering training and resources that meet the specific needs of beginning SDA farmers, and to ensure our programs continue to evolve and improve, we regularly solicit feedback and input from the farmers in our program. Each growing season, two listening sessions are conducted with farmers to provide an opportunity for feedback and ideas for improving all aspects of the program. In the past these sessions were hosted by staff, but this past year one of the more experienced farmers volunteered to facilitate and take notes at the session, which encouraged the participants to speak freely about their assessments of how the program was working. Additionally, at the end of the growing season training staff conduct one-to-one interviews with each farmer, going in-depth into topics such as how their growing season went, what challenges they encountered in and out of the fields, what parts of the training were most helpful, training needs that were not met, and ideas for improvement. All of this feedback was recorded and has been integrated into program development and design for this proposal.MFA was one of the first organizations in the country to design a training program for SDA farmers, with curriculum starting in 1998 and the incubator farm in 2005. It was the first such incubator in Minnesota, and continues to be one of only a handful of such programs in the Midwest. As a result of MFA's leadership in our community for over a decade in providing customized, land-based training to SDA farmers, the landscape of opportunities for immigrant and other minority farmers in the Twin Cities area has improved significantly. MFA's staff has provided technical assistance and consulting to other programs to help them establish new training programs, and has also worked to raise awareness of the needs of immigrant farmers by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, local Farm Service Agency offices, and private agricultural companies such as AgStar. As a result of this work and the high public profile of the annual Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference co-hosted by MFA (the largest such gathering in the country), there are now new programs influenced by MFA's farm incubator model, such as the Hmong American Farmers Association and the Farley Center, in the Midwest.As these and other organizations have increased their focus on serving immigrant farmers, we have increased our collaborative efforts to support these organizations in providing practical training and assistance to farmers. MFA is considered the expert in our region for providing hands-on production training, and our staff is often requested to provide these technical skills to farmers in other programs, such as the SEED program run by Hmong American Partnership in St. Paul for beginning Hmong farmers. MFA is also the only Certified Organic training program for beginning SDA farmers in our state, and along with our partner the Farley Center in Wisconsin, are the leaders in the region for making organic production methods and certification accessible to this audience of farmers.

OBJECTIVES: The overall goal of the Growing Sustainable Farms project is to create opportunities for socially-disadvantaged farmers to launch farm enterprises, and to increase the sustainability of farms operated by socially-disadvantaged farmers with up to 10 years' farming experience. This 2-year project will offer comprehensive training to beginning farmers, including classroom sessions in business planning, financial management and marketing; field sessions and workshops demonstrating organic vegetable farming techniques; 1:1 technical assistance, including legal expertise on securing land to farm; access to high-quality land with needed equipment and infrastructure; and multiple opportunities to connect with and learn from other SDA farmers.Goal 1: Create opportunities for socially-disadvantaged (SDA) farmers with 0-3 years' experience to launch farm enterprises. Objectives:Deliver a comprehensive training curriculum for beginning SDA farmers in running an organic vegetable operation, including classroom and in-field sessions.Offer an apprenticeship track for SDA individuals interested in exploring farming as a career without a land commitment.Remove barriers to entering farming by running a high-quality incubator farm with access to land, infrastructure, equipment, tools and support.Create opportunities for farmer-to-farmer connections and learning for very beginning farmers, including the annual Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference and Farmer Exchange events with the Farley Center.Guarantee a market for beginning farmers by operating a food hub which sells through CSA, farmers' markets, wholesale and retail outlets.Outputs (totals for 2 years)- 80 beginning SDA farmers attend an MFA training session- 6 farmers complete apprenticeship track- 30 farmers participate in land-based incubator- 500 SDA farmers attend conference- 6 farmers with 0-3 years' experience participate in Farmer Exchange events- $160,000 of produce purchased from farmers by Big River Farms food hubGoal 2: Increase the sustainability of farm enterprises run by SDA farmers with 3-10 years' experience operating a farm. Objectives:Provide technical assistance and training in the areas of business planning, marketing, production issues at scale, leases and land access strategies.Assist farmers with accessing land to farm, either through MFA's Whole Farm Management program or on property they lease or purchase independently.Create opportunities for farmer-to-farmer learning and networking for farmers with 3-10 years' experience, including the Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference and Farmer Exchange events with the Farley Center.Continue to expand market opportunities for farmers to sell their produce to the Big River Farms food hub.Outputs- 50 farmers attend a training session in more advanced topics- 10 farmers participate in MFA's Whole Farm Management program- 6 farmers receive 1:1 technical assistance to secure their own farmland- 26 farmers receive brief legal consults to help with land and credit issues- 500 SDA farmers attend conference- 15 farmers with 3-10 years' experience participate in Farmer Exchange events- 5 new accounts created for Big River Farms food hub

APPROACH: EffortsThe Growing Sustainable Farms project offers a number of unique program design features that distinguish it from other projects and organizations in the Midwest. Our training and technical assistance services are customized to meet the needs of SDA farmers, and delivery methods are designed to remove the barriers these farmers face to achieving sustainability. Land-based incubator opportunities are still extremely rare for SDA farmers, and MFA is one of only a handful of programs nationwide to be Certified Organic. Additionally, our policy of accepting beginning farmers from all backgrounds considered socially-disadvantaged makes our program open to a much broader audience than the culturally-specific organizations in our region.Goal 1, SDA Farmers with 0-3 years of farming experience launch enterprisesObjective A (Comprehensive Curriculum):· MFA's Basic Training Program will be offered each year of the grant, which includes:o Pre-Season: 12 classroom sessions on business planning, plot planning, seed and supply purchases, financial benchmarking, growing for different markets, greenhouse production and transplanting.o Growing Season: 8 classes on production planning, organic practices, soil health, farm safety (tractor and pesticide use), post-harvest handling, financial benchmarking, business planning and marketing. 4 farm tours on diverse enterprises, with many participating farms run by successful graduates of the program.o 15 demonstration and skill sessions in the greenhouse or in the fields, many offered by Farmer Mentors or other more experienced farmers. Topics include seeding diverse crops, transplanting, cultivation, irrigation, preparation of product for different markets, and equipment usage.· 1:1 technical assistance from staff and farmer mentors throughout the year, with a minimum of 5 individual sessions per farm, per year.Objective B (Apprenticeship Track):· Using new screening procedures for applicants, we will place individuals with no prior farming experience in the apprenticeship track in their first year, rather than in the incubator program.· This track will include the full curriculum outlined above, as well as placement with a more experienced farmer who will serve as a mentor and trainer during the year. The apprentice will be required to assist their mentor in the fields for a set amount of time to gain a realistic understanding of the time commitment involved in farming and to learn practical skills. They will not be responsible for their own plot of land.Objective C (Incubator Farm):· Land-based incubator farm at MFA: Farmers in the Basic Training Program receive plots starting at .25 acres and growing up to 2 acres during their time in the program. With land rental comes access to comprehensive infrastructure and equipment, including: greenhouse space, cooler, irrigation, cultivation of plots, packshed. All land is Certified Organic. Farmers can also purchase supplies through MFA.· There is space for up to 10 beginning farms at a time, and farmers can stay in this program for up to 3 years.Objective D (Farmer Connections)· Increased utilization of farmer mentors and stronger farmer-to-farmer connections between more- and less-experienced farmers in the program will be encouraged.· Annual Farmer Exchange event with the Farley Center will be held, where farmers from one program will attend a weekend event at the other program which will include field demonstrations by farmers, skill sharing sessions, and farmer-to-farmer networking. A few slots will be reserved each year for farmers with 0-3 years' experience. The first year event will be held at the Farley Center, second year at MFA.· MFA is the fiscal agent for the annual Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference hosted in St. Paul, Minnesota, and it will continue in both years of this grant (2017 and 2018).Objective E (Guaranteed Markets):· The Big River Farms food hub operated by MFA sells through direct-to-consumer, wholesale and retail outlets. All produce sold by the food hub is purchased wholesale from the beginning farmers in MFA training programs, aggregated and distributed. Total purchases from farmers average $80-100,000 per year.· Key markets include a 240-member CSA offering a full 18-week share of organic vegetables; a shared farmer's market stand; numerous restaurant and retail outlets; and approval for farmers to sell along a delivery route and accept EBT payments.Goal 2, SDA Farmers with 3-10 years of farming experience increase sustainability of their enterprisesObjective A (Training & Technical Assistance):· MFA will host 2 field days and 5 skill sessions each year designed for more experienced farmers.· FLAG will offer an annual workshop on leases for farmers.· Farmers will be referred to specific sessions at the annual conference and other training opportunities in the community for more advanced beginning farmers.Objective B (Land Access):· MFA's Whole Farm Management program - offers farmers with 3-10 years' experience up to 3 acres of certified organic land for up to 3 years. Farmers are required to maintain their own organic certification and manage the land more independently, with some continued support.· 1:1 technical assistance will be offered by contractor Katie Kubovcik and the Farm Director at MFA to help farmers graduating from the incubator program to find and secure land to farm independently.· FLAG will provide brief legal consults to 26 farmers about considerations for finding land and accessing credit and loan programs.Objective C (Farmer Connections):· Farmer Mentors at MFA will be available to more experienced farmers to answer questions in the field and assist with problem-solving· Annual weekend Farmer Exchange event with the Farley Center will be open to farmers with 3-10 years' experience, and will include field demonstrations by farmers, skill sharing sessions, and farmer-to-farmer networking.· Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference will also be attended by farmers with 3-10 years' experience in 2017 and 2018.Objective D (Markets):· Big River Farms will continue to explore alternative and new markets to increase opportunities to buy from beginning SDA farmers. We will also buy produce from the farmers in the Whole Farm Management program to supply current accounts.Evaluation To ensure complete and accurate reporting on the outcomes of this grant, a Program Development & Evaluation Consultant, Allison Goin, will be hired for both years of the grant. Ms. Goin will work with the key partners on this project to develop standard evaluation tools at the start of the project, and will provide support for on-going evaluation efforts, including completing progress and final reports. She will also assist MFA with program development during the grant period, with changes and modifications guided by evaluation results and farmer feedback.Evaluation Methods:- Post-participation surveys for all training courses, field days, conferences, and skill sessions- Pre- and post-participation surveys, with interviews for qualitative feedback and stories, for all farmers participating in the full training program at MFA- Participatory evaluation methods: as mentioned above, MFA is committed to soliciting honest feedback from farmer participants and actively involving beginning farmers in the design and development of its programs. Farmer listening sessions, 1:1 interviews, and focus groups with farmers will continue to be important methods used by MFA during this grant period.- Other methods to be identified by consultant.

PROGRESS: 2016/08 TO 2018/07
Target Audience:The farmer training program continued successfully in this second and final year of the project. Eleven farm teams with 0-3 years' experience participated in the program, and 6 farm teams with 4+ years' experience participated. The farmers in the core training program represented diverse cultures and backgrounds as they do each year. This year the participants included individuals from the following socially-disadvantaged groups: immigrants and refugees of Hmong, Karen, Oromo, Somali and Nigerian backgrounds; as well as farmers who were African American, women, and veterans. A total of 121 unique individuals attended a training, field day, or participated in the full incubator program during the course of the year. Hosted by Minnesota Food Association, the 13th annual Emerging Farmers Conference was held Friday, January 26 - Saturday, January 27, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. A total of 339 attendees registered for the two-day event with 250 people attending, 125 of whom were farmers. 42% more farmers registered this year than in 2017, and overall attendance increased by 33%. Attendees came from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, and South Dakota. Interpreters translated conference sessions into seven languages, which is two more than 2017: Hmong, Karen, Kirundi, Nepali, Somali, Burmese and Spanish. Changes/Problems:It continues to be a challenge to get farmers to the point of moving off the incubator onto their own farm land, with the primary obstacle being the affordability of farm land. They either stay on MFA land for a number of years or stop farming. A few farmers are looking for land, but finding the right match has proven difficult, as is finding the time to even look for land/meet with the T.A. consultant during the growing season. Additionally, unforeseen circumstances - like car accidents, a lot of rain (weeds, blight), etc. - also affect farmers' ability to invest in land. The T.A. consultant created a written guide called "Steps to Purchasing a Farm Property" (attached as an educational material) which will be shared with all farmers in the incubator program once final edits are completed. The consultant, Katie Kubovcik, also conducted multiple site visits & provided 1:1 technical assistance to farmers in how to prepare for a land purchase, but no purchases were completed during the grant period. While we had originally planned to expand some of our training activities to an additional site within the metropolitan area of St. Paul, we were not able to move forward with the site due to a number of factors. We did not have sufficient guaranteed funding for the site, so developing the location was pulling resources away from the primary incubator farm site (both staff time and funding). It was more difficult than expected to deal with the specific requirements of using a city-owned property, and because the site was previously used as a park and baseball diamond, very significant investment would have been required to adequately build the soil and needed infrastructure. Additionally, as a public park in the community, more community engagement work was needed for community support, which is not MFA's forte - we are focused on farmer training and the food hub rather than creating a community space. It was disappointing for the farmers because the location was more convenient for many of them, but it was too much of a stretch for current resources and not a good fit with our mission. Another major challenge/problem for this award was administrative. Despite completing all of our activities as planned, we did not receive payment on the grant for almost the entire second year of the project due to administrative delays resulting from MFA's merger with The Food Group. The process to transfer the grant to the new entity took almost 18 months, and it was very difficult for our staff to get clear instructions on what needed to be done to coordinate between NIFA and ASAP systems to ensure payment. These administrative difficulties with payment could easily have resulted in our not being able to complete the project at all, but due to the merger with a larger organization, we were able to continue with the work without payment. We are still waiting for final payment on this award at the time of filing this report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?2017-2018 Growing Season (grant year 2): - 18 classroom sessions - 3 hands-on community workdays - 5 formal on-farm classes - 6 farm tours + 1 wholesale warehouse tour - 3 group meetings - 1 two-day farmer exchange event with the Farley Center, attended by 13 farmers - 3+ 1:1 meetings with each farm team - Weekly greenhouse & shared plot skill sessions with Farmer Mentor - 1:1 tractor training with 4 farm teams - 1:1 technical assistance on land access by Farm Consultant Katie Kubovcik - 5 farmers are registered to attend the Stone Barns Conference in December 2018 - Annual Emerging Farmers Conference hosted in January 2018 2016-2017 Growing Season (grant year 1): - 25 classes offered - 8 field days hosted (4 were farm tours/took place at other farms) - 4 group meetings with farmers to gather feedback and facilitate shared planning - 5 Community Work Days to build shared infrastructure for the farm and maintain facilities - 8 Greenhouse Skill Sessions - 16 In-field Skill Sessions - 42 formal 1:1 meetings between farmers and staff on a variety of topics including goal planning, organic certification process, skills assessments, year-end reviews, and other topics as needed. - Additional technical assistance provided by consultant Katie Kubovcik and farmer-mentor May Lee - Assisted farmers with attending off-site conferences and training opportunities such as: the MOSES New Farmer U and Annual Organic Farming Conference; Young Farmers Conference (Stone Barns Center); and Witness for Peace Delegation to Cuba. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results for the first year of this project were shared at the BFRDP project directors' meeting in September 2018. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

IMPACT: 2016/08 TO 2018/07
What was accomplished under these goals? The Growing Sustainable Farms: Training, Land and Resources for Beginning Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers project was a collaborative effort led by Minnesota Food Association (MFA) to create opportunities for socially-disadvantaged farmers to launch farm enterprises, and to increase the sustainability of farms operated by socially-disadvantaged farmers with up to 10 years' farming experience. The project reached more than 400 immigrant and minority farmers, in collaboration with numerous other community-based organizations in the Midwest. In-depth training and comprehensive support services were provided to a smaller group of approximately 20 farmers each year who were preparing to launch or building their own independent farm businesses. This training program will continue beyond the conclusion of this BFRDP grant, and will continue to include: classroom sessions on business planning, financial management and marketing; field sessions and workshops demonstrating organic vegetable farming techniques; 1:1 technical assistance; access to high-quality land with needed equipment and infrastructure; and multiple opportunities to connect with and learn from other farmers. MFA also hosts a large annual conference developed for farmers from historically underserved populations. Below are the results for all of the key objectives of the project for the entire 2-year grant period: 1. Farmers who attend a training session will gain new knowledge or skills in a farm-related topic area. Estimated Number: 413, Actual Number: 397 How verified: Evaluation surveys completed by participants in all training sessions 2. Farmers who participate in the incubator program will implement a new production or land management practice. Estimated Number: 38, Actual Number: 43 How verified: Individual interviews with farmers; staff observation 3. Farmers in the incubator program will develop a crop plan to meet production goals and organic certification requirements. Estimated Number: 38, Actual Number: 45 How verified: Completed crop plans will be submitted to staff for review, as well as to the organic certifier. 4. Farmers who enroll in the training program will start their own independent farm businesses on the incubator farm. Estimated Number: 18, Actual Number: 11 How verified: Individual interviews with farmers and staff records. 5. Farmers in the training program will use a new business planning or marketing strategy in their farm plan for the year. Estimated Number: 40, Actual Number: 47 How verified: Individual farmer meetings 6. Farmers enrolled in the training program will commit to continuing to farm in the next season. Estimated Number: 45, Actual Number: 45 How verified: Farmer interviews 7. Farmers who attend Farmer Exchange events will indicate increased awareness of diverse farming methods. Estimated Number: 20, Actual Number: 13 How verified: participant surveys 8. Farmers will gain confidence in the steps they need to take to move their farm business off the incubator. Estimated Number: 6, Actual Number: 8 How verified: Contractor providing 1:1 technical assistance conducted short interviews with farmers at the end of the service. 9. Farmers with 3-10 years experience will begin farming outside the incubator. Estimated Number: 2, Actual Number: 0 How verified: Staff records from farmers receiving 1:1 technical assistance in land access We continued to offer our comprehensive training curriculum which includes classroom training, hands-on skill sessions, field days, mentorship, 1:1 technical assistance, field trips and a large annual conference. We also hosted a Farmer Exchange Event at the Farley Center, which was originally proposed in our application but was not able to be held in the first year. The Farley Center operates a similar farmer training and incubator program as Big River Farms but on a smaller scale, outside of Madison, Wisconsin (about 6 hours from our location). We were able to bring 13 farmers from our program on an overnight trip to visit their facility on March 23-24, 2018. We toured their entire operation, and learned about ways it was similar/different to ours. We shared two meals with staff and farmers at the Farley Center, and we also did a more in-depth training on using mechanical equipment, including a walk-behind tractor and a full size one. The Big River Farms food hub continued to be a major element of the program and was successful in providing all farmers in training with guaranteed markets and experience selling to different types of accounts. Due to the fact that we encourage our farmers to grow ethnic crops that they are interested in selling to their own communities, our CSA includes a number of unique items that consumers are still learning about, and we make efforts to familiarize all customers with each item. Sales total for each type of market in 2018 were: Wholesale Accounts: $7,010.00 Farmers Market: $7,053.50 CSA Sales: $61,222.58 Plant Sales: $888.00 Total Food Hub Sales: $76,174.08 The apprenticeship track we launched in the first year of this project has been extremely successful in achieving its goals of assisting inexperienced individuals with making a manageable entrance into farming, without the risks involved even in managing their own plot at the incubator farm. The shared plot model provides increased structure and training to socially-disadvantaged individuals interested in organic vegetable farming who have little to no prior experience. Those with more experience are still able to start out as first-year farmers in the incubator program as in past years. Based on the experiences we had with launching this new track in year 1 of the grant, we made some modifications this year that were highly successful for the participants -- two women and two men, from Somali, African American, and Indian backgrounds. This year, farmers had assigned crops that were contracted with the CSA, rather than just growing for the farmers market as they did last year. This allowed the farmers to have a guaranteed market for the crops with more specifics on amounts and timing, which created more structure and certainty. We added more mentorship hours and structured skill session times with May Lee, our Farmer Mentor. Participants came to the farm three times per week to work as a group, and regularly sold their excess produce (beyond what was needed to meet the CSA contract) at our weekly farmers' market stall. Everyone in the group had positive remarks about their experience and indicated they learned a lot, starting from ground zero of no prior farming experience. The group of participants created strong bonds and are now considering returning as a collectively-managed independent plot next year. This track is an excellent way for people to explore farming and decide whether they want to continue on the track to creating their own farm businesses. We are hoping over the long term that this will reduce the number of participants who start in the incubator program but drop out due to the time commitment or other factors that they were not sufficiently prepared for in advance. Another success this year was that farmers' record-keeping practices dramatically improved as a result of changes the program manager made to the requirements, and providing each farmer with a record-keeping binder with blank record-keeping forms that they were responsible for bringing to every formal class throughout the year. Final year-end meetings had not yet been conducted at the time of this report, but at midseason review meetings there were barely any records that weren't being properly kept - a huge improvement from past years.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2016/08 TO 2018/07
No publications reported this period.

PROGRESS: 2016/08/01 TO 2017/07/31
Target Audience:For the core training program at Minnesota Food Association, the 2016 season served 10 farmers with 0-3 years experience and 4 farmers with 3-10 years experience; the 2017 season included 12 farmers with 0-3 years experience and 5 farmers with 3-10 years. Participants in the training program included individuals from the following countries: Guatemala, Laos/Thailand, Burma, Bhutan, Ethiopia and Somalia. We also had African American, women, and veteran farmers participate in the program. MFA also hosted the 12th annual Immigrant and Minority Farmers Conference on January 27-28, 2017 in St. Paul, Minnesota. A total of 364 attendees registered for the two-day event with 182 attending on Saturday and 133 on Sunday. Of registered attendees, 57% identified as farmers and the remainder as sponsors, exhibitors, presenters, performers, interpreters, and volunteers. Attendees came from Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Iowa, Kansas, Georgia and Texas, and represented the following cultural and ethnic groups: African American, Bhutanese, Burundian, Caucasian, Eritrean, Hmong, Karen, Latino, Latino-Native American, and Somali. Interpreters translated the conference sessions into Hmong, Karen, Kirundi, Nepali, and Spanish. Farming experience: On average, 68% of the farmers attending this year's conference had been farming less than 5 years, and 13% between 6 - 10 years. 40% of farmers lived less than 10 miles from their farm, and 35% traveled more than 25 miles to get to their farms. 58% of farmers identified as female, and the rest identified as male. 17% of farmers were younger than 30, 45% were between 30 - 40 years old, and 39% were over 40 years old. Changes/Problems:The season unfortunately started out with very challenging weather conditions, including damage from both hail and wind during extreme spring storms. The storms destroyed the MFA greenhouse which is still being rebuilt, and damaged many of the early-season crops that were still very vulnerable. Most of the farmers in the program took a loss as a result of this damage as they are not enrolled in crop insurance programs. Crop insurance training is a part of the MFA training program, but most farmers choose not to participate in programs such as NAP because they find the paperwork requirements to be overwhelming, and MFA does not have the staff capacity to complete this paperwork for the farmers (nor does that set them up for success on their own future farms). We are continuing to look for other resources to help these farmers access crop insurance programs, but even with excellent training resources such as those offered by our partner the Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG), language barriers and literacy issues continue to be an obstacle to accessing these programs. Luckily the Big River Farms CSA did provide some stability for farm income during this early period with members paying up front at the start of the season, and the harvest later in the season made up for the lighter boxes at the start. We also had an excellent showing of support from volunteers who came to help repair the damage, and even received some donations of seedlings to replace the ones that were lost. While the original plan was to also have the Farmers' Legal Action Group (FLAG) provide legal consults to farmers, this component of the project had to be cancelled as FLAG experienced significant staff changes prior to the start of the grant and no longer had the capacity or the specific expertise to provide this service. Resources were re-allocated to other approved grant activities. The farmer exchange event planned with the Farley Center also was not completed during this first year, but is still planned for year 2. The difficulty was with farmer schedules -- many farmers were interested in attending but it was not possible to coordinate everyone's schedule to make a group trip happen during the farm season. We are working with the farmers to plan further in advance and will likely have the trip occur in the spring before farm demands are full-fledged. We also plan to host farmers from the Farley Center at MFA next season, or potentially in conjunction with the 2018 conference (so both exchange events will occur in year 2). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Fall of 2016: - 5 classes offered for farmers (1 on cover crops, 4 in farm marketing series) 2017 Farm Season: - 20 classes offered - 8 field days hosted (4 were farm tours/took place at other farms) - 4 group meetings with farmers to gather feedback and facilitate shared planning - 5 Community Work Days to build shared infrastructure for the farm and maintain facilities - 8 Greenhouse Skill Sessions - 16 In-field Skill Sessions - 42 formal 1:1 meetings between farmers and staff on a variety of topics including goal planning, organic certification process, skills assessments, year-end reviews, and other topics as needed. - Additional technical assistance provided by consultant Katie Kubovcik and farmer-mentor May Lee - Connected farmers with existing scholarships and other partner resources to attend off-site conferences and training opportunities such as: the MOSES New Farmer U and Annual Organic Farming Conference; Young Farmers Conference (Stone Barns Center); and Witness for Peace Delegation to Cuba. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results for this project period have not yet been disseminated but will be included in MFA's annual report to stakeholders and will also be shared at next year's BFRDP project directors' meeting. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?All of the components of our training program will be continued in the next reporting period, and we have already begun recruiting new farmer participants. Planning is also underway for the 2018 Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference (now called the "Emerging Farmers Conference"). One area of improvement is to create more structured and clear expectations for the apprenticeship track, so that participants understand exactly how many hours they will be expected to work on the shared plot, how profits from sales will be distributed, and other issues regarding equal cooperation. While this year the three farmers who shared the plot had wonderful working relationships and no problems at all with communication and expectations, we do not expect that all future groups of farmers will be able to work out the many details of a shared plot on their own. To prevent any future conflicts we will be creating more complete guidelines for next season. We are also going to create a better tracking system for hours worked by farmers toward their "community work fee." This was another new system put in place in the 2017 season to encourage all farmer-trainees to share in the work of maintaining the farm. Each farmer had a $300 fee that they could work off at a rate of $10/hour by participating in work days and projects during the course of the season, such as cleaning the pack shed, helping to put new plastic on greenhouses, and other maintenance tasks for shared infrastructure. While most farmers in the program met over half of these hours to reduce their fee, many had scheduling issues and were not able to work on shared work days. We will be creating a new sign-up system this winter to ensure all farmers who want to have an opportunity to work instead of paying this fee. Work days also serve as excellent hands-on learning experiences, particularly for the many tasks that farmers will be responsible for once they are on their own land.

IMPACT: 2016/08/01 TO 2017/07/31
What was accomplished under these goals? Growing Sustainable Farms: Training, Land and Resources for Beginning Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers is a collaborative effort led by Minnesota Food Association (MFA) to create opportunities for socially-disadvantaged farmers to launch farm enterprises, and to increase the sustainability of farms operated by socially-disadvantaged farmers with up to 10 years' experience. The project reaches more than 200 immigrant and minority farmers each year, in collaboration with other community-based organizations in the Midwest. In-depth training and comprehensive support services are provided to a smaller group of approximately 20 farmers each year who are preparing to launch or building their own independent farm businesses. This training program includes classroom sessions on business planning, financial management and marketing; field sessions and workshops demonstrating organic vegetable farming techniques; 1:1 technical assistance; access to high-quality land with needed equipment and infrastructure; and multiple opportunities to connect with and learn from other farmers. MFA also hosts a large annual conference for farmers from historically underserved populations. This project builds on the success of MFA's previous BFRDP project, Growing Farmers, Growing Food, with refinement of the services offered to best meet the changing needs of the farmers served. Below are the results for all of the key objectives of the project for year 1: 1. Farmers who attend a training session will gain new knowledge or skills in a farm-related topic area. Estimated Number: 413, Actual Number: 207 How verified: Evaluation surveys completed by participants in all training sessions 2. Farmers who participate in the incubator program will implement a new production or land management practice. Estimated Number: 38, Actual Number: 20 How verified: Individual interviews with farmers; staff observation 3. Farmers in the incubator program will develop a crop plan to meet production goals and organic certification requirements. Estimated Number: 38, Actual Number: 28 How verified: Completed crop plans will be submitted to staff for review, as well as to the organic certifier. 4. Farmers who enroll in the training program will start their own independent farm businesses on the incubator farm. Estimated Number: 18, Actual Number: 7 How verified: Individual interviews with farmers and staff records. 5. Farmers in the training program will use a new business planning or marketing strategy in their farm plan for the year. Estimated Number: 40, Actual Number: 32 How verified: Individual farmer meetings 6. Farmers enrolled in the training program will commit to continuing to farm in the next season. Estimated Number: 45, Actual Number: 22 How verified: Farmer interviews 7. Farmers who attend Farmer Exchange events will indicate increased awareness of diverse farming methods. Estimated Number: 20, Actual Number: 0 How verified: participant surveys 8. Farmers will gain confidence in the steps they need to take to move their farm business off the incubator. Estimated Number: 6, Actual Number: 1 How verified: Contractor providing 1:1 technical assistance conducted short interviews with farmers at the end of the service. 9. Farmers with 3-10 years experience will begin farming outside the incubator. Estimated Number: 2, Actual Number: 0 How verified: Staff records from farmers receiving 1:1 technical assistance in land access One excellent success was the creation of the new apprenticeship track, in which three participants in the training program shared a 3/8 acre plot for their first year in the program, rather than tending their own 1/4 acre plots as in the past. This was a change implemented with the start of this grant and was a response to past feedback form farmers and observations of staff about the challenges for first-year farmers. The shared plot structure still gave the training participants hands-on farming experience and the opportunity to manage their own plot, but in partnership with other beginning farmers and with intensive guidance from farmer-mentors and staff. The smaller acreage and additional support allowed these first-time farmers to gain confidence and learn new skills without becoming overwhelmed. The participants had many positive comments to share about their experience with this new model, which are included in the stories/quotes section below. We also continued to operate the Big River Farms food hub, which provides guaranteed markets to all of the farmers participating in the land-based component of our training program. The food hub cultivates a diversity of accounts to give farmers experience with selling through different types of markets. For the 2017 season, total sales for the food hub were: Farmers Market (BRF shared stall only - some farmers also went to their own markets) - $3,164 CSA - $42,285 Wholesale - $9,267 Fruit share - $4,703 TOTAL: $59,419 Another success this year was the transfer of the larger wholesale accounts formerly managed by the Big River Farms to a local farmer cooperative, Shared Ground, which has many immigrant farmer members, including some graduates of the MFA training program. Shared Ground took over management of the wholesale accounts Big River Farms had established for its farmers, including one with a local school district, but continued to purchase produce from the MFA farmers. They were able to supplement what the MFA farmers grew with crops grown by the co-op members, ensuring a better supply for the large accounts while continuing to give the farmers in training access to the market opportunity. The other positive part of this transfer is that the Shared Ground Co-op can continue to purchase from MFA farmers after they are no longer in the training program, giving them a more sustainable market over time. While our original intention had been to host these apprentices at a new urban farm site at Harvest Park in Maplewood, Minnesota, the site will not be ready for planting until the 2019 season. There were a number of delays in the process of finalizing the agreement for the land, which is owned by the city, and the original site was moved to accommodate requests from neighborhood residents. The new location is on an area that was a baseball field and will need significant soil rehabilitation before it can be used for growing. The plan is now finalized, however, and MFA seeded our first cover crop this fall. We are also seeking additional funders to build infrastructure at the site. While this site will not host the apprenticeship plots during the grant period as we had hoped, it will still be used as a demonstration site for our farmers in training about how to cultivate new land and build infrastructure. Another new activity for this grant period was offering 1:1 technical assistance to farmers about finding their own land to farm when they were ready to move off of the MFA incubator. We worked with consultant Katie Kubovcik to provide this service to one farmer this year, a process that was much more time-consuming than originally estimated. Katie worked individually with MFA graduate Aung Thin, a Karen farmer who had farmed at MFA for 4 years, to locate a farm property and apply for an FSA loan. Unfortunately, near the end of the process Aung Thin had to return to Burma to attend to a family emergency and was not able to complete the purchase of the farm, although it looked likely that the loan would have been approved. This process was very educational for both the consultant and the farmer. Katie will be offering this service again in 2017 with some modifications to limit the extensive time commitment. We also plan to work with Katie to identify ways to improve the FSA loan process for immigrant farmers, with ideas such as offering cultural training for FSA employees, and additional training for farmers about the process.

PUBLICATIONS: 2016/08/01 TO 2017/07/31
No publications reported this period.