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INVESTIGATOR: Howard, T.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
NATIONAL CENTER FOR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
3040 CONTINENTAL DR., P.O. BOX 3838
BUTTE, MONTANA 59701

BUILDING FARM FOUNDATIONS AND PLANNING FOR SUCCESS: BEGINNING FARMER TRAINING FOR MILITARY VETERANS IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) will partner with Great Falls Community College, Montana Farmers Union, Alternative Energy Resources Organization and the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition, and the Farmers Veteran Coalition to educate and support military veterans who are beginning farmers in Montana. Our project, Building Farm Foundations and Planning for Success: Beginning Farmer Training for Military Veterans will work with over 100 beginning farmers who are military veterans in Montana and the intermountain west. We will recruit beyond the borders of Montana to the intermountain states. We will train at least 45 military veteran beginning farmers in each year of our project through our intensive trainings, one-on-one technical assistance, and partner workshops. We will provide intensive training through the week-long Armed to Farm training program. Armed to Farm is NCAT's sustainable agriculture training program for military veterans, which has been replicated in five states. The project will also offer farm business planning assistance to military veterans through partner workshops and one-on-one technical assistance. We will build and strengthen the network of military veteran beginning farmers through outreach and support of existing veteran networks in Montana and surrounding states. Throughout the project we will evaluate the impacts of our training and outreach.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term project goalThe long-term goal of this project is to support military veterans in Montana as they start and run farming operations by providing training and technical assistance on sustainable agriculture production methods and farm business planning. Our project will also facilitate access to USDA and Montana programs, improve the sustainability of existing farming operations, and support military veteran beginning farmers through networking and technical assistance.Objective 1): Provide beginning farmer training to military veterans in Montana.Objective 2): Provide business planning assistance to military veteran beginning farmers.Objective 3): Expand and strengthen the military veteran beginning farmer network throughout Montana.Objective 4): Cultivate new veteran grain farmers

APPROACH: The following is a description and timeline of the methods to accomplish our objectives:Late Summer - Early Fall 2016Team members meet to coordinate project outreach and training activities for Year One.Project director attends annual BFRD project directors' meeting.Team plans Armed to Farm training to be held in Great Falls, MT.Team conducts extensive outreach for Armed to Farm Training.Late Fall 2016First Armed to Farm training in Great Falls and North Central Montana to be attended by 30 beginnings farm veterans.Winter and Early Spring 2017Project partners continue with network building and networking activities for military veteran beginning farmers.Project partners recruit veteran farmers for Planning for On Farm Success business planning workshop.At least 4 veterans participate in one-on-one technical assistance for business planning, market planning, and farm financing.Veteran farmer apprentice recruitment Vilicus Training Institute.Project Partners meet to plan Armed to Farm 2017 TrainingsFollow up evaluation phone calls and surveys from 2016 Armed to Farm Trainings.Team conducts extensive outreach for Armed to Farm TrainingSummer 2017NCAT and CFAC host an Armed to Farm training in Missoula attended by 30 military veteran beginning farmers.At least one veteran will participate in farm immersion training through the apprenticeship at Vilicus Training Institute.At least five beginning veteran farmers attend annual farm tours held by CFAC and AERO.Project partners continue with network building and networking activities for military veteran beginning farmers.NCAT completes project evaluation and outcome-based reporting for Year One.Vilicus Training Institute trains at least one veteran farm apprentice on equipment and soil management for grain farms.Fall 2017Team members meet to coordinate project outreach and training activities for Year Two.Project director attends annual BFRD project directors' meeting.Winter 2017-2018Team starts planning for Armed to Farm training to be held in Whitefish, MT.CFAC holds its last Planning for On Farm Success business planning workshop attended by at least four military veteran beginning farmers.At least four veterans participate in one-on-one technical assistance for business planning, market planning, and farm financing.As part of networking efforts, project partners sponsor veterans to attend winter farming conferences.Follow up evaluation phone calls and surveys from 2017 Armed to Farm Trainings.Vilicus Training Institute and veteran farm apprentice present at, at least, one farm conference in Montana on apprentice grain program and lessons learned.Spring 2018Project partners continue with network building and networking activities for military veteran beginning farmers.Summer 2018NCAT hosts an Armed to Farm training in Whitefish, MT attended by 30 military veteran beginning farmers.At least five beginning veteran farmers attend annual farm tours held by CFAC and AERO.Project partners continue with network building, apprentice referrals, and networking activities for military veteran beginning farmers.Vilicus Training Institute works with at least one veteran farm apprentice on land access and acquisition.NCAT completes project evaluation and outcome-based reporting for Year One.Fall 2018Team members meet to coordinate project evaluation and wrap up in Year Three.Project director attends annual BFRD project directors' meeting.Winter 2018-2019At least four veterans participate in one-on-one technical assistance for business planning, market planning, and farm financing.As part of networking efforts, project partners sponsor veterans to attend winter farming conferences and farmer veteran meetings.Vilicus Training Institute mentors apprentices as new grain farmers.Vilicus Training Institute writes Best Practices for Veteran Grain Apprentice program.NCAT distributes apprentice best practice publication through winter conferences; organizational partners, NCAT's ATTRA and Armed to Farm websites.Follow up evaluation phone calls and surveys from 2018 Armed to Farm Trainings.Summer 2019Project partners continue with network building and networking activities for military veteran beginning farmers.At least five beginning veteran farmers attend annual farm tours held by CFAC and AERO.NCAT and partners complete final project evaluation, including a follow-up evaluation with participants, and report on the best practices for promoting success and progress in new farming careers for military veterans.Ongoing throughout the entire project periodProject team meets at least quarterly to coordinate and plan project activities.Project team provides one-on-one technical assistance on business planning and sustainable agriculture production to military veterans.Frequent learning opportunities and support provided to military veteran beginning farmers provided through networking efforts. These opportunities include meet-ups, ongoing technical support, training opportunities, and access to resources. At least 90 military veterans in Montana will be connected to existing and developing networks.Frequent input from project team, military veterans, and other stakeholders on resources and workshop topics.Frequent communication among military veteran beginning farmers around Montana through listserves, social media, and other communications tools that are identified by participating veterans.NCAT adds resource materials to its Armed to Farm website.NCAT, Great Falls College, Farmer Veteran Coalition, Community Food and Agriculture Coalition, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, and Vilicus Training Institute, and MT Farmers Union, coordinate with related groups in Montana, taking full advantage of already established relationships and opportunities.Frequent posting of materials, updates, and results to the FarmAnswers.org website.

PROGRESS: 2016/08/15 TO 2017/08/14
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is military veteran beginning farmers. Changes/Problems:We may need to adjust our objective of training a veteran grain farmer. The project is 1/2 over and we have yet to recruit a grain apprentice at Vilicus Training instititue despite multiple outreach efforts. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two week long veteran Armed to Farm training programs with 45 participants total. We have provided 40 veterans technical assistance on beginning farmer business planning. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Multiple press articles have been featured for our trainings throughout Montana. A link to one of the articles can be seen here: http://missoulian.com/news/local/back-from-the-brink-montana-based-program-aims -to-help/article 511d0825-285a-5c33-8d25-d8f88e46d54e.html What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will hold an Armed to Farm training in Eastern Montana We will continue to provide technical assistance to participants and veterans on their farming start-up questions. We willexpand our social media and email networks of past Armed to Farm participants. We will try to expand our outreach for a veteran grain farm apprentice program.

IMPACT: 2016/08/15 TO 2017/08/14
What was accomplished under these goals? Since our funding began in August 2016, we have 1. Held two week long Armed to Farm training in two separate regions in Montana. Our first Armed to Farm training was held in Great Falls, MT. This was the first year of our training in Montana, so we had less applicants than usual. We had 27 applicant and of those 23 were selected from the intermountain west, which is the geographical limitation that we identified in the proposal. Our second training was held in Western Montana in the Mission Valley. We had 42 applications and 28 participants attended the training. 2. Provided technical assistance to 40 veterans for farm business start-up and management since the project's inception 3. Developed a network through Facebook, Email and, a database.There are 150 members on the closed Armed to Farm group and 20 members on the 2017 Armed to Farm Facebook Group. NCAT has also set up a networking database that was just launched. 4. Desptie much outreach for a veteran farmer grain apprentice, there still has been no progress towards this objective.

PUBLICATIONS: 2016/08/15 TO 2017/08/14
No publications reported this period.