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INVESTIGATOR: Crockett, D.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
ANGELIC ORGANICS LEARNING CENTER
1547 ROCKTON ROAD
CALEDONIA, ILLINOIS 61011-9572

OPEN BOOKS: OPEN FARMLAND INCREASING FARM ECONOMIC VIABILITY IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The Open Books: Open Farmland project is led by Angelic Organics Learning Center, Liberty Prairie Foundation and Upper Midwest CRAFT farmer alliance. Over a 3-year period the project will bring farmer-led services to a pool of approximately 217 beginning sustainable agriculture farmers and trainees (110 farms in our collaborative network plus 26 start-up farms times 1.6 farmer-trainees per farm). The long-term goal of the Open Books: Open Farmland project is to help beginning farmers develop viable, financially robust farm businesses in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. This project is led by farmers and collaborative non-profit partners who are the leaders of innovation in farmer training in the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin region. As requested by farmers, this project is a deep dive into addressing two major barriers for beginning farmers: financial management training and land tenure. Our primary approach is to design and integrate farm economic viability programs into an established fleet of farmer-led farmer training programs for beginning sustainable agriculture farmers in their first ten years of business. Additionally, the project reaches new constituencies that have been underserved by current regional farmer training programs, including grain farmers, pasture-based livestock farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, and experienced farmers who are preparing to serve as mentors.

OBJECTIVES: The long-term goal of the Open Books: Open Farmland project is to help beginning farmers develop viable, financially robust farm businesses in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The objectives of the Open Books: Open Farmland project during the grant period are to:Create and launch farm finance working groups and a mentoring program that enhance farm financial management and improve the economic viability of at least 40 farms.Increase access to capital and related financing training for 24-48 farmers.Increase land access for beginning farmers using innovative farmland transfer strategies and create a link program to match retiring farmers with beginning farmers in need of land, resulting in at least 6 successful matches over the project period.Build the collective knowledge of best practices in improving farm economic viability; disseminate results with others.