Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Walrafen, M.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas
2220 Central Ave.
Kansas City, KANSAS 66102

NEW ROOTS FOR REFUGEES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas (CCNEK) requested funds in partnership with Cultivate Kansas City (CKC), to fund a successful incubator training farm called New Roots for Refugees, and new activities that support the scaling up of refugee farmers to meet wholesale demand in the Kansas City area.The long term goal is that refugees farm in Kansas City independently on land that they own or lease at a scale that they desire and manage. To reach this goal, we have identified the following objectives: Removal of Barriers to Marketing, Adapted and Increased Agricultural Skills, Financial Management and Farm Capitalization, and Whole Farm Planning.CCNEK and CKC have been working together since 2005 to help refugees start farm businesses, providing infrastructure, training, technical assistance, and marketing support. CCNEK has a long history of working with refugees, while CKC brings agricultural expertise, making an effective partnership for serving refugee farmers.The incubator farm program provides non-traditional lease agreements to gain access to land that require refugees to complete trainings and establish a path toward managing their own farm business. For each year of the program, refugee farmers take on additional responsibilities, taking the refugee farmer from dependency to independent farm business operator in 4 years. Specific emphasis is put on using equipment to maximize effeciency and profit.100% of program funds will go to Non-Governmental Organizations to support Socially Disadvantaged and limited-resource farmers.

OBJECTIVES: The long term goal of New Roots for Refugees is that refugees will farm independently on owned land or through lease agreements at a scale that they desire, achieve and manage. Below are 4 supporting objectives.1) Removal of Barriers to Marketing: Lack of formal education, market knowledge, and English skills can prevent refugees from accessing retail and wholesale markets and limit ability to engage in effective customer interactions, therefore limiting their sales potential. Barriers to vehicle ownership and driving skills can make traveling to markets or delivering produce without assistance overwhelming experiences.OutputsOutcomesGrant PeriodGrant PeriodLong-Range16 farmers in training are paired with weekly English volunteers yearly (December to March)Refugee farmers have improved English Language proficiencyRefugee farmers are able to access and utilize a wide array of marketing channels and maximize salesFarmers gain confidence in creating and maintaining relationships with customers and pursue new sales leads independentlyFarmers attend markets independently35 farmers in training yearly are registered to sell at 2 weekly farmers' markets (June-October)Farmers in their 2nd- 4th years will be paired with 3-5 CSA Members yearly and assisted in forming relationships with those customers10 Graduate farmers are assisted yearly with market applications, insurance, and communication as neededFarmers in 3rd & 4th years take on leadership in wholesale marketingIncrease in marketing and sales opportunities for the products of refugee farmers1st year farmers sell an average of $2,000; 2nd year, $3,500; 3rd and 4th year, $6,000Graduates sell an average of $10,000Farmers develop relationships with buyers that continue after graduation4 Workshops on marketing opportunities in the US yearly: Farmers' Markets, CSA, Wholesale, and Pricing2 Field Trips annually to larger farming and wholesale operations are organizedRefugee farmers have experience selling their produce through multiple marketing channelsFarmers understand the benefits of scaling up and indicate desire to scale up when future planning1:1 support for 1st year farmers at markets, including transportationFarmers take steps towards going to market independently2) Adapted and Improved Agricultural Skills: Refugee farmers have significant experience farming in their home countries, but come from very different climates and markets. In general, they are not familiar with using mechanization in their production. Tillers, tractors, mulch layers, and other implements, as well as greenhouses and high tunnels, are unfamiliar to them. Studies clearly show that farmers who grow at a larger scale and use more mechanization increase their income potential.OutputsOutcomesGrant PeriodGrant PeriodLong-Range15 workshops focused on organic production, equipment, post-harvest handling, farm records, season extension, and minimizing crop risks, yearly January-OctoberRefugee farmers have increased knowledge of organic farmingRefugee farmers have improved retention of training materialfrom workshops; program staff can develop more advanced material as farmers retain more informationRefugees manage farm production independently2 workshops on product diversification yearlyFarmers implement production of high value, diversified crops and productsFarmers have sustainable farm businesses because of diversificationBi-weekly meetings with farmers and staff to evaluate production, address pests, diseases, weeds and other concerns, yearly April-OctoberFarmers apply improved agricultural skills and technologiesFarmers use equipment independently or with limited supervisionFarmers exhibit increased use of resource conservation and sustainability practicesFarmers have a broad knowledge of overall production planning and management4 trainings on equipment usage yearlyA demonstration plot will be maintained by staff (supported by farmers in training & volunteers) for selling wholesale, using equipment, and showcasing technologies3) Financial Management and Farm Capitalization: Most refugee farmers arrive in the US with only basic record-keeping skills and without knowinghow to acquire land. Financial management and business planning are also unfamiliar. Because of cultural differences, helping farmers learn the value of record-keeping and planning requires intensive and creative education over time. Through non-traditional land leases, savings requirements, and financial management training and support, farmers will develop the financial and production records that prepare them for taking out loans, acquiring land and achieving business independence.OutputsOutcomesGrant PeriodGrant PeriodLong-Range35 refugee farmers will cultivate 16, 1/4 acre plots at the Training Farm yearlyFarmers take on additional responsibility, moving towards independence35 farmers identify and develop 16 independent farms with help from the Graduate Farm DeveloperRefugee farmers operate successful farm businesses, create extra income, and increase their families' self-sufficiencyStaff will meet with farmers nearing graduation to make a financial plan for acquiring farm sitesStaff assist 35 farmers in opening bank accounts and learning basic banking processesRefugee farmers save 30% of sales in bank accounts to pay for taxes and expenses in subsequent seasonsRefugees keep financial records for their farm businessesRefugees have higher levels of financial literacy and access the US banking systemBusinesses registered and sales taxes paid.Refugee farmers are integrated into US banking system, save for the future, keep financial records and have access to capitalDuring bi-weekly meetings, staff will cover the financial elements of operating a farm business with farmers4 Workshops yearly covering financial management topics (taxes, recordkeeping, budgeting)4.) Whole Farm Planning: At the Training Farm, our infrastructure and systems model affordable, efficient, and safe farming practices. Farmers learn about refrigeration, tool and equipment use, smart use of city water, and other basics of farm operation. When farmers graduate, they often purchase properties with no improvements andmust developa farm from bare land. Many refugees farmed land in their home countries that was passed along from generation to generation, and they were not involved in the initial farm development at our training farm. As a result, most farmers are unaware of the construction, plumbing, and electrical skills that may be necessary in creating their future farm.Sourcing and purchasing materials have also proven to be challenging for graduates. By working with a Graduate Farm Developer (GFD) a position funded by CKC and not included in the grant budget,the graduates will develop a whole farm plan and will begin implementation.OutputsOutcomesGrant PeriodGrant PeriodLong-RangeProgram Staff will work with 35 farmers nearing graduation to develop a production and infrastructure plan for 17 independent farm site.Farmers will utilize up to 40 hours of the GFD's time in constructing buildings (sheds, high tunnels, greenhouses, walk-in coolers, etc), buying equipment, or other site development activities dependent on their plan.35 Farmers have a farm development plan that includes infrastructure, farm layout, equipment needs, and soil improvement activities; a budget for farm development, information about sourcing infrastructure and equipment, and a timeline for developing the farm.Farms are well-designed, efficient, and productive.Farmers competently manage businesses and understand the diverse skills needed to develop efficient and productive farms.Farmers will know where to source materials.Program staff will work with graduates to develop their own farm name, logo and marketing materials.Farmers have their own brand.Farmers are able to market their products on their own.

APPROACH: The training farm is divided into sixteen ¼ acre parcels of land for aspiring farmers who meet program requirements and who are selected through a competitive interview process. Participant requirements and responsibilities increase with each year in the program, taking the farmer from a dependency to self-sufficiency in four years.Participants must complete 25 trainings annually on organic farming, marketing, record keeping, and small business management in order to lease a ¼ acre plot of land. These trainings are provided by CCNEK and CKC staff beginning during the winter and continuing throughout the growing season. Trainings are held at the training farm and are taught using a combination of visuals and hands-on learning. Organic farming trainings focus on sustainable production and address soil improvement, pest management, weed control, water usage, crop rotation, and season extension. The marketing trainings focus on post-harvest handling, marketing channels, CSA management (all farmers are eligible to participate in the New Roots for Refugees CSA after their first year), selling wholesale, product mix, risk management, pricing, and merchandizing. Record keeping sessions concentrate on simple methods for recording planting schedules, work done in the field, budgeting, bookkeeping, and paying sales and income taxes. Business management workshops address business and farm planning. Interpretation for all meetings and trainings will be provided by the staff Burmese Assistant or contracted interpreters.In 2013 we began developing new curriculum addressing wholesale production and marketing; going forward, the farmers will get 1-2 classroom workshops annually on wholesale production, will do 2 field trips to larger farms selling in wholesale markets and to packing houses, and third and fourth year farmers will attend 1-2 conferences or workshops annually that are focused on wholesale practices. (In 2013, four of the farmers attended the day long "Wholesale Success" workshop offered by Family Farmed, accompanied by an interpreter.) On an individual basis, farmers will attend the Great Plains Growers Conference and local workshops organized by K-State and University of Missouri Extension programs.The farmers will also be introduced to equipment for wholesale operations through an annual workshop and follow-up one-to-one sessions where they will learn about and operate equipment that is designed for wholesale production. A second workshop and follow-up sessions will be geared to equipment maintenance and repair. We will set aside a demonstration plot at the farm for equipment "practice" and will also assist the farmers in using the equipment in their own plots; these trainings and use of the equipment will also be made available to all the graduate farmers. We currently have one BCS tiller that is utilized by farmers in training. After graduation, many farmers want to purchase the exact model that we have because they are comfortable with it. Through this application, we will increase the types and scales of equipment available for our farmers' use, and expect to see this expansion translate to additional equipment use and purchase by graduate farmers.First year farmers and farmers that are not working at other jobs are required to attend weekly English Language conversation classes December through March. Classes will be led by trained volunteers, be tailored to the level of the farmer and will focus on production vocabulary, plant and vegetable names, conversations for farmers' markets, weighing and calculating price, US currency and making change, and record keeping.During the market season, CCNEK will provide intensive marketing support. For farmers' in their first year, program staff will accompany them to market and assist them in merchandising, pricing, interacting with customers, and keeping financial records at the end of market. CCNEK staff will seek to gain access for refugee farmers to an increasing number of marketing opportunities.Farmer progress and objectives are evaluated throughout the season, culminating in an annual meeting with every farmer in the fall of each year. Farmers work to identify their goals for the upcoming year and chart their growth on the Self Sufficiency Evaluation, a tool that lists the competencies that the farmers should be able to do independently by the time they leave the training farm.At the end of season evaluations, farmers are asked to envision the farm they'd like to operate in the future and their future customer base, so we can better help them learn the skills they need to grow at that scale and to sell in those marketing channels.In their fourth year, based on their farming goals and financial capacity, we look at land options with them; our goal is for them to own or have a lease on land by the end of the growing season so they can, over the winter, begin new farm development.Once they have acquired land, they will, with funding from this grant, begin farm development with Program Staff. Each graduate will have up to 70 hours of time with staff to do the following:1. Develop a 3-5 year plan for the farm including production areas, infrastructure (storage buildings, high tunnels, greenhouses, packing sheds, etc.), roads, fencing, and water and electrical supply.2. Develop an equipment plan (mowers, tillers, tractors, etc.).3. Create a detailed budget for site development and equipment (depending on the timing for construction/ acquisition of the specific parts).4. Create a marketing plan based on farmers strengths that includes farm branding5. Provide training and support to implement the plan (e.g., accompanying the farmer when shopping for tractors, helping the farmer construct a high tunnel).Throughout this process, the approach will continue to be focused on self-sufficiency, with program staff teaching and encouraging the farmer to take ownership so the farmer and family members develop the skills and knowledge they need. And, to the greatest degree possible, we will ask the farmer to enlist the help of other farmers and community members to expand the circle of knowledge and experience.All workshop activities and English language classes will take place at Catholic Charities' or the Training Farm office. The office is a public housing apartment that has been given in-kind to CKC for the purpose of supporting new farmers. Both locations are on a bus line and is accessible to all participants. The program is popular among the refugee communities in Kansas City, and is largely spread through word of mouth. We have more applicants than space every year, and maintain a waiting list. Information sessions will be held annually at CCNEK in the month of September or October for placement on the training farm in the upcoming season. Referrals will be given to the program by the agency's Employment Specialists and Case Managers.Helping recently arrived refugees purchase land is an idea made possible by our program's commitment to building partnerships with local realtors, landholders and supporters of beginning farmers. Kansas City also boasts low land costs and several mini-grants and supporting organizations that can help offset the cost of graduate site development. Another novel idea is our individual sales model. Many training farms aggregate market and CSA sales, so that farmers in training only see one piece of the sales puzzle. The New Roots program trains its farmers in every piece, so they are able to sell independently once they graduate. This model is more labor and cost intensive initially, but increases sustainability in the long term.

PROGRESS: 2016/08 TO 2019/07
Target Audience: Audience Emphasis Immigrant producers Limited resource producers Small farms Urban producers Women Participants Served Record the total number of unique participants who participated in your program: Total Number of Participants: 60 Enter the actual cumulative number of participants who as a result of your program: Started farming: Target - 39, Actual - 42 Helped prepare to start farming: Target - 0, Actual - 1 Improved farming success: Target - 60, Actual - 60 Changes/Problems: In our second grant year, we changed our class structure from weekly over 5 months to 3 times weekly over 3 months, and created topics to specific levels in our program. This change went really well, and ultimately lead to higher attendance rates and more engagement during farm classes. We changed our field walk schedule in the third year of the grant, and found that farmers really appreciated this change. We reduced the number of formal classes we had, provided "office hours" with staff available, and increased the frequency of field walks with first years farmers, which allowed us to provide hands-on, one-on-one training with equipment in the farmers' fields. We significantly changed our evaluations at the end of 2018. We reorganized the questions into categories, revised the questions in order to get better answers, and added photo cards that represented each category. These photo cards were introduced each time we began a new topic, until all of the categories were visually represented at the end of the meeting. Then, we used the visuals to help farmers set goals for themselves, as well as identify areas that our program could improve. This allowed us to then aggregate everyone's answers and see which areas across our programming we needed to improve from a farmer perspective. It also allowed us to craft our farm classes to what farmers were most interested in learning, rather than just what we thought they might want to learn. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Total Meetings: 196 Total Meeting Participants: 911 Total Webinars: 0 Total Webinar Participants: 0 Total Website Visits: 0 Total Online Course Participants: 0 Meetings 1/26/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 2/2/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 2/9/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 3/23/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/30/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 13 4/6/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 4/20/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 12 5/4/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 13 5/18/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 2/16/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 2/22/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 2/23/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 15 3/9/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/17/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 25 7/10/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/11/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/12/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/13/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/14/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/17/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/18/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/19/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/20/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/21/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/24/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/25/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/26/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/27/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/28/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/31/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/1/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/2/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/3/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/4/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 10/26/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 2/12/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 15 2/14/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 11 2/16/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 2/19/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 2/21/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 12 2/23/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 11 2/26/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 2/28/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 9 3/2/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 12 3/5/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 3/7/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/9/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/19/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/21/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/23/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 3/26/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 3/28/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 5 4/2/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 4/4/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 4/6/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 4/9/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14? 5/2/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/4/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/7/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/9/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/11/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/14/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/16/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/18/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/21/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/23/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/25/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/30/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 6/1/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 6/4/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 6/6/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 6/8/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 6/11/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 6/13/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 6/15/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 6/18/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 6/19/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 6/20/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 6/22/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 6/25/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 6/29/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 7/2/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 7/6/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 7/9/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 7/10/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 7/11/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 7/13/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 7/18/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 7/20/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 7/23/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 7/24/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 7/25/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 7/30/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 4/16/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 4/18/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 4/20/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 4/23/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 4/25/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 4/27/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 4/30/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 5/2/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/4/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 5/7/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/9/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 5/11/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 5/14/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/16/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/18/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 5/21/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 1 5/23/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 5/25/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 5/30/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 6/3/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 7/2/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 1/19/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 15 1/19/2019: Kansas Citty, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 2/11/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 2/12/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 2/14/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 7 2/18/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 5 3/7/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 2 3/5/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 9 3/11/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 3/18/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 3/19/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 3/21/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 3/25/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 4/1/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 9 5/6/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 5/7/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 8/26/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 5 8/26/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 8/12/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 11/5/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 12/3/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 1/28/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 3 4/17/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 4/15/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 11/2/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 11/9/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 11/16/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 11/30/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 12/7/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 12/14/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 12/21/2018: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 1/11/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 1/18/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 1/25/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 2/1/2019: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 4 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Recruitment Flyer Refugees who are interested in owning a farm business in Kansas City. Pop-up market flyer We found that many organizations wanted to host a pop-up market but did not invest much time in promotion, so we began asking for a $150 minimum, which the host organization would pay to our farmer if the farmer did not sell at least $150 in produce. This is the flyer we use to promote pop-up markets. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

IMPACT: 2016/08 TO 2019/07
What was accomplished under these goals? The New Roots for Refugees incubator farm program provides non-traditional lease agreements to gain access to land that require refugees to complete trainings and establish a path toward managing their own farm business. For each year of the program, refugee farmers take on additional responsibilities, taking the farmer from dependency to independent farm business operator in 4 years.The long term goal of our project was that refugees farm in Kansas City independently on land that they own or lease at a scale that they desire and manage. Over the 3 years of this grant, we have made stellar improvements to our graduation and evaluation processes, which in turn have set our farmers up for greater success in the future. With funding from this grant, we have also been able to reach out to previous graduates and support them (with staff time, not direct funding) in making much-needed improvements to their farm equipment and infrastructure. In total we have helped 42 people start farming, and helped 60 people improve their farming success throught this program. Result 1. Refugee farmers have improved English Language proficiency. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Interpersonal, family, and business relationships When measured: Annual evaluation Estimated Number: 39, Actual Number: 42 How verified: English attendance tracked, improvement noted on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 2. Increase in community marketing and sales opportunities for products of refugee farmers. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Local, regional, and direct marketing When measured: Bi-weekly field walks, annual evaluation Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Sales numbers gathered and analyzed. Result 3. First year farmers average $2,000. Second year farmers average $3,500. Third & fourth year farmers average $6,000. Graduate farmers average $10,000. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Financial records and analysis When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Sales are tracked and recorded. Result 4. Refugee farmers have experience selling their produce through multiple marketing channels. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Marketing plans and strategies When measured: Annual evaluation Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Farmers set goals that reflect importance of diversified sales outlets. Result 5. Farmers understand the benefits of scaling up and indicate desire to do so when future planning. Producer action: Decide, Topic: Marketing plans and strategies When measured: Annual evaluation Estimated Number: 13, Actual Number: 13 How verified: Farmers set goals that reflect desire to scale up. Result 6. Farmers take steps towards going to markets independently. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Local, regional, and direct marketing When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 26 How verified: Farmers drive themselves to market independent of staff. Result 7. Refugee farmers have increased knowledge of organic farming practices. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: Bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 39, Actual Number: 39 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 8. Farmers implement production of high-value, diversified crops. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Product and enterprise diversification When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 9, Actual Number: 14 How verified: Staff will record notes on what products farmers sell. Result 9. Farmers apply improved agricultural skills and technologies. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Economic risk of new technologies When measured: Ongoing, bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 19, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 10. Farmers use equipment independently or with limited supervision. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Economic risk of new technologies When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 21, Actual Number: 21 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts changes on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 11. Farmers exhibit increased use of resource conservation and sustainability practices like drip tape, row cover, cover crops, crop rotation, etc. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Conservation When measured: Ongoing, bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 19, Actual Number: 19 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 12. Farmers will take on additional responsibility for managing their farm business, moving towards independence. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Ongoing, bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 19, Actual Number: 19 How verified: Staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 13. Farmers will work with graduate site developer to identify and develop independent farms. Producer action: Develop, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 14, Actual Number: 14 How verified: Site development notes/plans are kept in farmer files. Result 14. Farmers open bank accounts for their farm businesses. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Acquiring and managing credit When measured: First year in program Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Staff will assist farmers or ask for verification of account. Result 15. Farmers will keep financial records from their farm businesses. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Financial records and analysis When measured: Bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Staff will observe farmers' financial records. Result 16. Refugee farmers improve their financial literacy and increase access to the US banking system. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Acquiring and managing credit When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Observation of savings and other financial transactions. Result 17. Farmers will have a farm development plan that includes infrastructure & equipment needs, a budget for farm development, and a timeline for implementation. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 14, Actual Number: 14 How verified: Site development notes/plans are kept in farmer files. Result 18. Graduate farmers have their own brand independent of the New Roots program. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Branded, certified, or identity preserved marketing When measured: Post-graduation Estimated Number: 14, Actual Number: 14 How verified: Branding is observed where graduates sell their produce.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2016/08 TO 2019/07
No publications reported this period.

PROGRESS: 2016/08/01 TO 2017/07/31
Target Audience: Audience Emphasis Immigrant producers Limited resource producers Small farms Urban producers Women Participants Served Record the total number of unique participants who participated in your program: Total Number of Participants: 19 Enter the actual cumulative number of participants who as a result of your program: Started farming: Target - 39, Actual - 19 Helped prepare to start farming: Target - 0, Actual - 1 Improved farming success: Target - 60, Actual - 27 Changes/Problems: Describe any unexpected results of the project: We have spent time this year establishing new wholesale accounts and working to determine what customers want and how we can establish more stable, reoccurring orders with those customers in the coming years. While there are many businesses that we know are excited to buy from us, establishing continual orders of a high volume has been a challenge. We are looking forward to another two full grant years to be able to address these challenges. For the first time this year we have experienced graduating farmers wanting to rent land temporarily rather than purchase. As a result, we are learning with farmers how to set up a formal rental arrangement, and working through the challenges of water access and infrastructure development on rented land. How would you improve this project if you were to do it again? This year we successfully worked with farmers to train them on the nuances of planning, washing, and packing for wholesale in comparison to markets or CSA. While we've had success selling wholesale this year, we have yet to create a system for graduating farmers to continue wholesale as they establish their own farm sites. Challenges to this include: making sure graduates have the appropriate food safety infrastructure and practices in place at their new independent farm sites, working with farmers to determine if they wish to grow for wholesale on their own or work in a group (perhaps by native language, farm location, etc.) In the remaining two years of the program, we plan to build off of the progress we made in graduate transitions and wholesale development, and create more formalized plans and systems for those topics. Next year we hope to attend additional food safety trainings and show farmers successfully operating farm sites with stellar food safety infrastructure and practices. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Delivery Total Meetings: 35 Total Meeting Participants: 376 Total Webinars: 0 Total Webinar Participants: 0 Total Website Visits: 0 Total Online Course Participants: 0 Meetings 1/26/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 2/2/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 2/9/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 3/23/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/30/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 13 4/6/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 4/20/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 12 5/4/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 13 5/18/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 10 2/16/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 16 2/22/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 6 2/23/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 15 3/9/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 3/17/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 25 7/10/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/11/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/12/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/13/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/14/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/17/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/18/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/19/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/20/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/21/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/24/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/25/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/26/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/27/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/28/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 7/31/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/1/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/2/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/3/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 8/4/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 8 10/26/2017: Kansas City, KS -- Number of Attendees 14 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Promotional Materials Recruitment Flyer Refugees who are interested in owning a farm business in Kansas City. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Steps Steps taken to help participants TO BE COMPLETED Annually- most of these will be reoccurringeach year. 16 farmers in training are paired with weekly English Language conversation volunteers annually from December to March. Farmers in training are registered to sell at weekly farmers' markets from Junethrough October. Farmers in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years will bepaired with 3-5 CSA Members annually and assisted in forming initial relationships with those customers. Farmers in their 3rd & 4th years are paired with 1-2 CSA delivery sites. Farmers in their 3rd and 4th years take on leadership in wholesale marketing. 4 Hands-On Workshops on marketing opportunities in the US annually: Farmers' Markets, Community Supported Agriculture,Wholesale, and Pricing Strategies. 2 Field Trips annually to larger farming andwholesale operations are organized. 1:1 support for every first year farmer at themarket, including transportation when necessary. 15 hands-on workshops focused on organic production techniques, equipment usage, post- harvest handling practices, farm records, season extension, and minimizing crop risks, annuallyfrom January through October. 2 workshops on product diversification annually: Fruit Production and Beekeeping are offered; otherspecialty items may be added in the future. Bi-weekly meetings with farmers and program staff to evaluate production, address pests, diseases, weeds and other concerns, annually beginning in the spring and continuing throughout the season. 4 trainings on equipment usage (tractors, bedshapers, transplanters) annually. A demonstration plot will be maintained by program staff (with support from farmers in training and volunteers) for selling wholesale, using newequipment, and showcasing technologies. 16 refugee farmers will cultivate 1/4 acre plots at the Training Farmannually. Program Staff will meet with farmers nearing graduation to make a financialplan for acquiring their farm sites. Staff assist farmers in training in opening up bank accounts and learninghow to make deposits and withdrawals. During bi-weekly meetings with farmers, program staff will cover the financial elements of operating a farmbusiness with farmers in training. 4 Workshops annually covering financial management topics like taxes, recordkeeping, and budgeting; ongoingsupport given to farmers as needed. Program Staff will work with farmers nearing graduation to develop a production and infrastructure plan for independent farm sites. Farmers will utilize up to 40 hours of the Graduate Farm Developer's time in constructing buildings (sheds, high tunnels, greenhouses, walk-in coolers, etc), buying equipment, or other site development activities dependent on theirplan. Program staff will work with graduates to develop their own farm name, logo andmarketing materials. Develop more formalized system for graduates maintaining wholesale relationships post training farm graduation

IMPACT: 2016/08/01 TO 2017/07/31
What was accomplished under these goals? Result 1. Refugee farmers have improved English Language proficiency. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Interpersonal, family, and business relationships When measured: Annual evaluation Estimated Number: 39, Actual Number: 19 How verified: English attendance tracked, improvement noted on sel-sufficiency matrix. Result 2. Increase in community marketing and sales opportunities for products of refugee farmers. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Local, regional, and direct marketing When measured: Bi-weekly field walks, annual evaluation Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 15 How verified: Sales numbers gathered and analyzed. Result 3. First year farmers average $2,000. Second year farmers average $3,500. Third & fourth year farmers average $6,000. Graduate farmers average $10,000. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Financial records and analysis When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 19 How verified: Sales are tracked and recorded. Result 4. Refugee farmers have experience selling their produce through multiple marketing channels. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Marketing plans and strategies When measured: Annual evaluation Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 19 How verified: Farmers set goals that reflect importance of diversified sales outlets. Result 5. Farmers understand the benefits of scaling up and indicate desire to do so when future planning. Producer action: Decide, Topic: Marketing plans and strategies When measured: Annual evaluation Estimated Number: 13, Actual Number: 4 How verified: Farmers set goals that reflect desire to scale up. Result 6. Farmers take steps towards going to markets independently. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Local, regional, and direct marketing When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 12 How verified: Farmers drive themselves to market independent of staff. Result 7. Refugee farmers have increased knowledge of organic farming practices. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: Bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 39, Actual Number: 16 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 8. Farmers implement production of high-value, diversified crops. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Product and enterprise diversification When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 9, Actual Number: 7 How verified: Staff will record notes on what products farmers sell. Result 9. Farmers apply improved agricultural skills and technologies. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Economic risk of new technologies When measured: Ongoing, bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 19, Actual Number: 7 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 10. Farmers use equipment independently or with limited supervision. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Economic risk of new technologies When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 21, Actual Number: 6 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts changes on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 11. Farmers exhibit increased use of resource conservation and sustainability practices like drip tape, row cover, cover crops, crop rotation, etc. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Conservation When measured: Ongoing, bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 19, Actual Number: 10 How verified: Farm staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 12. Farmers will take on additional responsibility for managing their farm business, moving towards independence. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Ongoing, bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 19, Actual Number: 9 How verified: Staff records observations, charts growth on self-sufficiency matrix. Result 13. Farmers will work with graduate site developer to identify and develop independent farms. Producer action: Develop, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 14, Actual Number: 5 How verified: Site development notes/plans are kept in farmer files. Result 14. Farmers open bank accounts for their farm businesses. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Acquiring and managing credit When measured: First year in program Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 5 How verified: Staff will assist farmers or ask for verification of account. Result 15. Farmers will keep financial records from their farm businesses. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Financial records and analysis When measured: Bi-weekly field walks Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 7 How verified: Staff will observe farmers' financial records. Result 16. Refugee farmers improve their financial literacy and increase access to the US banking system. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Acquiring and managing credit When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 26, Actual Number: 14 How verified: Observation of savings and other financial transactions. Result 17. Farmers will have a farm development plan that includes infrastructure & equipment needs, a budget for farm development, and a timeline for implementation. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Ongoing Estimated Number: 14, Actual Number: 5 How verified: Site development notes/plans are kept in farmer files. Result 18. Graduate farmers have their own brand independent of the New Roots program. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Branded, certified, or identity preserved marketing When measured: Post-graduation Estimated Number: 14, Actual Number: 3 How verified: Branding is observed where graduates sell their produce.

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