Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Mason, A.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
Chicago Horticultural Society
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, ILLINOIS 60022-1168

WINDY CITY HARVEST: BUILDING CAPACITY OF BEGINNING FARMERS IN THE CHICAGO REGION

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The Chicago Botanic Garden proposes a renewed BFRDP project to build the capacity of its Windy City Harvest (WCH) continuum of sustainable urban agriculture training programs. The overall goal of these programs is to identify prospective beginning farmers; develop their skills; and help them launch farm businesses. Over three years, WCH will train 542 individuals in sustainable urban agriculture, at least 70% of whom are considered socially disadvantaged. To accomplish this, WCH will continue the program elements developed through previous BFRDP support, including 1) Corps, a 14-week transitional jobs program for returning citizens; 2) the Apprenticeship, a 9-month certificate course in urban agriculture; 3) continuing education courses for prospective farm entrepreneurs and workers; and 4) a small farm business incubator. In addition to these, WCH will 5) leverage and amplify its existing role as a regional agriculture resource, collaborating with a robust network of partner organizations to benefit beginning farmers.

OBJECTIVES: Over three years, WCH will train 542 individuals in sustainable urban agriculture, at least 70% of whom are considered socially disadvantaged. To accomplish this, WCH will continue the program elements developed through previous BFRDP support, including 1) Corps, a 14-week transitional jobs program for returning citizens; 2) the Apprenticeship, a 9-month certificate course in urban agriculture; 3) continuing education courses for prospective farm entrepreneurs and workers; and 4) a small farm business incubator.In order to accomplish this significant slate of activities, WCH will leverage and amplify its existing role as a regional agriculture resource, collaborating with a robust network of partner organizations to benefit beginning farmers. Facilitated by WCH, partners will assist with recruitment of candidates into WCH training programs, provide small business development and risk management training, deliver food safety trainings, share urban farm resource guides, and address barriers facing urban farmers--including access to land, water, market channels, and other critical resources.

APPROACH: Objective 1: Develop beginning farmers' skills in sustainable urban agriculture.WCH Corps offers transitional jobs to justice-involved youth and adults. Trainees spend the first week of the program attending an orientation and food/farm safety trainings, and creating individualized employment plans that establish training goals and identify opportunities for social service referrals. They then work at farm sites for 13 weeks in small groups under a trained crew leader in crews of 4-5 workers. Trainees are connected to critical social services and placed in permanent employment. Corps graduates who demonstrate an interest in continuing their training can apply for temporary production assistant positions that provide paid employment between the completion of Corps and through the completion of the Apprenticeship.Headquartered at Arturo Velasquez Institute, the nine-month Apprenticeship is accredited by the Illinois Community College Board; students receive 31 course credit hours for successful completion. Participants spend February through July in classroom and hands-on instruction, and then complete a paid three-month internship. Topics for the Apprenticeship include basic botany, soil ecology, environmental literacy, composting, pest and disease management, irrigation, food safety, and urban crop planning. Students develop a crop plan for an urban garden as a final project. Four half-days are devoted to career training. All Apprentices and employment partners attend a job fair that matches participants with a paid work experience (PWE).Industry-specific courses offer current and aspiring agriculture professionals detailed information in a particular area of urban agriculture. The classes are particularly relevant for individuals interested in starting their own businesses, creating product lines with farm produce, or diversifying their revenue streams. WCH offers single-day intensives (3 contact hours) tailored to audience interests. The three-day (18 contact hours) aquaponics certificate will be offered twice annually. Students will learn all aspects of commercial-scale aquaponics, working hands-on with the Farm on Ogden's 50,000-gallon system.Objective 2: Offer critical resources and referrals.Students move through a farm development pipeline that begins with the Apprenticeship. In addition to gaining work experience at various farm enterprises, apprentices complete coursework that builds their business skills. The most intensive of these is the final group project, which involves the creation of a crop plan for specifically identified primary and secondary markets. Students present the plans and receive feedback from their classmates and WCH staff.Apprenticeship graduates interested in exploring farm entrepreneurship may segue into a 14-week business class offered in partnership with YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago; combined with the Apprenticeship, the business class serves as a prerequisite for the incubator program. Students attain business fundamentals and create a business plan and present it to a panel of experts for assessment.Prospective incubator farm businesses participate in an extensive application process, which requires the submission of comprehensive business and crop plans. Beginning farmers benefit from monthly field walks and farm production evaluations, ongoing mentorship and technical assistance, shared tools and equipment, and the use of cold storage at the Farm on Ogden. Incubators may also aggregate produce into three WCH markets: regional wholesaler Midwest Foods, the VeggieRx program, and the Farm on Ogden retail space. New in 2020, incubator farmers participate in seven workshops that range from 1-3 hours in duration. Topics include financial basics, values-driven leadership and management skills; communications strategy and marketing planning; cash management; land leasing/purchasing and land use agreements; strategic planning for growth; and enterprise budgeting. Farmers will also receive resource guides and pro-bono business and financial consultation, including an initial review of their crop plan.Upon graduation from the incubator program, WCH provides continued support to farmers as they transition from incubation to independent operation. WCH staff forge connections between graduated incubator farmers and other organizations for land and infrastructure supports needed to transition and grow beyond the incubation stage. During the project period, WCH will host at least one "land match" event connecting farmers with landowners interested in hosting a farm business during the grant period.Objective 3: Provide industry-recognized farm and food safety training.Prior to working in the field, Corps and Apprenticeship trainees are required to complete a three-hour food safety training. This training is aligned specifically to Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements and details appropriate handling of produce throughout the complete farm lifecycle. The training describes types of food contaminants (including common pathogens and transmission routes), standard operating procedures for equipment sterilization, and traceability procedures, including a traceback practice session.A complimentary 13-point training focuses on farm safety. Topics include appropriate dress and personal protective equipment, outdoor safety, proper lifting technique, and appropriate use of tools, equipment, and vehicles. Farm and food safety lessons are reinforced through monthly farm inspections conducted by WCH staff. In addition to these trainings, WCH Corps trainees are also offered the opportunity to complete the ServSafe Food Handler's certification. Widely recognized across food-related industries, this certification boosts the employability of ex-offenders and further strengthens their food safety knowledge.To support dissemination of food safety best practices in the region, WCH hosts an annual Produce Safety Rule training in partnership with the University of Illinois Extension. Successful completion of the training satisfies FSMA requirement §112.22(c). The course imparts USDA Good Agricultural Practices, FSMA requirements, and helps farms operationalize their knowledge by developing a farm safety plan.Objective 4: Increase access to fresh, high quality produce in the Chicago region.WCH works directly with clinicians to channel patients with diet-related illnesses into the VeggieRx prescription produce program, which offers nutrition education/cooking demonstrations, and provides free boxes of produce. The program is currently being delivered at three Chicago-area clinics.WCH produce also reaches vulnerable communities through the Farm on Ogden's retail space, community farm stands and donations to health and social service agencies. WCH also purchases produce from incubators and other local farmers, reselling it to distributors and directly to customers at the Farm on Ogden.Each program has specific evaluation strategies; program performance is measured against the goals, objectives, and outputs detailed in the proposal. Corps staff conducts screening surveys, develops Individual Employment Plans, monitors job performance, tests participants on Roots of Success work readiness curriculum, and tracks job placement and retention data at 30, 60, and 180 days. Apprenticeship assessments include quizzes, tests, and final projects; course grades; internship evaluation (pass/fail); and graduate job placement data. Industry-specific courses include tests, projects, and grades; student surveys evaluate classes and instructors. Participation in the business course will be tracked by YWCA and remitted to WCH. Incubator farmers are evaluated on the creation of a successful, profitable new business; estimated pounds harvested and sold; and regular farm site maintenance. Produce sales and donations are tracked using Quickbooks accounting software.