Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: This reporting period a total of 60 Latino, immigrant, and refugee farmers participated in the program at either New Lands Farm or Nuestras Raices farm. Changes/Problems: The major problem this year was the continued presence of the phytopthora capsici organism in most of our farmer's fields, which resulted in large losses of many Latino-favored crops, including aji dulces and calabasa. This didn't effect fundamental aspects of the program but it did significantly lower yields and profits for most participants, leading to frustration and discouragement. This is reflected in a reduced number of farmers signing up for plots in 2014. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? As a result of farmer interest this year we offered trainings on tractor operation and tractor safety, as well as pesticide safety, that were taught by UMass Extension. Cynthia Espinosa worked one-on-one with farmers to support them in writing their business plans. Some do not read or write English and appreciated this planning and support. In the summer of 2013 a Latina owned Holyoke firm, Pantoja Tax Services, provided a powerful and positive bookkeeping and business planning program with the farmers. Laura and Rosa Pantoja have developed a hands on and in person method, aligned with the relationship based community orientation of the farm itself. Visting the farmers multiple times weekly, the pantoja sisters mentor and collaborate with the farmers in recording inventory and sales. At this juncture, and for the first time, most of the farmers are tracking outputs and sales and sharing them with NR. 100% of participants reported that they thought these trainings were the most useful out of all the ones provided. Continued trainings on farmers market and marketing trainings provided by CISA led to improved techniques at farmer's markets. Marketing has largely transitioned over from a Nuestras Raices run component of the program to something that is managed by the farmers themselves. The CISA trainings developed the skills necessary to make this transition successfully. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The program was advertised through 4190 AM Nuestras Raices Radio Show every Wed from November 2012 through Jan 2013. It was also advertised on social media, our website, and further shared through social media by friendly/partner community organizations. Flyers were made and distributed in Holyoke and at our farm advertising the program. Workshops and events were advertised in a similar fashion: on our radio show, through our website and social media accounts, and through flyers. Members also received direct mailings and personal reminders of upcoming workshops and trainings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
At the end of project year 3, 60 Latino, immigrant, or refugee growers participated by renting land with either Lutheran Social Services/New Lands Farm or Nuestras Raices - 12 from NR and 48 from NLF -and by regularly attending trainings. Over 144 hours of trainings were held for New Lands Farms and Nuestras Raices growers, reaching a total of 69 non-duplicative farmers. This year a new training topic was introduced, whereby technical assistance on bookkeeping and reporting were conducted by Pantoja Tax Services, in group settings and and on a one on one basis. As a result of the Phytopthora Capcisi problems, the very first training of the year focused on management strategies for this disease; all 12 NR farmers went to this training, increasing their production knowledge in light of this potentially destructive disease. As a result, our farmers adopted production techniques tailored to combat the diesese's continued spread. Trainings on safe food handling and application of pest control from UMASS extension led to greater safety for farmers and consumers. Together farmers built a washing station with a clean water source, and a dry and pack station was constructed on the back fields. A collectively used cooler and shed were also established. These trainings led to the adoption of management practices that increase food safety and produce marketability. Nuestras Raices successfully achieved the following market outcomes during the duration of the beginning farmer and rancher training program: WIC voucher redemption at the Holyoke farmers market increased 81.63% since 2011 and 47.26% since 2012. EBT usage increased 296.8% since 2011 and 83.7% since 2012. Senior Voucher usage increased 48.04% since 2011 and 16.03% since 2012. The greatest improvement is seen in Fruit and Veggie Prescription Coupons, up 154% since 2011, which are administered through the Holyoke Health Center physicians to support nutrition in low-income patients.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Dissemination: TV Commercial: Nuestras Raices developed a Spanish 30 seconds on WUVN that aired from early December 2011 until mid January 2012 to increase awareness of farm start up opportunities. Workshop flyers/brochures: Dates and locations for workshops were distributed to the group of incubating farmers at Nuestras Raices farm and Lutheran Social Services Farm. Flyers were distributed throughout the surrounding community in several languages, and through mutual aid organizations. Websites: Workshops and training were advertised through the Nuestras Raices Facebook page and website (www.nuestras-raices.org) Media Outreach: Training series were announced through WACM 1490 AM Nuestras Raices Radio Show every Wednesday from November 2011-January 2012. Additionally, workshops were advertised bi-weekly. Information regarding the Nuestras Raices Beginning Farmer Training series calendar was distributed to local English and Spanish newspapers. Events and Services: Together, Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Services produced a total of 13 workshops for the participating farmers, 16 Farm Business training for beginning farmers and 70 one-on-one technical assistance meetings for participating farmers. Workshops covered topics ranging from post-harvest and handling to canning. Farm business training included farm business planning and writing. One-on-one technical assistance topics ranged from goals and objectives for each farmer to assisting them to research produce pricing. A Farm tour visit to Town Farm in Northampton, MA. Land for Good facilitated a workshop for Nuestras Raices' participating farmers titled "Farmland for Farmers" in which Land for Good explained what is in a lease and the rights a tenant has. 5-10 limited resource and/or socially disadvantaged farmers attended each workshop, the majority of whom were currently farming. PARTICIPANTS: PERSONNEL: Cynthia Espinosa is the newly assigned Project Director for the Nuestras Raices Beginning Farmer Project. As PD, Cynthia is responsible for overseeing communication with trainers and program partners, workshop calendar development and review, farmers relations, budget oversight and curriculum review. Thomas Trepanier is the newly appointed Farm Site Manager for Nuestras Raices. He is responsible for site management, farmers relations, workshop calendar review and volunteer coordinator. Shemariah Blum-Evitts and Ashley Carter are staff members at Lutheran Social Services (LSS) responsible for design, implementation, and oversight of the New Lands farm project in Worcester and West Springfield and all related trainings. COLLABORATORS: Eric Toensmeier and Perennial Solutions serve as the primary contact for business plan development. Through the Nuestras Raices Beginning Farmer Project, Eric provides an introduction to the program, and a six part series in marketing, legal and production planning. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst is the program trainer focusing entirely on productions: weed, disease, pests and fertility. They offer a series of technical assistance to the personnel. The local organization Community Involved in Sustainable Agriculture (CISA) supports the project through marketing trainings. This year, they provided information on identifying markets, produce pricing, value added processing and attractive table display. Land for Good worked with both Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Services on topics of leases and land tenure. Land for Good helped Nuestras Raices develop an Incubator Program Policy. TARGET AUDIENCES: Latinos: Almost 300,000 Latinos live within half an hour drive of the Nuestras Raices farm incubator site. The great majority are Puerto Rican and Dominican, grew up on farms, and came to the US as migrant farm workers. Farming is an integral part of the culture in this community, and many residents desire to farm but have been unable to do so due to numerous barriers. Numerous refugee groups have settled in the region. LSS works with many communities including the following: Meskhetian Turks: share a common homeland, known as Meskheti, along the borders of Georgia and Turkey. The group was deported in 1944 during the Stalin regime to Soviet Central Asia. Ethnic tension in the late 1980s forced them to flee to Russia, where they continue to be denied citizenship, not allowed jobs or schooling and are recipients of violent acts. Meskhetian Turks were traditionally skilled farmers living in rural agrarian societies but in Russia Turks have been prohibited from employment and owning property and survived by informally leasing land for agriculture and selling their goods. They bring this experience and enthusiasm for farming to Massachusetts where they are striving to establish vegetable and livestock farms. The Karens: pronounced (Ka-rans), are an indigenous people to the southeast Asian countries of Thailand and Burma. The Karen peacefully sought independence from the ruling Burman people without success and now live under a suppressive military regime or have fled to refugee camps in Thailand. Traditionally, most Karens were farmers who farmed the nutrient rich soils of southern Burma and eastern Thailand. The Lhotshampa: who live mainly in the south of the country, are the third largest ethnic group in Bhutan. Their ancestors were invited to southern Bhutan in the late 19th century to cultivate uninhabited land. The Bhutanese refugees lost their connection to the land and are eager to revitalize this cultural tradition and way of life. They practiced sustainable agricultural with a diversity of croplands, orchards and livestock. Their livestock interest includes chickens, ducks, goats and cattle. The 1972 Burundians: are a group of refugees, primarily of Hutu ethnicity, who fled their homeland in 1972 following a campaign of violence by the Tutsi-dominated government against the Hutu population. Most Burundians are peasant farmers, and this group of refugees contains many people with the dream of returning to the land in their new home country. In order to support these diverse communities in entering the agricultural business profession, Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Services have partnered to design a comprehensive farmer training series with community garden starter-sites and two multi-acre incubation sites. Participants are invited to both hands on and presentation style workshops with topics ranging from farm finances to farmers market table setup. Efforts include one on one support, TA from expert individuals, community support and celebration, and shared infrastructure. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A change that is affecting the outcomes of this project is that Premier Accounting Consultant moved out of the state of Massachusetts. The responsibilities of Premier Accounting was to complete technical assistance of tax, record-keeping and finances to participating beginning farmers. Project Director is working diligently to find a tax consultant to fulfill the projects outcome.
Impacts
At the end of project Year 2, 43 new growers renting land with Lutheran Social Services and Nuestras Raices Farm. A total of 212 (50 non-duplicate) farmers attended trainings and workshops regularly. Of those who completed the workshop and training program, 85% are farming, 100% report change in knowledge, 75% report change in attitude, 50% plan to start farming, and 100% will continue farming. As a result of the farm visit, socially disadvantage farmers from Nuestras Raices were able to make contact and relationship with peer farmers and gain a market access for 2013 in Northampton, MA which is managed by the visited farm. As a result of the one-on-one technical assistance, Nuestras Raices farmers met with farm staff on a bi-weekly basis to discuss their farm businesses, an increase of motivation from the farmers was shown to set up and have the one-on-one technical assistance. As a result of one-on-one technical assistance with the topic of marketing and workshop series of Effective Farmer's Market displays hosted by CISA, 12 farmers from Nuestras Raices attended 8 different Farmer's Markets each week, a 50% increase from last year. As a result of one-on-one technical assistance with the topic of farm business planning, 15 farmers from Nuestras Raices have become interested in writing and/or updating their business plan for next year and aware of the benefits for their farm business. As a result of the flooding following Hurricane Irene last year, farmers from Nuestras Raices have started keeping records of their sales and/or ask for assistance to keep records. As a result of the flooding following Hurricane Irene last year, the farm land of Nuestras Raices which is for the incubator farm got a fungus called Phytophthora Capsici which is known to infect many species of pepper, tomato, and other members of the solanaceae family. Melon, cucumbers, and other members of the plant family cucurbitaceae are also attacked. From Nuestras Raices farm, 6 farmers lost 30% of their crops due to P. Capsici. Trainings about P. Capsici and alternative crops will follow in Year Three.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Dissemination: a) Newsletters: 4 e-newsletters were sent out to a list of Nuestras Raices supporters and community members advertising the dates and locations of the Nuestras Raices Farmer Training series. Information about the farmer training program for immigrants and refugees through Lutheran Social Services (LSS) was distributed through a fall appeal newsletter, e-mail, and LSS Today publication. b) Workshop & related event flyers/brochures: Dates and locations for workshops were distributed to the group of incubating farmers at Nuestras Raices Farm as well as through flyers and events calendars. Flyers and events calendars were distributed throughout the surrounding community in several languages, and through mutual aid organizations. c) Audio/video tapes or CDs: 4 videos have been made featuring Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Services Farmers. LSS has developed a YouTube video displaying New Lands farmer Christine Kindeke sharing her experience in the program and vision for expanding her farm. The video can be viewed from the LSS home page and New Lands Farm facebook page. Furthermore, LSS has developed a farmers market training video for new farmers in four different languages. One of the four videos has been filmed in Nepali, the native language of our Bhutanese participants. d) Websites: Information regarding the Nuestras Raices Beginning Farmer Training Series was distributed on the Nuestras Raices website (www.nuestras-raices.org) through both the events tab and a page specifically dedicated to the Siembra workshop series. Workshops and trainings were also advertised through the Nuestras Raices Facebook page. Similarly, outreach was conducted through the LSS website and facebook page: http://www.lssne.org/newlandsfarm. e) Media exposure: The Nuestras Raices Beginning Farmer training series calendar was distributed to local English and Spanish newspapers for print in their community calendar. Additionally, workshops and trainings were advertised through a Spanish radio announcement updated bi-weekly. The New Lands farm project of LSS was featured on a Boston Chronicle TV spot (segment starts at 2:30 http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/24442588/index.html) and various Nuestras Raices festivals and events have been featured in Spanish and English television. Events and Services: Together, Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Services produced a total of 51 face-to-face events for farmers identified as low-income, limited resource, Latino, refugee, and beginning. Events covered topics ranging from a small workshop with a local accountant on the importance of record keeping, to a six part series in farm business planning. A detailed events calendar is available. 4-8 limited resource and or socially disadvantaged farmers attended each training, the majority of whom were currently farming. Some popular events attracted 11-15 farmers. Four women regularly attended events. PARTICIPANTS: PERSONNEL: Kevin Andaluz continues to serve as the Project Director (PD) for the Nuestras Raices Beginning Farmer Project. As PD Kevin is responsible for overseeing communication with trainers and program partners, workshop calendar review, site management, farmer relations, budget oversight, and curriculum review. Amy Calandrella served as Farm Programs Coordinator from October 2010-June 2011. In that time she was responsible for designing the program calendar, coordination with program partners, design and distribution of outreach materials, and volunteer coordination. Shemariah Blum-Evitts and Ashley Carter are staff members at Lutheran Social Services (LSS) responsible for the design, implementation, and oversight of the New Lands farm project in Worchester, and all related trainings. COLLABORATORS: Eric Toensmeier and Perennial Solutions serve as the primary contact for business plan development. Through the Nuestras Raices Beginning Farmer Project he provides an introduction to the program, and a six part series in marketing, legal, and production planning. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst is the program trainer focusing entirely on production: weed, disease, pest, and fertility management. They offer a series of hands on TA, and presentation workshops. The local organization Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) supports the project through marketing trainings. This spring they provided information on identifying markets, accessing farmers markets, and attractive table display. Felix Morales of Premier Accounting supports the farmer training project through accounting and financial workshops illustrating the importance of record keeping in a farm enterprise. Land for Good (LFG) worked with both Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Serivces on topics of leases and land tenure. Specifically, LFG helped Nuestras Raices redesign our lease language to more accurately reflect our incubation program. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Massachusetts (NOFA) partnered with Nuestras Raices to organize a series of farm tours and exchanges with local small farmers. TARGET AUDIENCES: Latinos: Almost 300,000 Latinos live within half an hour drive of the Nuestras Raices farm incubator site. The great majority are Puerto Rican and Dominican, grew up on farms, and came to the US as migrant farm workers. Farming is an integral part of the culture in this community, and many residents desire to farm but have been unable to do so due to numerous barriers. Numerous refugee groups have settled in the region. LSS works with many communities including the following: Meskhetian Turks: share a common homeland, known as Meskheti, along the borders of Georgia and Turkey. The group was deported in 1944 during the Stalin regime to Soviet Central Asia. Ethnic tension in the late 1980s forced them to flee to Russia, where they continue to be denied citizenship, not allowed jobs or schooling and are recipients of violent acts. Meskhetian Turks were traditionally skilled farmers living in rural agrarian societies but in Russia Turks have been prohibited from employment and owning property and survived by informally leasing land for agriculture and selling their goods. They bring this experience and enthusiasm for farming to Massachusetts where they are striving to establish vegetable and livestock farms. The Karens: pronounced (Ka-rans), are an indigenous people to the southeast Asian countries of Thailand and Burma. The Karen peacefully sought independence from the ruling Burman people without success and now live under a suppressive military regime or have fled to refugee camps in Thailand. Traditionally, most Karens were farmers who farmed the nutrient rich soils of southern Burma and eastern Thailand. The Lhotshampa: who live mainly in the south of the country, are the third largest ethnic group in Bhutan. Their ancestors were invited to southern Bhutan in the late 19th century to cultivate uninhabited land. The Bhutanese refugees lost their connection to the land and are eager to revitalize this cultural tradition and way of life. They practiced sustainable agricultural with a diversity of croplands, orchards and livestock. Their livestock interest includes chickens, ducks, goats and cattle. The 1972 Burundians: are a group of refugees, primarily of Hutu ethnicity, who fled their homeland in 1972 following a campaign of violence by the Tutsi-dominated government against the Hutu population. Most Burundians are peasant farmers, and this group of refugees contains many people with the dream of returning to the land in their new home country. In order to support these diverse communities in entering the agricultural business profession, Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Services have partnered to design a comprehensive farmer training series with community garden starter-sites and two multi-acre incubation sites. Participants are invited to both hands on and presentation style workshops with topics ranging from farm finances to farmers market table setup. Efforts include one on one support, TA from expert individuals, community support and celebration, and shared infrastructure. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A major change that will likely affect the outcomes of this project is the massive flooding endured by the Nuestras Raices Farm as a result of Hurricane Irene in August 2011. While most farmers have made a decision to return to the land in 2012, all suffered major crop losses. Planned workshops for autumn 2011 were put on hold as farmers recuperated from their losses and cleaned up the farm site. It is unclear at this point how the flooding has affected the fertility of the land.
Impacts
At the end of project year 1 46 growers (35 family units) renting land with either Lutheran Social Services, Nuestras Raices Farm, and/or attending trainings and workshops regularly. Of those who complete a workshop and training program, 85% are farming, 100% report change in knowledge, 75% report change in attitude, 85% report planned behavior approach, 50% plan to start farming, and 100% will continue farming. As a result of the series of farm visits with six local small farmers, the socially disadvantaged farmers of Nuestras Raices were able to make contact and relationships with peer farmers with larger scale and more established farms operations. As a result of a series of farm tours that participants attended, many made the choice to use row cover to extend their season and to manage pests. Farmers also made efforts to plant successions of their most popular products, use clover between rows as a green mulch, and biodegradable plastic over the beds to reduce weed pressure. As a result of the series of workshops 5-7 farmers with Nuestras Raices attended with CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture) most of those farmers set up their own farm stands at a local farmers' market. Farmers put lessons in to use including displaying a variety of colors, using levels when laying out produce, and having clear price tags for each product. Also, farmers have become more interested in adopting a CSA model after visiting a local farm that, although many of their crops were lost due to the flooding following hurricane Irene, was still able to make a profit. Farmers attended two workshops with Felix Morales of Premier Accounting, and have expressed an interest with expanded trainings in year two, specifically regarding management of their farm finances. As a result of the flooding following Hurricane Irene, farmers incubating at the Nuestras Raices Farm lost the majority of their crops in mid-August. The losses they suffered incited a renewed interest in crop insurance. Trainings about crop insurance will follow in year two.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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