Source: SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY submitted to
FARM PATHWAY:INTEGRATING FARMER TRAINING WITH LAND ACCESS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
NEW
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1009885
Grant No.
2016-70017-25341
Project No.
NC.W-2016-03245
Proposal No.
2016-03245
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
BFRDA
Project Start Date
Aug 1, 2016
Project End Date
Jul 31, 2019
Grant Year
2016
Project Director
Urquhart, K.
Recipient Organization
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY
34 WALL ST STE 502
ASHEVILLE,NC 28801
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Farm Pathways is a whole-farm training and innovative land access program for beginning farmers in the Southern Appalachians. Three partners, with guidance from regional farmers, are collaborating to implement the program: Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Organic Growers School and WNC FarmLink. This project fills the current gaps in regional agricultural services by rebuilding a path to agriculture for the next generation of farmers.Our goal is clear. We want more farmers on the land and a system in which family farms can flourish. Our role is to facilitate training, land access, networking and mentoring systems through the start-up years to ensure that beginning farmers are prepared to start farming, add/change enterprises, or delay farming to increase the likelihood of success.Farm Pathways will accomplish this by providing:1. A structure of comprehensive, holistic, whole-farm educational opportunities for beginning farmers at multiple learning phases; 2. Equitable & Affordable Access to Land; 3. Ongoing Mentorship & Networking; 4. Increased regional leadership and community support of farmers that results from the collective impact and synergy of the team.The outcome will be 1200 beginning farmers who start to farm, enhance their farm plan, improve their farming systems, receive significant training & assistance with production and farm planning, and/or gain access to farmland & support. These methods will increase the success rate of beginning farmers in our region.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
40%
Developmental
40%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
60160303010100%
Knowledge Area
601 - Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm Management;

Subject Of Investigation
6030 - The farm as an enterprise;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;
Goals / Objectives
The expected goals of Farm Pathways is to increase the number of successful beginning farmers in WNC by offering a trajectory in comprehensive, whole-farm training opportunities and curriculum, farmer-to-farmer networking, and access to farmland. Farm Pathways is providing a seamless process for new, existing, or expanding growers to move from early interest to successful farming or to integrate farming into their lives in a viable way.GOAL 1: A structure of comprehensive, holistic, whole-farm educational opportunities for beginning farmers to plug into at multiple phases on their journey. OBJECTIVES: a. Access to apprenticeships on sustainable farms and farmers trained to become effective mentors/educators to apprentices via OGS Organic Farm Finder - 60 beginning farmers profiled on the site. b. Formal classroom and experiential agricultural education through Farm Beginnings®, a 180+ hour, year- long, training leading to a journeyperson farmer certificate as a regional alternative to a four-year agricultural degree. - 45 beginning farmers graduate from Farm Beginnings® Farmer Training c. Aspiring and beginnings farmers receive practical, on-farm training in basic livestock, forest management, & crop farming practices via 39 OGS CRAFT, 24 SAHC Community Farm workshops & field days, and 24 workshops in a Beginning Farmer Track at OGS's annual spring conference.GOAL 2: Equitable & Affordable access to land OBJECTIVES:a. Increase beginning farmers' knowledge of options for acquiring or leasing land, resulting in 375 receiving assistance and support with negotiating equitable land leases and purchase, access to land on the SAHC Incubator farm or finding affordable farmland under conservation easements via WNCFL and SAHC.b. SAHC facilitates Buy-Protect-Farm plan resulting in 6 farm purchases by philanthropic investors; 6 bargain-purchases of conservation easements that protect farms and provide capital to the landowner to support farming enterprisesd. Establish beginning farmers on up to 6 farms that have been purchased & protected with conservation easements, through partnerships with agricultural agencies via SAHC, and 12 beginning farmers matched with land via WNCFL.GOAL 3: Ongoing Mentorship & Networking OBJECTIVES:a. 65 Beginning farmers are able to connect with an experienced producer mentor/coach for one-on-one technical assistance and consultation during and after the initial start-up years via Farm Beginnings® and OGS Team of Farmer Consultants/Journeyperson program.b. Membership in a farmer-to-farmer network of beginning and established growers to provide groupsupport and one-on-one assistance via CRAFT & Farm Beginnings for 270 apprentice & beginning farmers. c. SAHC provides coaching and technical assistance to 12 beginning farmers leasing land to start farming on the SAHC Incubator Farm.GOAL 4: Increased regional leadership and community support of farmers that result from the collective impact and synergy of the Farm Pathways Collaborative OBJECTIVES:a. The Farm Pathways team increases the region's awareness, advocacy, recognition, and support for farmers, farmer training and the importance of a local farming community.b. The team continues to deepen our understanding of the educational assets of our regional allies in farmer training, partners to provide technical assistance for beginning farmers, is engaged in actively building relationships between sustainable farming organizations, and is taking a leadership role to create a more regional resilience, health, interdependence, and robust farming community.
Project Methods
Diverse venues for the trainings:Farm Pathways is a multi-faceted, collective impact project that will employ diverse venues for the trainings.· Farm Beginnings® Farmer Training courses held at AB Tech Small Business Center, in Enka/Candler, NC or similar offices in the communities, around WNC, where farmers live and work.· The CRAFT & SAHC on-farm trainings will take place on CRAFT member farms around WNC and on the SAHC Incubator Farm, in Alexander, NC.· OFF is an online directory and matching service for farm apprentices. The hiring farm is the host and provides residential learning opportunities to take place on their sustainable farms across WNC.· The Incubator Program will take place on the SAHC Community Farm, in Alexander, NC and provides beginning farmers with a 100-acre property close to Buncombe County markets and area businesses.· Land consultations, transfer proceedings, and the private donor fund by SAHC and WNCFL will be managed at the SAHC office in Asheville, NC and on landowner properties.OGS Farm Beginnings® students and SAHC Incubator farmers must complete an application and review process to be accepted into the programs. This also helps us assess which level/type of training they are prepared for so we can better direct & support them along their farm pathway.In addition to our already strong connections, we will reach diverse populations through traditional print media, radio, online, social media, schools, conferences, community groups, and regional allies. The Partners have established partnerships with the Warren Wilson College Farm, Appalachian State University, and University of NC at Asheville and is able to directly connect to agriculturally minded students. Additionally, our team has developed a collaborative outreach plan in which we can help coordinate & recruit limited resource beginnings farmers and ranchers to one another's programs.To further strengthen the content of programming and increase outreach capacity the team will work with NC Cooperative Extension, the USDA, the WNC Ag Options Program, Carolina Farm Credit, Farm Bureau, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation & Development, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Southern Appalachian Family Farms, WNC Food Policy Council, Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and other agricultural support agencies in our region.Evaluations:Evaluations of Farm Pathways: Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access initiatives are rigorously completed on a regular basis following a detailed evaluation calendar. Each of our trainings has an evaluation strategy. For trainings that occur once we use a formative evaluation that helps us improve the training. For ongoing trainings, such as CRAFT & Farm Beginnings®, we use both formative and summative evaluation methods. Class participants complete enrollment & graduation surveys, as well as individual session evaluations. Evaluation tools include written and online forms, and check-ins with individual participants as needed. Partners will also conduct ongoing process evaluation to document how the program is implemented and operating in relation to project goals, objectives, & expectations. We have developed a set of indicators to track outputs and outcomes across the three partners that include limited resource status, amount of time farming, knowledge gained, preparedness to start farming, starting to farm, and plans to change or add an enterprise. Evaluation results will be reported, as required, to the BFRDP program, as well as to the CRAFT Steering Committee, OGS Farmer Education Committee, press releases to the media, OGS, SAHC & WNCFL blog posts, newsletters and annual reports.

Progress 08/01/17 to 07/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Over this past reporting period, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Organic Grower's School, and Western NC FarmLink have trained 1,511 people. Please see the breakdown of the target audiencesbelow. Type Farmers Trained Total Aspiring 625 Apprentice/ Farm Worker 149 Beginning 655 Seasoned 114 Total 1511 Women 591 African American 13 Hispanic/ Latino 24 Nat. American 8 Asian Pacific 1 MultiRacial 8 Limited Resource 407 Veteran 39 # Workshops 72 #Start-up Farms 7 # New Workshops 43 Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?? 2017 Nonprofit Leadership Forum-Bring Your Brave Face! : Attended Racial Equity in non-profits workshop for professional development. CEFS CORE/Community Food Strategies Level I Racial Equity Training for Food Councils: Took part in day-long racial equity training specifically for food systems in NC. From this meeting Chris spearheaded a sub group for the WNC Buncombe County area.? Regional Equitable Food Security, Buncombe County: Began a racial equity group for organizations involved in food systems work in Buncombe County, NC. Safe Plates and Serv Safe Manager Certification: Certified for teaching use and food safety within our Value-Added Kitchen. Interview:A graduate student at Duke in Masters of Environmental Management, about the incubator farm, food production, food security and economics. This interview is part of thesis work on barriers to entry to farming for new farmers in NC. Interview:Local TV station, WLOS, ran a story about the Incubator Program and non-native invasive control with goats. Consulted:with previous farm volunteer on developing an incubator program on land he acquired in Virginia.? Professional Development Workshop:Took the business of Food Safety for processed products class. Farm Visit, Tour and Consulting:Tennessee RC & D visited the Community Farm to learn more about the Incubator Program, funding, challenges and successes. trainingsaroundland access to our area. Suzanna with WNC FarmLink participated in theAmerican Farm Land Trust (AFLT)training programand is now a land access trainer. She is working on nation-wide survey for Land For Good & AFT assessment of land link problems. With support from FarmPathways and NC State University Cooperative Extension, WNC FarmLink is merging with NC FarmLink online linking program to develop one state-wide NC Farm Link program using successful land linking programs across the country as a model. Working to get Southeast Land Link network going with SC, TN and VA. Engaged in Peer-to-Peer networking - building strength Other: Farm Beginnings Annual Meeting, Farm Viability Conference, Speaking up for your Non-Profit with Non-Profit Pathways, Dismantling Racism with Non-Profit Pathways, Racial Equity Institute, BFRDP PD Meeting; Farm Beginnings Collaborative Facilitators Meeting,Human Resources with Non-Profit pathways,Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association,WNC Pasture Network; the Annual Alternative Crops and Organics Research Tour and Biodynamic Workshop; the Cooperative Extension West District County Director meeting; Tri-County Community College Center for Applied Technology; OGS' Holistic Financial Planning Workshop; the Annual Cooperative Extension Conference Training for workshops Held three Farmer Round Tables January-February 2017. Topics included: The Lean Farm & Other Sources of Farming Info; Comparing Farm Finances; Improving Rates & Techniques Held 2 day Holistic Financial Planning Workshop with 20 farmers Farm Beginnings participants also attended ASAP's Business of Farm Conference How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Website for Farm Pathways highlighting the partnership and activities We are working with the USDA NCDA to certify the kitchen as a value-added kitchen facility so we can provide workshops to farmers. We continue to forge new relationships with educators and other professionals to offer quality material. Next month we will have our first workshop with Bountiful Cities at the Shiloh Community Garden in conjunction with the City of Asheville via the community garden network. After a CEFS CORE Racial Equity Training in the Food System we have teamed up with Buncombe County, OGS, CEFS, CFSA, Bountiful Cities and others to create Buncombe County Racial Equity in Food Systems group. We have met once and plan to meet again to make connections and support each others work around equity. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? GOAL 1: A structure of comprehensive, holistic, whole-farm educational opportunities for beginning farmers to plug into at multiple phases on their journey. 14 people graduated from Farm Beginnings this year,a 180+ hour, year- long, training leading to a journeyperson farmer certificate as a regional alternative to a four-year agricultural degree. Together the partnership trained 625 Aspiring Farmers; 149 Apprentices/Farm Workers; 114 Seasoned Farmers through 72 workshops inon-farm training in basic livestock, forest management, & crop farming practices through Organic Grower's School CRAFT program, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy on-farm workshops and through the Beginning Farmer Track at OGS's annual spring conference. GOAL 2: Equitable & Affordable access to land 112 Farmers consulted in leasing/purchase options 19 Landowners consulted in leasing/purchase 110 Farm Seeker & Landowner Introductions made for potential matches 6 workshops focused on land access Land access presentations at: Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Sustainable Ag Conference presented on FarmLink programs in the Southeast; Land Access Session for Farm Beginnings course, and farmland access and preservation in Western NC to the Regional Soil and Water districts. We've matched 10 farmers with increased farmland production this year. Buy, Protect, Farm (SAHC) Closed on the Community Farm Expansion purchase, which added 36 acres of productive farmland to our 300-acre Community Farm in Alexander, Buncombe County, thereby expanding opportunities to host farmer incubates. SAHC has now acquired over 282 acres of productive farmland, and assisted philanthropic investors in purchasing another 20 acres that is currently being used by the Yancey County food hub known as TRACTOR to provide productive land to producers. (4 out of proposed 6 complete, 382 acres) Moved forward negotiating acquisitions of the 90-acre Gibson Farm, 95-acre Lunsford Farm (aka Community Farm Expansion II), and 50-acre Hidden Valley fee simple purchase. Moved forward on several transactions to purchase agricultural conservation easements in furtherance of our Buy, Protect, Farm program, including the following: Rogers Cove Farm Assemblage near Crab Tree in Haywood County forming over 600 contiguous acres of productive farmland; Bowditch Bottoms CE, an 87-acre farm in Yancey County;Ridgeview Farms CE, a 118-acre farm in Buncombe County;87-acre Hogeye Bottomlands Conservation Easement in Sandy Mush;100-acre Sandy Mush Bottomlands Conservation Easement;164-acre Sugar Creek Bottomlands.Together, the suite of Sandy Mush farms will protect over 300 acres of productive farmland in close proximity to Asheville. Awarded funding for 3 agricultural conservation easements totaling 326 acres. Funded, but not yet closed Conservation Easement projects total roughly 1,265 acres. Working towards finalizing our Farmland Priority Modeling work, vetting those results with local SWCD experts to identify the most important working lands for protection. GOAL 3: Ongoing Mentorship & Networking Organic Grower's School is developing a new mentoring program. For now, it's available to Farm Beginning students but the long-term goal is to open it up to organization partnerships and organization wide programs. MOSES' year-long journeyperson program is a model. We've connected 78 apprentices with 41 farmers 21 farmers attend a workshop on how to manage labor on the farm 40 apprentices in a farmer-to-farmer network of beginning and established growers to provide group support via CRAFT. We are training 2 more beginning farmers on the SAHC Community Farm through our Farmer Incubator Program. GOAL 4: Increased regional leadership and community support of farmers that result from the collective impact and synergy of the Farm Pathways Collaborative? F.A.R.M.S.: Farm Agency Resource Management Support Group: Regional meeting sharing our work with 15 government, non-profit, for-profit and other food related organizations. C.F.S.A.: Carolina Farm Stewardship Association yearly Sustainable Farming Conference: Attended and presented Incubator Farm Program Manager and Farmer in Training Panel. Chris, along with one of our incubator farmers, sat on a panel of 3 different programs from the Southeast and discussed challenges, successes and answered questions from the 30 attendees. Quarterly NIFTI Southeast Contingent Conference Call: Presented an overview of the SAHC Incubator Farm Program on August 10, 2017 to the regional attendees from Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee. 2017 NC Alternative Crops and Organics Field Day and Industrial: Attended the NC State Extension crop day and tabled with WNC Farmlink to share the SAHC Programs with 200 attendees from the WNC region. Farmer Support Cluster Buncombe County, NC: Input around County and City planning for land conservation for food production and food security programming. Organic Growers School Farm Beginnings Teacher: Taught Land Access and Agroecology with WNC Farmlink as part of the Farm Beginnings curriculum through our partnership with OGS. Warren Wilson College: Presented our Forest Management Plan and Incubator Program to Warren Wilson College students. Aloft Hotel Staff: Worked with Aloft Hotel staff at farm to harvest and learn about local food production via the incubator program. OGS is expanding Farm Beginnings to other regions in Western NC. Local Franklin School:Interviewed by students about food production, the incubator farm and how farming can impact Climate Change. The interview was part of a Student Climate Change PSA's presented in downtown Asheville. Eckerd College:Supported and consulted with the sustainability coordinator and program manager about community farms and incubator programs. Farm Tours:many groups totalling 200+ visitors learning about our Community Farm and programs including the Farmer Incubator Program. Also hosted alternative spring break trips from 2 different Universities and Outward Bound Programs. Organic Growers School Spring Conference:Presented the Farmer Incubator Program to workshop attendees (24) and taught small engine maintenance and repair. A.S.A.P.:Tabled at the Asheville Sustainable Agriculture ProjectConference and shared the Incubator Program and Farm Pathways Programs We teamed up with the Young National Farmers Coalition to bring two regional conferences on innovations

Publications

  • Type: Websites Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: We developed a Farm Pathways website: Farmpathways.com
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Farm Planning Basics: Base Mapping, Site Analysis, and Design - Presented at a workshop
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Bringing the Community to the Farm: Farmer Education Workshops
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Welcome New Incubator Farmers at the Community Farm: Headwaters Market Garden
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Mobile Walk-in Cooler - Build and Design presentation and hands-on learning
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Plough to Pantry - a regional magazine published an article on SAHC and Farm Pathways - Support for New Farmers
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Seed Selection, Planning, and Market Gardening workshop
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Two-wheeled tractor - Demo and Maintenance workshop presentation
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Black Soldier Fly Digester Design and Systems Connections - workshop presentation
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Good Agricultural Practices and Food Safety Modernization Act Mock Audit with NC Cooperative Extension
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Skills for Every Farmer's Tool belt - CRAFT Workshop
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Irrigation Systems for Small Plots with Bountiful Cities, a local marginalized community garden
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Irrigation Design at the Small Farm Scale workshop presentation
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Pasture Walk, Invasive Plant ID and Removal workshop presentation
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Tractor 101 for Women workshop
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Financial Planning 101 - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Financial Planing 102- Enterprise Development: Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Business Planning and Economy of Scale - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Introduction to Marketing and Agroecology 102 - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Land Access & Agroecology 103 - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Realities from the Field & Buyer Networking - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Growing Season Learning Plan - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Starting on Solid Ground: Integrating Values & Goals -Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Holistic Management: Future Resource Base - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Agroecology 101 & Soil Health - Farm Beginnings curriculum
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Farmers for America Film Screening in partnership with NC Women in Ag
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Under Contract, Farmers and the Fine Print screening


Progress 08/01/16 to 07/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience:<!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Target Progress to date What's left? Farmers Trained Aspiring Farmer 89 Apprentice/Farm Worker 105 Beginnings Farmers 333 Seasoned Farmers 99 Total Farmers 1200 626 574 # Workshops OGS 100 26 74 SAHC 24 8 16 WNCFL 12 10 2 Total Workshops 138 44 94 # New workshops developed 46 6 40 New Start-up Farms in Production # of Farmers in New Production 69 14 55 # of New Acres in Production 29.5 -29.5 Demographics Total % of Total Women 366 58.46645367 African American 8 1.277955272 Hispanic/Latino 9 1.437699681 Native American 1 0.1597444089 Asian Pacific Islander 7 1.118210863 Limited Resource 345 55.11182109 Vet 8 1.277955272 Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?SAHC: Project Director to BFRDP PD Meeting, Diversity Racial Equity Training, Employment Law Training; Program Manager to Carolina Farm Stewardship Sustainable Agriculture Conference; NIFTI CFP Leadership Development; NC Beekeepers Assoc. Statewide Meeting; Sustainable Ag Conference; GAP workshop; AB Tech Welding course; Southern Sustainable Ag Working Group;NC Land Access Innovations Training; OGS Conference OGS: Project Director to Farm Beginnings Annual Meeting, Farm Viability Conference, Speaking up for your Non-Profit with Non-Profit Pathways, Dismantling Racism with Non-Profit Pathways, Racial Equity Institute, BFRDP PD Meeting; Farm Beginnings Collaborative Facilitators Meeting; Nicole: Farm Beginnings Collaborative Annual Meeting and Facilitators Meeting, Human Resources with Non-Profit pathways; Sera: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association WNC FarmLink: Suzanna to the WNC Pasture Network; the Annual Alternative Crops and Organics Research Tour and Biodynamic Workshop; the Cooperative Extension West District County Director meeting; Tri-County Community College Center for Applied Technology; OGS' Holistic Financial Planning Workshop; the Annual Cooperative Extension Conference How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SAHC •Advertise and promote all the farmer workshops and trainings to local and regional agencies, social media outlets, newsletters, e-news, and online farm posts. We also are working with our Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee to identify other groups to promote trainings and develop partnerships to bring the trainings to their communities. We write blog posts about farmer trainings and Buy-Protect-Farm program. We've been featured in over 77 news articles including small local community papers, regional newspapers, magazines, and university publications.? OGS • We write blog posts about each training we've attended highlighting the things we've learned, and posted other resources on our website • We have incorporated materials from the Farm beginnings Collaborative Meeting and Facilitators Meeting into our Farm Beginnings class, and the CRAFT Handbook • Followed up with other BFRDP projects that I saw present at the BFRDP Project Directors meeting WNCFL: Has created 7 informational videos about WNC FarmLink 1 media alert released 7 mentions of WNC FarmLink in area newspapers and periodicals What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?SAHC: Continue monthly meetings and partner update reporting, reviewing goals Continue educational workshops at SAHC Community Farm, for farmers to disseminate effective small-scale growing and business methods to farmers in our region. These workshops provide valuable opportunities for WNC farmers to learn state-of-art production and operational techniques which they can then initiate at their own farms to enhance the efficiency and productiveness of their food production. Continue working with landowners on SAHC Buy-Protect-Farm Plan - bargain-purchases of conservation easements that protect farms and provide capital to the landowner to support farming enterprises Continue working with partners on reporting metrics OGS: Continue facilitating second half of Farm Beginnings course, graduation in September 2017 Continue facilitating and administrating CRAFT program - 7 farm tours left to do, will hold CRAFT Steering Committee meeting in November, will plan and schedule Farmer Round Tables for January-February 2018 Continue outreach and administration for Apprentice Link/OGS Farm Network bringing on new farms to be profiled Planning, set schedule, update curriculum using evaluations to improve Farm Beginnings for 2017-2018 class Recruit participants for Farm Beginnings 2017-2018 course Finalize plan/structure for Mentoring component of Farm Beginnings to be implemented for 2017-2018 class, where participants are matched with an advanced farmer for one on one support during the course. Continue relationship building and outreach with partners/allies in WNC and Southern Appalachian for mobile Farm Beginnings course in year 3 Continue developing the JourneyPerson Program and Team of Farmer Consultants for technical assistance for farmers with OGS's Coaching and Consulting Program WNCFL: • Continue one-on-one farm seeker and landowner consultations • Continue lease negotiation coordination • Continue land matching facilitation between farmers and landowner • Continue regional workshops and speaking engagements to collaborate with partners • Continue WNCFL publicity through social media, press releases, videos and print publications

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? GOAL 1: A structure of comprehensive, holistic, whole-farm educational opportunities for beginning farmers to plug into at multiple phases on their journey. • 8 of 24 workshops for aspiring and beginnings farmers to receive practical, on-farm training in basic livestock, forest management, & crop farming practices 8 Beginnings Farmers profiled on Apprentice Link (aka OFF) Held three Farmer Round Tables January-February 2017. Topics included: The Lean Farm & Other Sources of Farming Info; Comparing Farm Finances; Improving Rates & Techniques Held 2 day Holistic Financial Planning Workshop with 20 farmers - January 9-10, 2017 We are half-way through the Farm Beginnings® year, 22 beginning farmers (representing 14 farms) attended 13 winter workshops that covered holistic goal setting, whole-farm planning, business planning, marketing, financial literacy, record-keeping, Agroecology, soil health, ecosystem processes, and land access. GOAL 2: Equitable & Affordable access to land SAHC's Buy Protect Farm Program - 5 Success stories: ?1) Purchased 2 conservation easements on 205 acres of farmland • 87 acres.9 farmers and the local high school FFA. 2 of them are beginning farmers. 7 of them are seasoned. There are 75 members in the FFA Chapter from Mountain Heritage Ag Program in the local Yancey County High School, all of who may be considered beginning and limited resource. We matched private philanthropists withthe property which was on the market for sale. The owners worked out an agreement with the local food hub TRACTOR to bring in beginning and seasoned farmers as well as FFA students to give them a chance to expand their vegetable crop production or learn more about it. Crops include cabbage, winter squash, garlic, corn, and field beans. SAHC has a cooperative agreement with NRCS to purchase an ACEP-ALE on the property and we are currently still doing our due diligence so we can close the easement as soon as possible. •118 acres. 1 beginning farmer. This is a multigenerational farm that has been in the family for more than a century. The farm has been converted from dairy to beef cattle. We are still working through the due diligence in order to get the easement closed. 2) Fee-Simple Purchase of2 farms totalling 242 acres: • 100 acre farm now has1 seasoned farmer, local cattleman, has a grazing license with SAHC. He is a neighboring farmer. Use of the land allows him to keep his herd size up. •142 acres -100 acres in production. 1 beginning farmer - keeps approximately 40 head of cattle on the property. Brandon is in his early thirties. The spectacular high elevation pasture joins several subdivisions on the Buncombe/Haywood County line. SAHC purchased the property through a difficult process to protect it from residential 2nd home development and to allow the property to be used for agriculture. We made an agreement with Brandon James, great nephew to the deceased owner's estate, for him to keep his cattle on the property. This allows him to continue his family's agricultural heritage of high mountain pasture grazing in WNC. SAHC is the only organization capable of completing this kind of transaction in WNC. 3) We matched a private philanthropist with the farmland: 48 acres. 30 acres in production. 2 beginning farmers. The buyer was so excited about our Beginning Farmer Incubator Program he wanted to help expand access to farmers in our region.He bought it and has since worked out an agreement with beginning farmers who will be grazing small animal livestock. The property joins two conservation easements and is in the center of a traditional agricultural valley in the Newfound Mtns. OGS Farm Beginnings® included 3 hr workshop on Land Access and Land Management, co-taught with Suzanna at WNC FarmLink and Chris from SAHC, in February 2017. WNCFL: • Increased 160 beginning farmers' knowledge of options for acquiring or leasing land, resulting in 160 receiving assistance and support with negotiating equitable land leases and purchase. • 12 beginning farmers matched with land via WNCFL. GOAL 3: Ongoing Mentorship & Networking SAHC has provided coaching and technical assistance to 4 beginning farmers leasing land to start farming on the SAHC Incubator Farm. OGS No farmers matched with mentors/technical assistance yet 32 farmer members, 26 apprentice members, 23 Farm Beginnings members involved in CRAFT = 81 members so far GOAL 4: Increased regional leadership and community support of farmers that result from the collective impact and synergy of the Farm Pathways Collaborative Monthly meetings Created farmpathways.com WNCFL & SAHC presented on partnership at Regional Land Access Innovations Training Developed evaluation/metrics tracking system OGS participated & presented at Farm Beginnings Collaborative Annual meeting in Portland, Maine, March 2017 OGS met w/ Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture to start planning for mobile Farm Beginnings course in the High Country OGS & WNCFL participating in Asheville Buncombe Community Food Policy - Farmer Support Cluster OGS & WNCFL participating in F.A.R.M.S. - Farm Agency Resource Management Support Group OGS & WNCFL participating in the WNC Regional Food Network Call on Building Regional Partnerships SAHC & WNCFL participating in the WNC Pasture Network meeting with Sam Bingham & Jessica Hocz WNCFL boothed at the Annual Alternative Crops and Organics Research Tour and Biodynamic Workshop WNCFL boothed at the Marion Farmers Market WNCFL presented at the the Saluda Community Land Trust board meeting

Publications