Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:This project developed a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network in the Northeast Region (FRSAN-NE). To establish this network, this project aimed to: Convene farmer service providers in the Northeast region to build connection and collaboration, gather resources, and provide feedback on regional needs Develop an online clearinghouse to share available resources and referrals with farmers and service providers; and Train service providers on the Network, available resources, and best practices for working with farmers, farmworkers and others who work in food and agriculture under stress. For the purposes of this grant, the Northeast Region includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The target audience for this project is service providers and farming communities in the Northeast region. FRSAN-NE's target audience included the more than 200 members that comprise our current network, representing over 70 organizations from each state in the Northeast region, including Cooperative Extension Services, Agricultural Mediation Programs, Departments of Agriculture, and several direct-service organizations. These Member Organizations work with and represent a multitude of farmers, farm families, and farm communities, including multi-generation, first generation, new and beginning farmers, women farmers, migrant farmers and farmworkers, organic and sustainable farmers, dairy farmers, and traditional commodity growers. Member Organizations committed to participate in the Network by: Attending quarterly network calls; Providing information on programs, resources, and training materials for the clearinghouse; Participating in trainings on farmer stress assistance; and Assisting in outreach about the network, clearinghouse, training, and further opportunities. The Network met nine times since the launch of the Network in December 2019. The project was steered by an Advisory Team of organizations who led on the proposal development for this project. This Advisory Team meets bi-weekly and is tasked with designing, administering, and evaluating the project. Current members of the Advisory Board include: National Young Farmers Coalition Farm Aid Farm First Vermont University of Maine Extension Northeast Farmers of Color - Land Trust Migrant Clinicians Network Changes/Problems:As a result of the 4-month delay in the final approval process, we requested and received a No-Cost Extension of this project. The delays in approval limited our ability to proceed with evaluation, hires, and programming according to our original timeline. This project was completed on 8/31/2021. The initial Project Evaluator, Jan Perez, stepped down in October 2020 due to capacity constraints given the No-Cost Extension and new timeline of this project. Jan completed Network surveys and analysis throughout the project. Pam Tinc - researcher at Bassett Medical Centerjoined as the new evaluator for this project. Pam completed observation analysis of the Network and conducted Network surveys. In June 2021, the Advisory Team reflected on the evaluation process and the Network's values to align with the FRSAN-NE proposal priorities that center the needs of BIPOC farmers, farmworkers, and young farmers. As such, Young Farmers ended the contract with the Bassett Medical Center team, expressing gratitude for stewarding our initial evaluations and acknowledging their efforts to support the Network. In an effort to expand FRSAN-NE's commitment to racial equity into the 2021-2022 grant cycle, the Evaluation Working Group has aligned and identified areas for improvement, including survey design and response, and completed a competitive process to hire a new external evaluator to help achieve this goal. Partner organizations saw changes in key staff or delays in hiring new staff: At Farm Aid, Alicia Harvie departed the organization in Fall 2020. With Harvie's departure, Madeline Lutkewitte played a larger role in the project. In April 2021, Farm Aid hired Alexandria Ward as the Farmer Services Network Manager; Ward serves on the Advisory Team. Lutkewitte left Farm Aid in June 2021. At Vermont Farm First, Karen Crowley was hired to be the Resource Coordinator in November 2020. This hire was delayed due to a freeze in state hiring under COVID-19. Lastly, Young Farmers' Grants and Budget Manager, Sonia Sullivan left her position in August 2021. The Advisory Team expanded beyond the initial three partner organizations. In addition to Young Farmers, Farm Aid, and Vermont Farm First (as specified in the grant), three organizations joined the Advisory Team: University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Migrant Clinicians Network, and Northeast Farmers of Color - Land Trust. These new organizations joined in the overlap between the FRSAN-NE 2019-2020 grant and the FRSAN-NE 2020-2021 grant. We experienced delays in this project in the publications of Resource Guides due to COVID-19 and personnel changes. Additionally the scope of the guides expanded beyond initial visions in order to create as complete and thorough materials as possible. The Resources Working Group took a different approach to the Mental Health and Stress Management Guide than the Legal, Financial and Disaster Assistance Guides. This led the Resources Working Group to deliberate and decide about how best to structure the content on the website to be most accessible. Additional members brought new and helpful perspectives to these discussions which contributed to agreeing on a plan that we are confident achieves our accessibility goal. All four guides -- finances, disaster assistance, legal issues, and mental health -- have been edited, formated, and published. Our project originally proposed an in-person training for all network members, but COVID-19 pandemic hindered our ability to gather in-person. We have surveyed our Network members and learned about their preferences for online training. These trainings occurred in October and November 2020; see Products. The Advisory Team reallocated the funds for the in-person trainings to be small grants to Network Members. The small grant funds fell into three categories: software, translation, and trainings. Software funds were allocated to eight organizations: University of Maine Cooperative Extension Vermont Farm First Boots-to-Bushels Rock Steady Farm Carrot Project NOFA-NY University of Delaware Extension Land for Good Training funds were allocated to, five organizations: Land to Learn Migrant Clinicians Network Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener Association Soul Fire Farm Hudson Valley Young Farmers Coalition Finally, training funds were allocated to assist the Advisory Team in to help clarify decision making and to support key staff transitions in light of departures at Farm Aid and new hires at Farm First and Young Farmers. The external evaluator identified the delayed start-time, exacerbated by the health and safety guidelines due to COVID-19 to be the Network's primary challenge in its first year. In the July 2020 survey, members reported the pandemic reduced their ability to network with other members virtually compared to in-person. Some also indicated that increased demands due to COVID-19 resulted in less time that they could dedicate to this project. In addition, because in-person events (such as trainings) were rescheduled as virtual events, this likely allowed for less depth in the discussions. February 2021 survey results included requests for more purposeful network meetings and comprehensive listings of initiatives that members can engage in. Moreover, whereas FRSAN-NE includes over 80 members, an average of just 20 participate in meetings and trainings. Similarly, 21 members from just 6 organizations reported serving on a subcommittee. Each of these challenges can be considered barriers to increasing engagement in the FRSAN-NE. An important goal for future years of FRSAN-NE will be to more actively engage network members. As part of the network's overall activities, a project database is currently being developed, which will help facilitate and track member engagement. The development of cohorts, which is currently in process, will likely contribute to improvements in member engagement as will the expansion of the Advisory Team and Working Group to recruit additional participants. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Network has convened on eight quarterly calls beginning in December 2019. The Quarterly meetings had the following key accomplishments: Provide feedback on network design and development, such as FRSAN-NE's vision, mission, and value statement Gather resources and referrals currently available in each state and use these resources to populate the Matrix, Identify additional resources, referrals, and training topics needed in the region, especially regarding COVID-19, and Conduct outreach to their partner service providers and the farmers they serve regarding the network and clearinghouse. 12/2/2019 Network Call Agenda: Advisory Team introductions, FRSAN-NE grant overview, Member introductions, Member question Attendees: 22 Participants, 19 Organizations 12/13/2019 Network Call Agenda: Advisory Team Introductions, FRSAN Northeast Project Overview, Member Introductions, Survey Process and Member Engagement, Member Questions, Next Steps and Wrap-up Attendees: 20 Participants, 17 Organizations 2/19/2020 Network Call Agenda: NIFA News, Revised Timeline for FRSAN Activities, Training Date Options, Volunteers for Working Groups, Data Analysis, Member Survey Results, Wrap-up Attendees: 23 Participants, 20 Organizations 4/22/2020 Network Call Agenda: Understanding COVID As a Natural Disaster, NIFA News, Clearinghouse Demos, Resource Matrix Demo, Organizational Directory Demo, Group Q&A, Working Group Report Outs, Wrap-up Attendees: 27 Participants, 23 Organizations 7/23/2020 Network Call Agenda: Progress Report on FRSAN-NE, 2020 RFA, FRSAN-NE Vision Statement Workshop, Evaluation Survey, Resource Matrix Reminder, Clearinghouse Update Attendees: 27 Participants, 23 Organizations 10/14/2020 Network call Agenda: FRSAN-NE Progress and Updates, FRSAN-NE Vision and Mission Statement Breakout Groups, Training Updates Attendees: 27 Participants, 23 Organizations 2/24/2021 Network Call Agenda: Jamboard Activity, Break-out Groups, Evaluation with Pam, Advisory Team Introductions, Cohorts Attendees: 30 Participants, 24 Organizations 5/26/21 Network Call Agenda: FRSAN-NE Updates, Jamboard, BIPOC Debt Relief Under FSA Attendees: 51 Participants, 38 organizations 8/24/21 Network Call Agenda: FRSAN-NE updates, Language Justice Attendees: 55 Participants, 40 Organizations Trainings and Workshops The Network has convened for two Fall 2020 trainings, FRSAN-NE 101 and Understanding Farm Resiliency for Diverse Farm Communities Training. See the Products section for more details. In 2021, the Network hosted four trainings and five training series. See Products. FRSAN-NE currently features four Working Groups composed of Member Organizations who meet periodically to advance various project objectives: Evaluation Working Group (previously called the Data Analysis Working Group) -Objective & Current Status: The Evaluation Working Group originated as the Data Analysis Working Group that analyzed the January 2020 and July 2020 survey responses. The group first focused on the survey information related to the training in order to help the Training Working Group determine plans for the network-wide training. Next, the group searched for and identified a new external evaluator. Resource Development Working Group: -Objective & Current Status: The Resource Development Working Group gathers and creates resources for the Network. The group finalized four resource guides from FRSAN 2019-2020. The group maintained an updated Clearing House and Resource Library. Training Working Group -Objective & Current Status: The Training Working Group planned a Network training curriculum for Fall 2020 through March 2021 that trained individuals and teams in the NE Region. Given the pandemic, the group pivoted to an online training curriculum. See Products to learn more about these trainings. Network Sustainability Working Group (previously called the Strategic Planning Working Group) -Objective & Current Status: The Network Sustainability Working Group facilitated processes to bring alignment to the Network and collaborated to define Network shared goals, vision, and set of guiding principles. In August 2020, the group drafted a Vision Statement and a set of Network Values, which were subsequently reviewed and adopted by the Advisory Team and the Network. The group then shifted to focus on Network internal communications. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Network Members receive FRSAN-NE information in a variety of formats: Dropbox folder with meeting notes, meeting recordings, survey analysis, and Working Group documents Google group listserv with more than 230 members to post resources, ask questions, and share information about the Network, such as upcoming trainings and calls Matrix with resources; see Products. Information Clearinghouse, known as the Farmer Resource Network; see Products. Network Members and interested others receive monthly Newsletters. The newsletters launched in February 2021. The newsletters share information about upcoming calls, trainings, small grants, resources, and spotlight a Network Member's effort on farmer mental health, stress, and wellness. See Products. The public receives information about FRSAN-NE in two main ways. First, Farm Aid's Farmer Resource Network and the Young Farmers' FRSAN-NE landing page. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1 FRSAN-NE held 62 Advisory Team Meetings (Activity 1.1). This occurred in higher frequency than the anticipated monthly meetings. The Advisory Team's commitment to more frequent meetings was crucial in light of delay in funds and key personnel changes at the end of 2020. These meetings provided in-depth onboarding to new team members in addition to the following key accomplishments: Established the Network's management structure Identified additional Member organizations from the initial 20 to 70, representing 200+ individuals Guided development of the regional clearinghouse, resource development, training, data collection, and small grant fund allocation Planned for the long-term sustainability of the Network through vision, mission, and value statement Contracted with external evaluation to oversee all areas of the programming FRSAN-NE held eight quarterly meetings with Network Members (Activity 1.2). The Quarterly meetings had the following key accomplishments: Provide feedback on network design and development Gather resources and referrals currently available to populate the Matrix Identify additional resources, referrals, and training topics needed, especially regarding COVID-19 Conduct outreach to partner service providers and farmers they serve regarding the Network. FRSAN-NE conducted outreach to engage additional Service Providers to share resources and referrals for the clearinghouse and to attend training opportunities (Activity 1.3). This outreach had the following key outcomes: Helped identify resources, referrals, gaps and needs (Outcome 1.1) (described in detail under Objective 2). Enhanced understanding of FRSAN resources and referrals (Outcome 1.2). As detailed in our proposal, we aimed for 75% of Network members' to have their work enhanced by participation in the network. In our Network survey, 87.5% chose at least two ways of participating in the Network. We aimed for 90% of members to report increased understanding of available resources and referrals. At the time of our Network survey, 75% reported increased understanding. Overall engagement of at least 50 providers and network members (Outcome 1.3). To date, the Network includes 70 organizations and over 200 individuals. The external Evaluator's collected data on Objective 1 using the following methods: surveys with FRSAN-NE members training-specific evaluations conducted at the time of training events, and program metrics collected over the course of the grant period. Based on this data, the external Evaluator assessed the Network's delivery on Objective 1 positively; reporting FRSAN-NE consisted of 45 organizations represented by 84 members, 24 of whom responded to a July 2020 evaluation survey; 42 responded to a similar survey in February 2021. February results showed an increase in members' self-reported connectedness; on a scale of one to five, the average score was a 3.5. Objective 2 FRSAN-NE conducted outreach to partners in the region and nationally to ensure that the Clearinghouse will most effectively serve partners' needs (Activity 2.1). Farm Aid worked with the Resources Working Group and partners in the Western FRSAN region to identify organizations and resources that should be included in the Clearinghouse, and conducted outreach to them. Additionally, Farm Aid worked with the Resources Working Group to build out the multimedia resources and conducted technical changes to the back end of the clearinghouse to enhance its utility and functionality (Activity 2.2). FRSAN-NE conducted outreach through the Advisory Team, Network Members, and additional Service Providers to add existing resource and referral listings to the clearinghouse (Activity 2.3). Farm Aid reviewed resources to identify those most effective as well as gaps and needs and continues to maintain the Farmer Resource Network, an online search tool populated by the Clearinghouse to help farmers find an organization that provides the specific assistance and resources they need. The directory contains more than 750 organizations and demarcates those serving the Northeast. Vermont Farm First and the Resources Working Group developed four comprehensive resources (see products)(Activity 2.4). These activities increased usage of the Clearinghouse, 1-800-FARM-AID, USDA programs, and other governmental programs (Outcome 2.1). Number of Clearinghouse site visits and 1-800-FARM-AID hotline calls: Between October 2019 and August 31, 2021 there were 1,671 visits to Farm Aid's Clearinghouse from the Northeast region. Between October 1, 2019 and August 30, 2021 there were 193 calls/emails to the hotline from callers in the Northeast. Of those callers 83 of them were referred to USDA programs, 71 were referred to the Farmer Service Agency, and 14 of the callers were dealing with stress and mental health crises, often related to finance or disaster. Number of page views and/or hotline referrals to other governmental programs and resources through agencies such as HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency and Veterans Affairs: We highlighted HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Agency on the Farm Aid website and on COVID-19 resource guides that went out to dozens of farmers since March 2020. These activities improved knowledge among network members of resources and referrals (Outcome 2.2). 75% of Network members reported increased understanding of available resources; 37.5% reported increased understanding of referrals. Objective 3 Through Advisory Team and Network Member meetings, FRSAN- NE identified key topics for training and held trainings (Activity 3.1) see full description in Products description. Farm Aid/FLAG Webinar April-July 2020. FRSAN-Northeast 101 October 2020 (25 attendees). Understanding Farm Resiliency For Diverse Communities November 2020 (26 attendees). Breathwork Trainings (3), March 2021 (16 attendees). Witness 2 Witness Trainings (3), April-May 2021 (42 attendees). Sexual Assault and Consent Policy Workshop March 2021 (150 attendees). Uprooting Racism Training May 2021 (195 attendees). Cultivating Communities' trauma-informed leadership team trainings hosted by Migrant Clinicians Network, (5 trainings), June-August 2021, (5 attendees). As detailed in the proposal, FRSAN-NE aimed to train 50 individuals (Outcome 3.1). From these trainings, Network Members would increase understanding of FRSAN activities and existing resources (Outcome 3.2), increase understanding of best practices for supporting farmers under stress (Outcome 3.3), and increase understanding of structural options for offering assistance and collaboration between service providers (Outcome 3.4). According to the external Evaluator a total of 85 participants attended the following trainings: FRSAN-Northeast 101, Understanding Farm Resiliency For Diverse Communities, and the Breathwork Training series, "though it is unknown how many individuals participated in more than one of the trainings, and thus how many individuals were trained," notes the Evaluator. The evaluator assessed member attendance and engagement of the FRSAN-NE 101 training, which "aligned best with the specific indicators outlined for objective 3." A total of 25 FRSAN-NE members attended, and 13 (52%) responded to the evaluation, ranking several statements on a scale of 1 to 5. In particular, statements related to objective 3 showed a 69% increase in understanding among participants, which is just shy of the project's goal of a 75% increase in understanding. Evaluators' study of subsequent trainings (Understanding Farm Resiliency For Diverse Communities, and Breathwork Trainings) using the same 1-5 scale showed similar "moderate, self reported increases in knowledge." Using the same agreement scale, an average score of 3.6 was given to the statement, "today's training was engaging."

Publications

• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Young Farmers FRSAN-NE landing page Young Farmers added a FRSAN landing page (https://www.youngfarmers.org/frsan-ne/) to its website with links to farmer mental health resources, farmer mental health podcasts, and relevant information about FRSAN-NE, such as the Networks vision and mission. Since launching on February, 2, 2021, 3,364 users have visited all FRSAN pages and 2,130 users have visited just the main FRSAN landing page.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Monthly FRSAN Newsletters In February 2021, Young Farmers sent the first monthly FRSAN-NE Newsletter (https://bit.ly/3FxUehk) to 71 Network Members with information about upcoming Quarterly Calls, trainings, the application call for the Farmer Advisory Board, links to the FRSAN-NE landing page, and Migrant Clinicians Network links to guides about serving migrant farmers. 60% of recipients opened the email and 59.52% clicked at least one link, totaling 125 overall link clicks. In March 2021, Young Farmers sent the monthly FRSAN-NE Newsletter (https://bit.ly/2Zferca) to 76 unique subscribers with information about upcoming events and trainings, and a network member feature on Farm Aid. 49.33% of recipients opened the email and 18.92% clicked at least one link, totaling 22 overall link clicks. The April 2021 Newsletter (https://bit.ly/3nIFTIE) was sent to 104 unique subscribers with information about upcoming events and trainings, COVID-19 Resources, and a network member feature on Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust. 56.31% of recipients opened the email and 43.1% clicked at least one link, totaling 290 link clicks. The May 2021 Newsletter (https://bit.ly/3nIZMzq) was sent to 148 unique subscribers with information about upcoming events and trainings, and a network member feature on University of Maines Farm Coaching Program. 56.94% of recipients opened the email and 43.9% clicked at least one link, totaling 124 link clicks. The June 2021 Newsletter (https://bit.ly/3xfYeQq) was sent to 177 unique subscribers with information about upcoming events and trainings, and a network member feature on Farm First Vermont. 59.2% of all recipients opened the newsletter and 33.98% of all recipients clicked at least one link, totalling 95 clicks on links. The most popular link was Network Member Rock Steady Farms Pronouns 101 blog post, a key feature for Pride Month. The August 2021 Newsletter (https://bit.ly/3nJ06y8) was sent to 193 unique subscribers with information about upcoming events and trainings, and a network member feature on the Language Justice team, and a resource feature on Migrant Clinicians Networks Spanish language farmer resources. The newsletter was offered in both English and Spanish. 58.2% of recipients opened the email and 17.27% clicked at least one link, totaling 65 link clicks.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Resource Guides - Legal 101 In 2021, the Network published four Resource Guides to equip agricultural service providers with the resources most essential to the provision of their services. The approach developed with several priorities in mind: Providing high quality resources that are relevant to current needs, Offering information in a variety of formats such as text, videos, and fact sheets, Formatting and structuring the information to be positioned in a central web-based repository that can act as a gateway to material across many farm-related challenges, Developing a strategy to ensure that agricultural service providers will be made aware of the availability of the materials, and Developing the materials so that they can easily be shared by service providers to farmers and farm families. All guides are available as a web resource that can be downloaded and printed in sections via the FRSAN-NE Clearinghouse (Farmer Resource Network). The first of the four Guides, Legal 101 (https://bit.ly/32hoLBw) provides guidance to farmers and their service providers alike on when to seek legal counsel and how to find a lawyer well versed in agricultural issues. Resource Working group member Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG) led the project
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Resource Guides - Financial Counseling Published in 2021, the Resource Guide on Financial Counseling (https://bit.ly/3l3366K) is for the benefit of service providers who find themselves serving farmers in financial crisis. It walks providers through the processes of connecting with farmers in distress and connecting them to the resources that they need to come through the crisis with the best possible outcomes. The project was led by the Rural Foundation Advancement International (RAFI), a member of the Resource Working Group.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Resource Guides - Disaster Assistance Guide The Disaster Assistance Guide (https://bit.ly/3r1OVTe) shepherds farmers and service providers through disaster preparedness and response. Led by a Resource Working Group member, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), the guide includes information on writing risk management assessments and farm safety plans, accessing insurance, support, and aid, documenting claims, and investing in the environmental health of farms.
• Type: Other Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2021 Citation: Resource Guides - Mental Health Support The final Resource Guide of the four-part series concerns Stress and Mental Health Support and is forthcoming in Winter 2021. The project is overseen by Farm First Vermont, a member of the Resource Working group. It will summarize the mental health resources available to service providers and the steps involved in connecting farmers to them.

Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:This project will develop a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network in the Northeast Region (FRSAN-NE). To establish this network, this project aims to: Convene farmer service providers in the Northeast region to build connection and collaboration, gather resources, and provide feedback on regional needs; Develop an online clearinghouse to share available resources and referrals with farmers and service providers; and Train service providers on the Network, available resources, and best practices for working with farmers, farmworkers and others who work in food and agriculture under stress. For the purposes of this grant, the Northeast Region includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The target audience for this project is service providers and farmers in the Northeast region. FRSAN-NE's target audience includes 30+ Member Organizations representing each state in the Northeast region, including Cooperative Extensions, Farmers Union, NOFA, Agricultural Mediation Programs, Departments of Agriculture, and several direct-service organizations. These Member Organizations work with and represent a multitude of farmers, farm families, and farm communities, including multi-generation, first generation, new and beginning farmers, women farmers, migrant farmers and farmworkers, organic and sustainable farmers, dairy farmers, and traditional commodity growers. Member Organizations commit to participate in the Network by: Attending quarterly network calls; Providing information on programs, resources, and training materials for the clearinghouse; Participating in our training on farmer stress assistance; and Assisting in outreach about the network, clearinghouse, training, and further opportunities. The Network has met four times with an initial meeting in December 2019, and the next network meeting is scheduled for October 14, 2020. The current project is steered by an Advisory Board of organizations who led on the proposal development for this project. This Advisory Board meets bi-weekly and is tasked with designing, administering, and evaluating the project. Current members of the Advisory Board include: National Young Farmers Coalition Farm Aid Farm First Vermont University of Maine Extension Changes/Problems:As a result of the 4-month delay in the final approval process, we requested and received a No-Cost Extension of this project. The delays in approval limited our ability to proceed with these hires and proceed according to our original timeline. This project will be completed by 8/31/2021. Our project originally proposed an in-person training for all network members. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered our ability to gather in-person. We have surveyed our Network members about their preferences for online training and we will hold this training virtually in February 2021. Our current Project Evaluator is stepping down due to capacity constraints given the No-Cost Extension and new timeline of this project. We will bring on a new Project Evaluator to create and complete the pre- and post-training evaluations, as well as the final overall project evaluation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Network has convened on 5 quarterly calls beginning in December 2019. 12/2/2019 Network Call (22 Participants, 19 Organizations): Alicia Harvie and Maddie Lutkewitte Farm Aid Caitlin Arnold National Young Farmers Coalition David Kimmel NJ State Ag Development Committee Pam Tinc New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health Tori Jackson and Leslie Forstadt UMaine Cooperative Extension, Beginning Farmer Resource Network of Maine Scott Carlson Farmers Legal Action Group Taryn Austin Allen Matthews and Steve Dickens VTFarm First Matt Strassberg VT Ag Mediation (EMC) Spencer Moss WV Farm and Food Coalition Claudia Kenney NY State Ag Mediation Andrianna Natsoulas NOFA New York Scott Marlow Rural Advancement Foundation International Martha Machnik Center for Mediation and Collaboration Rhode Island Devona Bell National Center for Appropriate Technology Claire Hinrichs Penn State University Todd Erling Hudson Valley Agribusiness Kay-Megan Washington MD Ag Mediation Program Jackie Schweichler PA Agricultural Mediation Program 12/13/2019, 2019 Network Call (20 Participants, 17 Organizations): Alicia Harvie and Maddie Lutkewitte Farm Aid Caitlin Arnold National Young Farmers Coalition Allen Matthews VT Farm First Jeff Cole The Carrot Project Caro Rosell NOFA-MASS Education Director Lisa Davis Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health Amy Liebman and Kate Kruse Migrant Clinician's Network Lee Reinhardt NCAT Diane Dotchfeld VT Agency of Ag Ed Staer and Kate Downes NY Farm Net Spencer Moss West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition Bethany Wallace NOFA-NY Jennifer Hashley New Entry Jan Perez UCSC Maria Pippidis UDel Cooperative Extension Maddie Kempner NOFA VT Ashlee O Dugan PASA 2/19/2020 Network Call (23 Participants, 20 Organizations): Maddie Lutkewitte and Alicia Harvie Farm Aid Jeff Cole The Carrot Project Pam Tinc NY Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health Jan Perez UC Santa Cruz Jesse Ketterman UMD Spencer Moss WVFF Caitlin Arnold and Martin Lemos National Young Farmers Coalition Tori Jackson and Leslie Forstadt UMaine Extension Kate Kruse Migrant Clinician's Network Lee Reinhardt NCAT Bethany Wallis NOFA-NY Scott Carlson FLAG Kay-Megan Washington MD Agricultural Conflict Resolution Service Scott Marlow RAFI Claudia Kenny NY State Ag Mediation Dave Kimmel NJ Ag Mediation Çaca Yvaire Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust Maria Pippidis UDelaware Ed Staehr NY Farm Net Martha Machnik Center for Mediation RI 4/22/2020 Network Call (27 Participants, 23 Organizations): Alicia Harvie and Maddie Lutkewitte Farm Aid Allen Matthews VT Farm First Caitlin Arnold and Martin Lemos National Young Farmers Coalition Pam Tinc NE Center for Occupational Safety & Health Martha Machnik Center for Mediation and Collaboration - Rhode Island (CMCRI) Polly Shyka UMaine Extension Spencer Moss West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition Lisa Davis PA Office of Rural Health John Chartier MOFGA Claudia Kenny NYS Ag Mediation Jan Perez UC Santa Cruz Lee Reinhart NCAT Kate Kruse Migrant Clinicians Network Scott Carlson and Stephen Carpenter FLAG Jennifer Hashley New Entry Jesse Ketterman and Shannon Dill UMD Dave Kimmel NJ Ag Mediation Lisa Jones WVU Small Farms Center Maria Pippidis UDelaware Bethany Wallace NOFA-NY Bonnie Braun UMD Extension Kate Downes NY Farm Net Roger Noonan NE Farmers Union 7/23/2020 Network Call (27 Participants, 23 Organizations): Alicia Harvie and Maddie Lutkewitte Farm Aid Allen Matthews and Steve Dickens VTFarm First Caitlin Arnold and Martin Lemos National Young Farmers Coalition Jonathan Malacarne UMaine Extension Jeff Cole Carrot Project Kate Downes NY FarmNet Jesse Ketterman UMD Jackie Schweichler Penn State Scott Carlson FLAG Kevin Cody and Jennifer Hashley New Entry Bethany Wallis NOFA-NY Scott Marlow RAFI Claudia Kenny NY State Ag Mediation Kate Kruse Migrant Clinician's Network Polly Shyka and Leslie Forstadt University of Maine Cooperative Extension Lisa Jones and James Harvey Penn State Maria Pippidis UDelaware Martha Machnik The Center for Mediation & Collaboration Rhode Island John Chartier MOFGA Shemariah Blum-Evitts Land for Good Daniel Prial NCAT Pam Tinc Northeast Center for Occupational Safety & Health FRSAN-NE currently features four Working Groups composed of Member Organizations who meet periodically to advance various project objectives: Data Analysis Working Group Objective & Current Status: The Data Analysis Working Group analyzed the January 2020 survey responses. The group had been focused on the survey information related to the training in order to help the Training Working Group determine plans for the network-wide training. Advisory Board Participants: Farm Aid, UMaine Extension Current Member Organization Participants: Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety Resources Working Group: Objective & Current Status: Our Resources Working is tasked populating an online clearinghouse database and providing content for resource guides on financial, disaster, mental health, and legal assistance. The group has developed a system of identifying and classifying resources for farmers through a Matrix that can be used by all Network members to assist in the acquisition of the most comprehensive set of resources in the Northeast. Advisory Board Participant: Farm First Vermont Current Member Organization Participants: National Center for Appropriate Technology, Rural Advancement Foundation International, Farmers' Legal Action Group Training Planning: Objective & Current Status: The Training Working Group is focused on planning a Network training curriculum in the Fall 2020 through March 2021 that will train individuals and teams in the NE Region. Given the pandemic, the group is developing an online training curriculum that will engage a diverse array of Service Providers with strong connections to the various target audiences of this project and with broad geographic coverage throughout the NE, including in state and federal government programs, Cooperative Extension staff, non-profit service providers, and peer service providers. Our Training Working Group is creating a workplan and process for designing, planning and executing that will cover topics including Strengthening Farm and Farm Family Risk and Resilience, Building a Strong Local Network to support Farming Communities, Building Communication Skills to Assist Stressed Clientele, and more. The training schedule will be finalized in the coming weeks and promoted within the Network and to external stakeholders as appropriate. Advisory Board Participant: Farm Aid Current Member Organization Participants: Agricultural Conflict Resolution Service at Maryland Dept of Ag; Center for Mediation & Collaboration RI; University of Delaware; Soul Fire Farm. ? Strategic Planning: Objective & Current Status: The Strategic Planning Working Group is tasked with facilitating a process to bring alignment to the Network, and collaborate to define our shared goals, vision, and set of guiding principles. The group holds monthly subgroup meetings to identify ways our organizations can build and sustain a collaborative, equitable, and inclusive network, as well as map a process that will engage the entire network culminating in a visioning/strategy session at the all-network training. As of August 2020, the working group has drafted a Vision Statement and a set of Network Values, which have been reviewed by the Advisory Team and the Network Membership. The Vision and Values will continue to be revised based on feedback from the Network Membership via Network calls and written feedback, and a final version will be ratified during our Network training in winter of 2021. Advisory Board Participant: National Young Farmers Coalition Current Member Organization Participants: NY State Agricultural Mediation Program,Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, NOFA NY How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of this project will be detailed in our final report to NIFA. Resources developed through this project will be made publicly available through the Clearinghouse and partner organizations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? FRSAN-NE plans to continue to convene the Network membership on quarterly calls throughout the remainder of the project and to begin planning the Network training to take place in February 2021. This training will now be held virtually due to COVID19. We will continue to populate the Resource Matrix and Clearinghouse, and make current and new resources available to the Network. We may also provide shorter webinar trainings in addition to the virtual training. We will conduct a pre- and post-training evaluation, as well as an overall project evaluation before the end of the project. These results will be included in our final report.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Establish a diverse, regionally- representative Network of member organizations. Key metrics and accomplishments include: We held five Network membership meetings, beginning in December 2019. Our next meeting is scheduled for 10/14/2020. As detailed in our proposal, we aimed for 75% of Network members' to have their work enhanced by participation in the network. In our Network survey, 87.5% chose at least two ways of participating in the Network, including an increased understanding of available resources, and identifying Network members and organizations to connect with. As detailed in our proposal, we aimed for 90% of Network members to report increased understanding of available resources and referrals. At the time of our Network survey, 75% reported increased understanding of available resources; 37.5% reported increased understanding of referrals. Objective 2: Develop a Clearinghouse of farmer assistance programs in the region, inclusive of professional ag behavioral health counseling and referrals. Key metrics and accomplishments include: Number of new educational and promotional materials: 196 resources have been loaded into the Resources Matrix as of 7/31/2020; the 4 guides (Financial Counseling, Mental Health, Disaster Relief, Legal Assistance) are in progress. Number of Clearinghouse site visits and 1-800-FARM-AID hotline calls: Between October and July 31st, there were 854 visits to Farm Aid's Clearinghouse from the Northeast region. Between 10/1/2019 and 7/31/2020 there were 119 calls/emails to the hotline from callers in the Northeast, accounting for 14% of volume.? 30 of the 119 callers were directed to USDA services. 5 of which were Agriculture Mediation Program, the remaining were to the Farm Service Agency. Number of page views and/or hotline referrals to other governmental programs and resources through agencies such as HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency and Veterans Affairs: We highlighted HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Agency on the Farm Aid website and on COVID-19 resource guides that went out to farmers since March. We plan to report on the number of page views and hotline referrals in our final project report. 90% of Network members report increased understanding of available resources and referrals: 75% reported increased understanding of available resources; 37.5% reported increased understanding of referrals. Objective 3: Educate and train individuals and teams in the region about Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network activities and how they can access and use existing resources and programs in their work with agricultural workers and communities under stress This training will be held in February 2020 and will be detailed in our Final Report.?

Publications