Progress 04/01/23 to 03/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Proposed Audience Emphasis: Socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers in rural Alaska. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?AVI hosted the Alaska Tribal Conservation District stakeholder meeting onsite in Anchorage on October 3-4, 2023. The 33 participants spoke on a variety of needs including their educational needs, desired training workshops, and to build working relationships by providing Technical Assistance. A follow-up online meeting took place in November with 25 participants. Plans are currently in progress for the 2024 TCD meeting. In February the 2024 Rural Small Business Conference held workshops specially directed to Alaska Natives who are socially disadvantaged and veterans to address USDA opportunities for 2024 via AVI programs. Using Quickbooks Online - a much-requested course that will be expanded online for a weekend workshop - Participants = 10 USDA/FSA Talking Session - Informational session with expanded version of programs for villages to leverage. An outcome of the talking session resulted in plans for working with FSA to develop programs directly available to villages including application for micro-loans. Participants = 17 Building your Business Plan/AgPlan Online - Presented by the University of Minnesota FSA project team, participants were taught how to use the online programs to develop plans specific to community needs. AVI will work with the UofM to right-size the information needed in Alaska villages. Participants - 34 AVI TCD Statewide Summit - A working session will be held to offer TCDs technical assistance and revitalize village input to strengthen the relationship between TCDs and NRCS. The Project Director will visit the 22 TCDs in Alaska during the summer of 2024. Participants = 40 RSBC Keynote Address - Linda Cronin, USDA FSA Outreach Director, provided a keynote address at the 2024 Rural Small Business Conference February 13-15, 2024 provided a Keynote address during the opening of the conference while outlining the programs that address the needs specific to Alaska Natives. Ms. Cronin also attended the talking session with the Alaska FSA Executive Director and responded to specific questions regarding Tribal opportunities related to Alaska. Participants = 120 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The team will begin the development of specific pamphlets, hand-out materials, and online courses and workshops. 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: Increase the number of subsistence farmers in rural Alaska during program period. Increase by ≈ 20 Currently ≈ 38 Objective 2: Expand villages' ability to be self-sufficient, food secure, self-reliant via in-person programs and workshops measured by registration, and qualitative observation. Increase by 15 villages Currently ≈ 16 villages Objective 3: Increase subsistence farmers' knowledge and skills and provide tools to make informed decisions to operate a sustainable agricultural project. Increase by ≈ 30 Currently ≈ 124 Objective 4: Increase the number of subsistence farmers who will increase their knowledge about USDA financial and technical assistance. Increase by ≈ 10 applications / No data to date While AVI continues to provide USDA-specific program information and foundational curriculum for Alaska Native disadvantaged agriculture producers and conservation projects, the discussion at the RSBC conference. A post-conference evaluation suggests focusing on the smaller mico-grant program will provide more significant results and participation. Loan data for the Alaska FSA office are not routinely shared with AVI. The team will begin the development of specific pamphlets, hand-out materials, and online courses and workshops. Objective 5: Provide in-person financial and business training at AVI's annual Rural Small Business Conference, including workshops with USDA staff. Annual attendees: ≈ 150

Publications

• Type: Websites Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: https://alaskarsbc.org/

Progress 04/01/22 to 03/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers in rural Alaska. 2023 Rural Small Business Conference Facebook outreach campaign reaching rural zip codes in rural Alaska. Campaign focused on Rural Small Business Conference and workshop offerings. Reach: 9,130; Link clicks: 264; Post engagement: 195; Page Likes; 21. RSBC General Gathering Panel: Agriculture and Business Support: Eva Burke Frosted Farms, Claire Friedrichsen, USDA/ARS, Julia Hnilicka USDA/RD, Ann Fischer USDA/NRCS, Amanda L Robertson USDA/FSA National, Steve Brown SBA Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Building Financial Sustainability Through Education in Rural Alaska Promoted the USDA/AVI programs at the Southeast Farmers Summit in Petersburg, Alaska. During this three-day summit, the project team had a booth and provided outreached to over 70 participants from the southeast region. Interest in the beginning agriculture courses as well as our new Ag in the Box program was prevalent. Promoted the USDA/AVI programs and technical assistance at a stakeholder meeting held at the Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer Alaska. The 25 participants spoke on a variety of needs including their educational needs, desired training workshops, and to build working relationships with existing agricultural organizations on Kenai Peninsula. AVI will continue to support the Kachemak Bay Campus as they begin a Sustainable Agriculture Program. The Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District sought AVI assistance to help bridge the connection between their services and the tribes in the Kenai area. AVI agreed to teach agriculture financial workshops in-person or online for the Kachemak Bay Campus as their program develops. A program grant from First Nations Development Institute allows AVI to take our curriculum on the road under our new program, "The Amazing Ag-in-a-Box Traveling Classroom." The program expands our commitment by focusing on increasing subsistence farming, addressing food security and economic opportunities, and lowering reliance on the high cost of transportation with freshly grown local vegetables. The program will provide subsistence agriculture through hands-on workshops, expanding offerings with our new television studio and podcasts to deliver business and financial curricula. Building Financial Sustainability Through Education in Rural Alaska Promoted the USDA/AVI programs at the Southeast Farmers Summit in Petersburg, Alaska. During this three-day summit, the project team had a booth and provided outreached to over 70 participants from the southeast region. Interest in the beginning agriculture courses as well as our new Ag in the Box program was prevalent. Promoted the USDA/AVI programs and technical assistance at a stakeholder meeting held at the Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer Alaska. The 25 participants spoke on a variety of needs including their educational needs, desired training workshops, and to build working relationships with existing agricultural organizations on Kenai Peninsula. AVI will continue to support the Kachemak Bay Campus as they begin a Sustainable Agriculture Program. The Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District sought AVI assistance to help bridge the connection between their services and the tribes in the Kenai area. AVI agreed to teach agriculture financial workshops in-person or online for the Kachemak Bay Campus as their program develops. A program grant from First Nations Development Institute allows AVI to take our curriculum on the road under our new program, "The Amazing Ag-in-a-Box Traveling Classroom." The program expands our commitment by focusing on increasing subsistence farming, addressing food security and economic opportunities, and lowering reliance on the high cost of transportation with freshly grown local vegetables. The program will provide subsistence agriculture through hands-on workshops, expanding offerings with our new television studio and podcasts to deliver business and financial curricula. Building Financial Sustainability Through Education in Rural Alaskaprovides a scalable online delivery and curriculum specifically developed to meet the agricultural needs of rural Alaska. AVI's instructional strategies establish clear links between our two target groups' - course content and learning objectives. The AVI project addresses: Food security while creating a sustainable local economy in rural Alaska; Create healthier opportunities through farming activities; Provide fiscal and managerial education to provide a sustainable agriculture economy in the village; and Leverage new Alaska Broadband initiatives. RSBC Courses Alaska Soil Sampling Workshop 8 Developing a Marketing Plan 7 Building a Business Website 30 Food Security Assessment Roundtable 23 Running an Agriculture Business 17 Tribal Conservation District Gathering 20 Creating partnerships for Economic Development & ANA funding Programs & Application Process Roundtable Alaska Business Development Center How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Record number of participants at the Rural Small Business Conference and workshop participation What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Outcome Target # Actual # How Measured Pre/ Post Program Survey 50 0 Quantitative https://bit.ly/3vJgtyv Student Enrollment Survey 50 10 Quantitative https://bit.ly/35FtC1D Food Security Assessment 100 40 Quantitative https://bit.ly/3AFtbBt Increase the number of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers in rural Alaska ≈ 35 28 Continuous data collection via questionnaires, and program participation Increase the knowledge, skills, and tools for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers to make informed decisions, operate a sustainable agricultural project and implement farming practices. ≈ 60 82+ Record keeping, and qualitative observation Increase knowledge, awareness, and participation by socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers in programs (government, private, etc.) that support local farm production ≈ 60 82 Record keeping, and qualitative observation The expected number of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers who will increase their knowledge about NRCS financial and technical assistance ≈ 60 82 Record keeping, and qualitative observation The number hours training socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers ≈ 200 108 Record keeping, and qualitative observation Provide in-person training at AVI's annual Rural Small Business Conference beginning in, including workshops with USDA staff. ≈ 225 160 Registration records

Publications