Progress 06/01/22 to 05/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:· Immigrant producers · Underserved agricultural producers · Veterans Total Number of Participants: 40 Total Number of Participants: 32 Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Total Meetings: 30 Total Meeting Participants: 231 Total Webinars: 0 Total Webinar Participants: 0 Total Website Visits: 32 Total Online Course Participants: 0 Total One-to-one Meeting Entries: 10 Total One-to-one Meeting Participants: 45 Meetings 6/15/2022: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 6/21/2022: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 6/28/2022: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 7/13/2022: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 7/14/2022: Las Cruces , NM -- Number of Attendees 6 7/15/2022: El Paso, TX -- Number of Attendees 20 8/30/2022: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 9/15/2022: Agua Dulce, TX -- Number of Attendees 10 10/20/2022: Clint, TX -- Number of Attendees 3 12/1/2022: Chaparral, NM -- Number of Attendees 11 12/6/2022: Horizon, TX -- Number of Attendees 6 1/3/2023: Chaparral, NM -- Number of Attendees 2 1/4/2023: San Elizario, TX -- Number of Attendees 3 1/23/2023: San Elizario, TX -- Number of Attendees 3 1/26/2023: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 1/30/2023: Horizon, TX -- Number of Attendees 6 2/6/2023: Las Cruces, NM -- Number of Attendees 6 2/15/2023: San Elizario, TX -- Number of Attendees 11 2/17/2023: San Elizario, TX -- Number of Attendees 5 2/22/2023: Mesilla, NM -- Number of Attendees 2 2/23/2023: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 3/3/2023: Horizon, TX -- Number of Attendees 6 3/6/2023: La Union , NM -- Number of Attendees 3 3/7/2023: San Elizario, TX -- Number of Attendees 10 3/14/2023: San Elizario, TX -- Number of Attendees 11 3/16/2023: Las Cruces, NM -- Number of Attendees 3 3/22/2023: El Paso, TX -- Number of Attendees 8 3/31/2023: El Paso, TX -- Number of Attendees 10 4/6/2023: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 4 5/3/2023: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 15 10/26/2023: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 14 10/27/2023: Vinton, TX -- Number of Attendees 5 11/9/2023: Canutillo, TX -- Number of Attendees 11 11/13/2023: San Elizario, TX -- Number of Attendees 10 12/20/2023: Vinton, TX -- Number of Attendees 5 12/22/2023: El Paso, TX -- Number of Attendees 5 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Develop an introductory curriculum on Business and strategic Agriculture Planning Education with relevant materials in Spanish; develop learning experiences in modules. Disseminate flyers and invitations throughout the project cover area. 2. Schedule 60 workshops, hands on training, and field demonstrations; local site visits; monthly group meetings; and evaluation sessions. Schedule instructors; design lesson plans on managing Production, Marketing, Financial, Legal, and Human Risks; recommend topics most relevant to participants' goals for improving food safety, resource conservation, climate mitigation, and economic viability. 3. Provide one-to-one on-farm technical assistance to at least 10 families interested in expanding operations. Explain NRCS and/or FSA assistance options. Develop financial and risk management plans required for expansion. Solicit and identify farmers for individual assistance and community mentors. 4. Prepare sessions to review, evaluate, and practice the financial analysis of participants that have drafts of their financial plans. 5. Work with Farmworkers to develop an agenda of financial risk factors. Develop evaluation tools, materials, worksheets, and supplies for the financial planning presentations. 6. Facilitate workshops and provide consultation meetings with farmers and Agricultural Service providers to oversee their progress in their developing of business plan. 7. Provide workshops and on-site visits on Organic production to improve their skills in their agricultural production. 8. Conduct informational meetings with Agricultural service providers and partners in NIFI's network. ?

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Limited resource beginning farmers and ranchers and farmworkers learn Business and Strategic Planning, a small sub-set of these farmers are also military veterans Business planning Understand 60 32 Prior to end of grant At the training initiation and at the last workshop on the subject 2. Participants receive training and one-to-one advice, and as group from NIFI.s Field Coordinator for preparing NRCS/FSA EQIP and micro-loan applications Accessing USDA programs and services Understand 60 4 During Program At the end of the fiscal year 3. Agricultural Service Providers will develop new relations and provide services to veterans, immigrant beginning farmers and limited resource farmers plus the ones they serve. Accessing USDA programs and services Implement 60 24 During Program Implement product and enterprise diversification 4. Participants learn in their language of preference the cost of production and farm financial bench marking, as the bases to measure income increase or losses. Agricultural production skills Implement 30 18 During Program After each training. 5. Participants state to have access to additional water by implementing conservation practices for this five-year project; as learned attending NIFI's workshops Agricultural production skills Implement 60 40 During Program At the training initiation and at the last workshop on the subject 6. Participants state that they have improved considerably the use of their skills in agricultural production as a result of attending and participating in this project. Agricultural production skills Understand 60 40 Prior to end of grant Implementing an annual self-review and planning for the coming season. 7. Participants in the project access new markets to diversify clients and improve profits Market planning and access Develop 30 0 Prior to end of grant written action plan

Publications