Progress 01/01/24 to 12/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Audiences for this project include underserved farmers with a particular emphasis on farmers of color farming at Big River Farms and through three key partnerships including 1) The Village Agricultural Cooperative, 2) the Somali American Farmers Institute, and 3) the Sudanese Farming Group. Big River Farms offers organic and sustainable agriculture education to farmers from diverse communities--including Hmong, Somali, Native American, Black, Mexican, and Liberian farmers. One of the partners--The Village Agricultural Cooperative--serves farmers from over 20 countries (primarily Cambodian, Mexican, and Kenyan farmers). A second partner--the Sudanese Farming Group--serves the Sudanese community and the third partner--the Somali American Farmers Institute--serves the Somali-American community. These farmers experience barriers to land access, literacy, language, lack of familiarity with the culture, and limited financial resources to invest in the start-up costs of farm operations. Efforts for this grant include delivering science-based knowledge through educational programs such as formal classroom instruction; experiential, hands-on field experiences; as well as learning through mentor-mentee relationships. These efforts will be described in greater detail in the following pages of this progress report. Changes/Problems: OUR CHALLENGE There is historical and system racism and so trust/rapport building is needed. Many of the farmers in the program do not have farm and financial records. Some of them are still in the beginning stages of farming and do not meet requirements to access USDA resources. The majority of the USDA resources still are not relevant or appropriate/or in support of Specialty Crop Production or small scale farms (and these are the farmers who are part of the program). The application process is also very lengthy and challenging to access. THE VILLAGE The Village faced challenges at one of its rental locations at the end of the season when the landlord mowed several farms prematurely, frustrated by tools left in the field and a hose that became tangled in his mower. This incident prompted a reassessment of farm management practices and planning for 2025. While some farm teams are exploring the formation of their own cooperative due to their collaborative efforts, only a few regularly engage with The Village's programs. The organization is working to refine its operations and services to better meet community needs while ensuring sustainability. Other challenges experienced the growing season have included harvest timing, quality control, language and numeracy barriers, equipment limitations, and issues around tax filings. SOMALI AMERICAN FARMING INSTITUTE SAFI is facing the challenge of meeting the growing demand from farmers eager to learn and receive training. Many prospective farmers still require transportation and other support to fully participate. As SAFI expands, it must find sustainable ways to continue educating both youth and elders. Currently, they are managing with the help of volunteers and by transporting produce from other farm locations. During Q2 and Q3, SAFI often felt as though they were operating as an emergency food shelf, as community demand for fresh produce surged. Securing the necessary resources to continue their operations has become increasingly challenging in the face of this growing need. SUDANESE FARMING GROUP SFG has encountered several challenges, including encouraging farmers to consistently weed, harvest produce at the appropriate time, and protect their crops from diseases such as white powder mildew and blight. Additionally, safeguarding crops from rabbits and mice, as well as preventing livestock illnesses due to heavy seasonal rains and insect bites, has been a significant hurdle for the group. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?From January 1 through December 31, 2024, a total of 126 educational workshops were held totaling 997 hours. Topics covered included: Accessing USDA programs and services Agricultural production skills Business planning Conservation practices Cooperative development Financial management skills Financial, business, and tax planning Land access and planning Market planning and access Risk management Rural development and rural community strengthening In addition, we met with 14 farmers on a one-on-one basis in May and June. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated in the following ways: Our partners the Sudanese Farming Group continued to build and share information with their growers by meeting twice weekly at the microfarm to farm, engaging in community learning together and, and meeting weekly on Sundays during the non-growing season. The Village of Rochester shares information via whatsapp, their community boards that hang at their community garden and farm sites, their farmers market, and when they have their meetings. Somali American Farmer Institute shares it with her growers at the community garden site in Minneapolis since its more accessible for the growers. The Food Group shares information with farmers through our SLACK channels, emails, phone calls, and connections with farmers. For our conference we provide a summary of our impact through our impact report and share it that way as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In Q4 of 2024, the Somali American Farming Institute (SAFI), the Sudanese Farming Group (SFG), and The Village met to discuss their reflections on 2024 and to plan for 2025. These partner organizations are focused on growth, collaboration, and making operational improvements. SAFI aims to expand its successful sorghum project, including syrup production and sales, by building partnerships and securing administrative support for financial management. SFG plans to enhance its youth program by collaborating with University of Minnesota students, and expanding livestock operations through rotational grazing and traditional structures on a plot south of the Metro area. The Village is focusing on organizational continuity, adding farmers markets, and boosting marketing efforts through social media and testimonials. Shared partner goals include securing grants, preparing budgets (guided by staff at The Food Group), and aligning objectives for an Urban Agriculture grant proposal. Across all partners, there is a strong emphasis on strengthening staffing, administrative support, marketing, and community engagement to sustain and expand their impact. Testimonials, particularly captured on video, will play a key role in promoting these initiatives. Note: Due to the federal funding freeze, our progress on these activities has been delayed.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Goal 1: Strengthen technical assistance offered to farmers at Big River Farms. Obj #1: Our new Farm Program Manager entered her second growing season and has helped refresh our training curriculum. We split our training model into two groups: Farmer Incubator Program. Incubator farmers are entering their second year or longer in our program, have gone through the detailed classroom training, and have been given training that helps them with growing and managing their plots. At this point, they are learning to scale up and exploring different markets to increase their farm business revenue and size. Grower training cohort. Our grower training cohort are new farmers who have been given 1/8th of an acre to farm on and practice growing food. There is minimal pressure to meet markets and at this point they are just learning to grow and learning on-farm management systems. We provide both groups of farmers market support and technical assistance in the field. Our Program manager also assists in the Emerging Farmers Conference planning and helps to develop the content and program. Obj #2: The technical assistance consultant that we contracted with stepped down from the role due to capacity constraints so we worked with multiple technical assistance providers who have built relationships with our farmers and other farmers. Some of these providers also spoke the languages of these farmers and were able to assist them better as a result. This role was split between 5 providers who were able to provide quality support in the following areas: Connecting farmers to USDA programs and services Farm business plan management Understanding land transitions Infrastructure support, how to get an EQIP High tunnel and install Market support, understanding contracts, forecasting, etc Crop planning, pets management Post harvest and handling General farm education and training Farm risk assessments Obj #3: BRF and partner organizations (listed below for Goal #2) offered multiple educational supports and different types of assistance to help farmers succeed. These supports include educational workshops, mentoring, and hands-on learning opportunities. Newer farmers focus on learning agricultural production while returning or more experienced farmers expand their learning to include more business-oriented topics. In 2024, BRF also offered two classes for new and returning farmers focused on learning about and applying for USDA programs and services. A total of 25 farmers participated in these classes (this number may be duplicative). In 2024, the EFC conference was offered again in November. The following USDA programs were represented at the 2024 Emerging Farmers Conference: EQIP, CSP, FSA Loan Programs, Urban Ag Initiatives, NAP, FSFA and Direct TA from FSA/USDA staff. Of those who completed a post conference survey, 52 farmers stated they received help from the Resource Room where farm consultants and USDA representatives were located to provide assistance. Also, 18 farmers received assistance to apply for USDA's marketing assistance for the Specialty Crop program. 2. Goal 2: Build capacity of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC-led and BIPOC-focused organizations to provide technical assistance. Obj #1: Three partners--The Somali American Farmers Institute, the Sudanese Farming Group, and The Village Cooperative- -work directly with a number of different cultural communities not only to educate them about farming as a career in the U.S. but also to provide education and technical support for people interested in growing their own food. These three partners are capitalizing on their existing relationships with farmers (e.g., The Village Cooperative) or they are working to become more trusted and well-known resources for support and information about farming and food production (e.g., the Somali American Farmers Institute and the Sudanese Farming Group). This model is working well in part because famer education and supports can be culturally specific and provided in the languages of the communities served. Obj #2: Project partners are building their capacity to provide 1:1 technical assistance and support to the farmers they serve as a result of the following: a) participating in the educational opportunities offered at BRF where they learn about farming and then develop their own curriculum and offer training to farmers in their communities, b) working with staff to build their organizational infrastructure, c) reflecting on strategies to build community awareness and recruit program participants, and d) applying what they have learned about agricultural production by practicing farming themselves. Partners report that the relationships built through the project with The Food Group/BRF staff are working well and the support they receive is essential to help them help their farmers. Obj #3: In 2024, BRF offered two classes for new and returning farmers focused on learning about and applying for USDA programs and services. A total of 25 farmers participated in these classes (this number may be duplicative). Partners are currently more focused on helping new farmers learn agricultural production skills. Learning about and applying for USDA programs and services may follow should these farmers qualify and express interest. 3. Goal 3: Create opportunities for attendees of the annual Emerging Farmers Conference to access technical assistance. The conference was held on November 1-2, 2024 and 420 people were in attendance (250 farmers). A total of 210 contacts were made with farm consultants and/or USDA representatives to acquire needed resources in a Resource Room operating during the conference. The following USDA programs were represented at the 2023 Emerging Farmers Conference: EQIP, CSP, FSA Loan Programs, Urban Ag Initiatives, NAP, FSFA and Direct TA from FSA/USDA staff. A total of 52 conference attendees received outreach and/or technical assistance. Also, 18 farmers received assistance to apply for USDA's marketing assistance for the Specialty Crop program. Please note that the numbers shared here may be duplicative as farmers could visit with multiple consultants and representatives.

Publications

Progress 01/01/23 to 12/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Audiences for this project include underserved farmers with a particular emphasis on farmers of color farming at Big River Farms and through three key partnerships including 1) The Village Agricultural Cooperative, 2) the Somali American Farmers Institute, and 3) the Sudanese Farming Group. Big River Farms offers organic and sustainable agriculture education to farmers from diverse communities--including Hmong, Somali, Native American, Black, Mexican, and Liberian farmers. One of the partners--The Village Agricultural Cooperative--serves farmers from over 20 countries (primarily Cambodian, Mexican, and Kenyan farmers). A second partner--the Sudanese Farming Group--serves the Sudanese community and the third partner--the Somali American Farmers Institute--serves the Somali-American community. These farmers experience barriers to land access, literacy, language, lack of familiarity with the culture, and limited financial resources to invest in the start-up costs of farm operations. Efforts for this grant include delivering science-based knowledge through educational programs such as formal classroom instruction; experiential, hands-on field experiences; as well as learning through mentor-mentee relationships. These efforts will be described in greater detail in the following pages of this progress report. Changes/Problems:Due to the grant start date (later than proposed in the grant application), the 2023 project timeline was adjusted accordingly. Additionally, there were changes since drafting the proposed project budget and we are awaiting guidance from USDA on some our proposed budget changes. Two staff received promotions in 2023 and new staff have also been hired. Cosenquently, a new Farm Transition Coordinator was not hired as originally planned, but responsibilities were expanded for two existing roles - the Farm Director and Farm Operations Manager - to take on the proposed activities associated with this grant. We made some slight salary increases for various staff positions to account for various merit increases, and a slight reduction of our indirect rate to account for the increased budget for staff. The Village Agricultural Co-op used the grant to fund less of their Executive Director role which allowed them to hire a full-time Farm Educator. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?From January 1 through December 31, 2023, a total of 105 educational workshops were held totaling over 1,600 hours. Topics covered included: Accessing USDA programs and services Agricultural production skills Business planning Cooperative Development Conservation practices Financial management skills Food security Land access and planning Logistics and supply chain issues Market planning and access Mediation, discrimination, and legal education Risk management How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Sudanese Farming Group created an annual business report of their farming activities, they designed a plan to move forward with their organizational development (including a staffing support structure), and they developed a website. All three products were designed for and shared with the Sudanese community. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Farm Director and the Farm Education Consultant will focus on organizationaldevelopment with the partner organizations and continued support for curriculum development, reporting, and tracking. In 2024, the Somali American Farmer Institute (SAFI) will be adding an urban plot two blocks from their office in Minneapolis. The location of this plot in the community will greatly increase outreach and participation for SAFI members and get them more connected with locally produced foods such as produce grown by their own members and other BRF farmers. SAFI wants to scale up food access for their community and are working with The Food Group to build a food pantry onsite. The Sudanese Farming Group plans to hire a farm manager, an administrative support person, and an outreach/TA staff person in 2024. They want to work on livestock production and management and development curriculum as well. BRF is helping to connect them with livestock mentors, TA providers, as well as helping them look for space so they can implement their plans. The Village Cooperative will focus on increasing organizational capacity, expanding their curriculum structure, and seeking more land. They hope to hire an administrative support person. BRF will assist them by sharing potential administrative options and processes as they expand their farm training, incubator curriulum, and community gardening program. The Village Cooperative is also looking to buy a bigger parcel of land so that farmers are not at risk for displacement.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Goal 1: Strengthen technical assistance offered to farmers at Big River Farms. Obj #1: During 2023, two new staff were hired: -A Farmer Mentor/TA consultant/Partnership support staff person who worked with the partners to help them develop their farm education curriculum, developed and taught the Farm Business Management curriculum, and supported farmers with Organic Certification. -A new Farm Program Manager--who managed the program team--collaborated on the direction of the farm program, assisted in the build out and growth of the program, and developed the Emerging Farmers Conference. Obj #2: A Farmer Mentor/TA consultant was also hired to build TA/mentorship capacity with staff and provide expertise beyond current staffs' scope or specialty. In addition, four farmer mentors signed contracts to work on this project. Obj #3: BRF and partner organizations (listed below for Goal #2) offered multiple educational supports and different types of assistance to help farmers succeed. These support include educational workshops, mentoring, and hands-on learning opportunities. Newer farmers focus on learning agricultural production while returning or more experienced farmers expand their learning to include more business-oriented topics. In 2023, BRF also offered two classes for new and returning farmers focused on learning about and applying for USDA programs and services. A total of 16 farmers participated in these classes (this number may be duplicative). 2. Goal 2: Build capacity of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC-led and BIPOC-focused organizations to provide technical assistance. Obj #1: Three partners--The Somali American Farmers Institute, the Sudanese Farming Group, and The Village Cooperative--work directly with a number of different cultural communities not only to educate them about farming as a career in the U.S. but also to provide education and technical support for people interested in growing their own food. These three partners are capitalizing on their existing relationships with farmers (e.g., The Village Cooperative) or they are working to become more trusted and well-known resources for support and information about farming and food production (e.g., the Somali American Farmers Institute and the Sudanese Farming Group). This model is working well in part, because famer education and supports can be culturally-specific and provided in the languages of the communities served. Obj #2: Project partners are building their capacity to provide 1:1 technical assistance and support to the farmers they serve as a result of the following: a) participating in the educational opportunities offered at BRF where they learn about farming and then develop their own curriculum and offer training to farmers in their communities, b) working with staff to build their organizational infrastructure, c) reflecting on strategies to build community awareness and recruit program participants, and d) applying what they have learned about agricultural production by practicing farming themselves. Partners report that the relationships built through the project with The Food Group/BRF staff are working well and the support they receive is essential to help them help their farmers. Obj #3: In 2023, BRF offered two classes for new and returning farmers focused on learning about and applying for USDA programs and services. A total of 16 farmers participated in these classes (this number may be duplicative). Partners are currently more focused on helping new farmers learn agricultural production skills. Learning about and applying for USDA programs and services may follow should these farmers qualify and express interest. 3. Goal 3: Create opportunities for attendees of the annual Emerging Farmers Conference to access technical assistance. The conference was held on November 3-4, 2023 and 437 people were in attendance (221 farmers). A total of 227 contacts were made with farm consultants and/or USDA representatives to acquire needed resources in a Resource Room operating during the conference. The following USDA programs were represented at the 2023 Emerging Farmers Conference: EQIP, CSP, FSA Loan Programs, Urban Ag Initiatives, NAP, FSFA and Direct TA from FSA/USDA staff. A total of 48 conference attendees received outreach and/or technical assistance. Please note that the numbers shared here may be duplicativeas farmers could visit with multiple consultants and representatives.

Publications