Progress 07/01/23 to 06/30/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The immediate target audiences for this community planning grant were produce farmers and nonprofits working in food systems with a focus on the cities of Camden, Atlantic City, Hammonton and Burlington, who were interested in gathering to discuss and plan the South Jersey Food Sovereignty Initiative. The long-term target audience for the results of the planning process are farmers, nonprofits and government agencies throughout South Jersey. Changes/Problems:The principal change in our process was that PPA decided to devote more of the grant funds to stipends to partners ($12,000 as opposed to the original $8,000 budgeted) in recognition of the value the stipends provided to our partners and the effort they put into the planning discussions and final report. We also experienced staff changes during the grant period, with one person leaving and two joining our food systems team who worked on this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?PPA and the participating farmers aim to expand paid apprenticeships, which support the farms while providing a means for individuals to leanr from successful farmers and see whether farming is really for them. The apprenticeships can be a first step in a process in which the collaborative supports new or growing farmers in access to land, regulatory issues, management and marketing. The retail operations (farmers markets and shops) that we are beginning to create and/or support also provide real-world training and work experience within the chain from harvest to sale. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The final report has not yet been disseminated beyond the particpants in the planning process, because the group did not make a decision about dissemination before the growing season started and the farmers became busy with growing. We aim to get consensus on disseminating the report in September. PPA is hosting a regional food systems summit in partnership wtih the NJ Food Democracy Collaborative on December 5th, and we expect to use that event to launch the public dissemination of the report. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Farmers and nonprofit representatives formed a planning team to find solutions to two related problems: (a) The economic challenges for very small, small and medium-sized farmers operating diversified produce farms in South Jersey, and (b) The lack of sources for purchasing fresh local produce in many underserved and food-desert neighborhoods in the region. The discussion focused on finding market-based solutions distinct from the robust emergency food donation programs operating in South Jersey. From the discussion and information from a range of sources, a consensus arose on these key points: There are opportunities to connect local growers with underserved consumers through a variety of new and expanded market arrangements that both support successful farms and bring local produce into more homes in underserved communities. For such market opportunities to work for very small, small and medium-sized farmers, the cost of access must be reduced or eliminated compared with arrangements like traditional farmers' markets, and the prices farmers are paid for their produce must be at or close to on-farm retail prices. For these markets to work for consumers, their prices must be no higher, and preferably lower, than chain grocery store prices; outlets must be convenient; selections and marketing must be responsive to cultural preferences; and consumers must be able to use SNAP and other subsidy programs. In order to meet these conditions, a nonprofit collaborative should be created to provide shared services that reduce costs and burdens for both growers and consumers; engage residents in the neighborhoods; provide marketing, technical assistance, financial, and consumer education resources; and provide these services at no or very low cost. This effort must be collaborative, but must also not create additional burdens on farmers and nonprofits that would discourage their participation. There are excellent local initiatives at work and under development in the region that should be encouraged and supplemented, not replaced, and there is no one market mechanism that meets the needs of all farmers and consumers. Efforts in other parts of the country also offer great ideas and lessons from which we can learn. It is important, therefore, to create shared or collective resources that will foster new market initiatives, respect and support the ideas and preferences of both farmers and consumers in each community, help diverse local initiatives thrive and adapt in light of experience and changing conditions, and draw in new partners that can support each project. The initiative should aim to evolve over time into a fully financially self-sustaining process. We recognize, however, that this collaboration will require start-up funds, and it is likely the collaboration will continue to raise grant and charitable funds to support the initiative, such as for acquisition of equipment, provision of technical support, marketing campaigns, and staff to facilitate the collaborative. In light of these considerations, the planning team concluded that its members should seek to implement an initiative that is regional in scope, but local in perspective, to: Establish a formal, collectively led collaborative, tentatively named the South Jersey Farm, Equity and Sustainability Team or SJ FEAST (the Collaborative). The Collaborative will provide a collective decision-making process, manage shared assets and services, and function as an aggregator and financial intermediary where appropriate to each local project it supports. Initially house the Collaborative at the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA), which will provide staffing and logistical services to the Collaborative. Obtain grant and charitable funding to launch the initiative and carry it forward for an initial three years. Obtain and manage shared transportation and storage assets that enable the Collaborative to handle pick-up, preparation, delivery and storage for a range of retail settings as support for farmers seeking new or expanded markets. Adapt and use a shared order and payment system for those wishing to use it, which ensures farmers are paid upon delivery, each retail sales outlet is properly equipped for subsidized and non-subsidized sales, and each sales outlet involved with the Collaborative is able to efficiently obtain the produce it needs. Create and sustain a network of participating producers and market outlets. In addition to working with existing market outlets, the Collaborative should also support the creation of new outlets, such as farm stands/markets, retail stores, and new CSA-type sales. These can be operated either by partners with support of the Collaborative, by the Collaborative itself, or by other parties interested in working with the Collaborative. Work with participating nonprofits and with local governments to foster consumer engagement through a variety of means, including recruiting residents to serve on an advisory committee, setting up regional and/or neighborhood forums, gathering feedback from consumers at market outlets, and using social media platforms. Promote and provide assistance for organic and regenerative farming practices, while also working with interested conventional growers. Seek to create a Healthy Food Financing program for South Jersey that is focused on serving small and medium-sized players in the food system. Develop "curricula," recruit experts, and provide technical assistance and consumer education services to and through participating farmers and nonprofits. Develop an apprenticeship program that supports farmers and market outlets while training individuals to work in the various parts of the food system, and develop support mechanisms for apprentices wanting to become independent farmers. Create narrative, photo and video content for communications/marketing campaigns that highlight local growers in all their individuality and diversity, promote retail outlets operating in underserved communities, and generally share the health benefits of fresh local food. Track data and share lessons learned from the initiative and the local projects it supports over time, so that the Collaborative can make adjustments in light of experience. Recognizing that the collaborative cannot do everything that should be done at once, we adopted these next steps: Form the Collaborative through a memorandum of agreement among the participating farms and nonprofits, with PPA in the role of facilitator and convenor. Support existing nonprofit initiatives, such as CROPS, Roots to Prevention and The Villages Marketplace, to buy more locally-grown produce using shared transportation and storage assets. PPA will facilitate grant applications on behalf of the Collaborative to fund projects like: Create more farmers markets, nonprofit retail stores, and institutional projects operated by the Collaborative and/or its members, including markets in underserved communities. Purchase and operate more shared equipment, including vehicles, tools and refrigerated storage. Launch a social media campaign to promote South Jersey produce farms, markets selling local produce, and the efforts of participating farms and nonprofits. Meet and coordinate our efforts with additional allies working in the region, such as The Food Trust and The Common Market, among others, to increase purchasing from local producers and expand markets for local food. As we build capacity and win funding for additional projects, the Collaborative can expand into more of the activities identified in this report. We expect to learn from experience about which projects work best and where we can leverage the Collaborative's efforts with other nonprofit and government programs as they arise and we form new partnerships.

Publications