Progress 09/15/24 to 09/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The project serves a diverse group of beginning farmers, focusing on historically underserved communities, including immigrants and refugees, people of color, veterans, transitioning farm workers, career changers, and urban and rural youth interested in farming. The goal is to create opportunities for young people under 40 to gain hands-on farming experience, access resources, and launch viable farm businesses. The project targets participants across Eastern Massachusetts, particularly Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties, aiming to build a sustainable local food system by providing culturally relevant training, outreach, and technical assistance to help these new farmers succeed. Changes/Problems:During the second year of the grant, we largely focused on refining course curriculum and diving deeply into course evaluations and feedback to update and improve the Practicum and move the Certificate program forward. We also put into practice the new Roadmaps and worked individually with farmers on individual goal setting and personalized action plans. This worked well and the new rubric was a neutral way to support one of the farmers to face the expectations that she was not meeting in an objective way. Unfortunately, the farmer was not able to meet expectations despite multiple interventions and meetings, so will not be invited back as an incubator participant in 2026. It is unfortunate, but followed a timely test of the new rubric model when the farmer did not meet any of the required goals set out for their operation despite extensive support and opportunities to remedy. In addition, we faced continued delays launching the Certificate with North Shore Community College. During the past year, despite ongoing meetings, and curriculum committee approval of the program, administrators were constrained by an ongoing audit as well as by union contract negotiations that froze curriculum meetings. Despite these delays, we continued to follow up and explored ways to move the program development forward. We anticipate the third year of the project will finally see the Certificate launched and posted in the course catalog for students to enroll. Finally, our Farmer Training Program Manager left his role in July 2025 immediately after taking parental leave. We had planned for a short leave of absence, but did not anticipate a complete vacancy in the role. This unplanned absence this fall created a gap on Practicum course evaluation wrap up and reporting (which would have happened this fall). We are currently hiring for the position and plan to have someone in place by January 2026. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The primary opportunities for training and professional development provided by the project have centered around the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture and the tailored technical assistance available to incubator farmers. The Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture has been a key offering, providing a comprehensive, hands-on training program over a 10-week period. Participants engaged in practical, on-farm learning experiences that covered all essential aspects of crop production, with an emphasis on sustainable and climate-smart farming practices. The practicum also focused on skills development through structured activities, supported by the online learning platform Canvas, which included weekly modules, resources, and knowledge assessments. In addition to the practicum, the project provided extensive technical assistance to incubator farmers and graduates. This assistance was tailored to meet individual business goals, supporting participants through various aspects of their journey toward independent farming. It included in-depth help with farm business planning, financial management, and record-keeping--all aimed at enhancing their business viability. The Certificate in Sustainable Food Production, when launched in partnership with the North Shore Community College, will also offer training and credentials to participants. For staff working on developing the courses and curriculum, professional development has been gained through participation in the BFRDP Project Director meetings, attending relevant sessions at the National Farm Viability Conference, the Extension Risk Management Education Conferences, and the annual national FIELD Schools. Additionally, project staff participated in the Agricultural Viability Alliance's service provider financial training sessions in October 2025, and the Market Gardeners' Institute's Canopy Leadership Program for service providers in March 2025. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this second year of the project, we started sharing and disseminating the results of the project to appropriate service provider audiences per the Objectives in Goal 4 and the professional development opportunities section above. In terms of curriculum dissemination, we have posted training documents to the BFRDP Resource library, Farmanswers.org and we will post them to the FIELD Network Resource library in 2026 as New Entry is currently updating its website and the new site should be launched in Q1 of 2026. We also completed technical assistance to several FIELD Network organizations. In addition toCenter for Land-Based Learning in California, we worked with RU Ready to Farm Program (Rutgers University), and we worked with OurSpace World to offer a version of our Farm Business Planning Course to their training-of-trainer cohort. We presented about the project (Practicum, Certificate, iFRESA, and evaluation plans) at a workshop at the BFRDP Project Director meeting in October 2024. We organized and hosted a FIELD Networking Session on Self-Evaluation Tools for Incubator Farmers in March 2025 for service providers. We are also planning to present a workshop on setting expectations and tracking results at the national FIELD School in Austin, TX in November 2025.As we continue to refine the curriculum, assessment tools, and evaluation materials, we will continue to share resources with additional agricultural service providers and trainers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we anticipate accomplishing the following: Goal 1: Create a second revised version of the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture for year 3, incorporating feedback from the second iteration of the program. Continue to improve outreach, promotional videos, and launch the third iteration of the Practicum. Continue working closely with North Shore Community College to develop and launch the Certificate program and complete the MOU and articulation agreements. Facilitate a 1-year follow up evaluation survey to Year 2 Practicum students. Continue to recruit and hire high school students for STEM internships and cooperative / experiential on-farm learning opportunities. Continue to update to asynchronous Business Planning Course based on first round feedback and support from the Tufts Educational design team, including refreshing the course platform and revisiting supplementary resources. Continue to populate the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan to complete all data collection tools and reporting formats for ease in analysis and integration into ongoing course and programmatic improvements. Goal 2: Run the second interation of the revised iFRESA, ensuring that new and returning incubator farmers complete the online assessment and follow up with them to build individualized learning plans. Continue to expand the milestone framework to create a more quantitative approach for tracking progress within the incubator program. Continue to update the list of skills for the iFRESA with farmer input and feedback. Continue to update the incubator surveys and technical assistance evaluation plans and farmer roadmaps. Update the eight training modules and continue to add resources to the Google Site to allow incubator farmers easy access to resources. Develop new training modules to add to the Google Site as needs are identified with farmers. Finalize and continue to refine a written technical assistance plan for farmers going through the incubator. Goal 3: Continue to glean strategies and collect models from other incubator farms to support farmers graduating from the incubator. Continue providing technical assistance to incubator farmers and graduates. Continue to update the graduation checklist for incubator farmers and continue implementing it. Continue facilitating consultation packages for farmers transitioning off the incubator. Continue facilitating the mentoring program by matching experienced farmers with those transitioning off the incubator. Finalize the 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year longitudinal outcome evaluation survey of transitioned incubator farmers. Goal 4: Continue engaging the advisory board, shifting to an individual consultation format. Present the project at the 2025 national FIELD School in Austin, TX. Share curriculum and materials with partners and upload them to resource libraries.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1 The second (2025) Practicum iteration enrolled 10 aspiring producers andran for 10 weeks. Feedback from 2024 informed revisions and updates to slides, summaries, resources, and knowledge tests, all integrated into Canvas. Hands-on modules were enhanced.Outreach for 2025 included new promotional materials, improved follow-up emails, and multilingual resources shared with partners. To evaluate outcomes from our 2024 Practicum, we planned 6- and 12-month surveys with participants, but opted for a single 1-year follow-up in July 2025. Four of 16 participants responded; all work in farming or food systems, two in multiple ventures. The practicum influenced their entry or continuation in farm labor. A report is included in the RVS evaluation portal. To expand outreach and access to farming careers, we hosted two high school interns via Essex Tech and Mass Hires and updated the asynchronous Crop Production Course. Through a partnership with Worldwide Workers on Organic Farms (WWOF), 20 farmers completed the course in August 2025; feedback was positive, and WWOF plans another cohort in 2026. For the Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture, we met with North Shore Community College, updated curriculum per their review, and secured approval. Next steps: finalize an MOU between NSCC and Tufts on enrollment, financial aid, and credit articulation. Launch is targeted for Spring 2026; current students may petition for credit. We upgraded the Farm Business Planning Course with modules on budgeting, recordkeeping, risk management, and market channels. A new Canvas course and model business plans were developed, along with a self-paced version. A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan was created for farmer training. Surveys were standardized and aligned with an indicator matrix. Incubator surveys and technical assistance evaluation tools were updated. A centralized monitoring document now tracks indicators and links to surveys. Objective 2 Program milestones for Years 1-3 were drafted using the Incubator Farm Evaluation and Self-Assessment (iFRESA) Framework and refined with Go Farm Hawaii examples. A skills assessment rubric was piloted in July 2025 during field walks. Results informed development plans; one farmer was placed on probation for unmet goals. The iFRESA tool, listing 150 skills, was built in Qualtrics, and initial data collected in 2025 was shared with farmers. Feedback prompted updates and integration of Business Health Assessment elements. Individual "roadmaps" now guide technical assistance and business development; early feedback is positive. Training modules addressing key milestones are being mapped to a Google Site for seamless integration with iFRESA. Modules were improved in 2025 to align with operational needs. Based on farmer feedback, we hosted workshops on soil fertility and farmers' market best practices to strengthen skills and peer learning. We also expanded the service provider coaching/resource checklist to ensure consistent access to support. Objective 3 Farm mentors were recruited to support incubator farmers transitioning off the program; two matches were established, meeting regularly with 2nd- and 3rd-year farmers. Technical assistance focused on individual business goals and transition planning. We launched a consulting services program offering up to 20 hours of professional support for five farmers annually, covering financial advising, legal assistance, marketing, and infrastructure. Systems are now streamlined; one farmer has secured land for 2026. All incubator farmers have 2025 roadmaps with transition goals. We documented technical assistance processes internally and on the incubator Google Site. To track long-term success of graduates, we developed a monitoring plan for Years 1, 3, 5, and 10, including a theory of change, logic model, and key indicators. Draft longitudinal survey tools were created with input from our PhD researcher. Objective 4 We engaged the Advisory Committee, holding a meeting in October 2024 to review curriculum, outcomes, and evaluation data. In 2025, we shifted to a model leveraging members' skills and connections through 1:1 engagement. Outreach and dissemination activities continue. Detailed outreach and dissemination activities are reported below.

Publications

Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The project serves a diverse group of beginning farmers, focusing on historically underserved communities, including immigrants and refugees, people of color, veterans, transitioning farm workers, career changers, and urban and rural youth interested in farming. The goal is to create opportunities for young people under 40 to gain hands-on farming experience, access resources, and launch viable farm businesses. The project targets participants across Eastern Massachusetts, particularly Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties, aiming to build a sustainable local food system by providing culturally relevant training, outreach, and technical assistance to help these new farmers succeed. Audience Emphasis: Military veterans, Organic producers, Small farms, Specialty crop producers, Immigrant producers. Changes/Problems:During the first year of the grant, we realized that involving the Advisory Committee in large group setting would not be the most efficient way to leverage support from advisers. We have therefore decided to move to a different model, where starting in year 2, we will consult individually with the advisers that have the knowledge related to our current work. In addition, we faced some delays launching the Certificate with North Shore Community College. During the past year, they have been constrained by an audit as well as by union contract negotiation that froze all curriculum meetings. Despite these delays, we have regularly followed up and explored ways to move the program development forward despite these constraints. We anticipate that the second year of the project will be marked by more progresses on this front. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The primary opportunities for training and professional development provided by the project have centered around the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture and the tailored technical assistance available to incubator farmers. The Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture has been a key offering, providing a comprehensive, hands-on training program over a 10-week period. Participants engaged in practical, on-farm learning experiences that covered all essential aspects of crop production, with an emphasis on sustainable and climate-smart farming practices. The practicum also focused on skill development through structured activities, supported by the online learning platform Canvas, which included weekly modules, resources, and knowledge assessments. In addition to the practicum, the project provided extensive technical assistance to incubator farmers and graduates. This assistance was tailored to meet individual business goals, supporting participants through various aspects of their journey toward independent farming. It included in-depth help with farm business planning, financial management, and record-keeping--all aimed at enhancing their business viability. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this first phase of the project, we have mostly focused on building the programs, including the Practicum Course, the iFRESA, the Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture. We anticipate that we will start disseminating the results during the second year of the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we anticipate accomplishing the following: Goal 1: Create a revised version of the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture, incorporating feedback from the first iteration of the program. Launch the second iteration of the Practicum. Continue working closely with North Shore Community College to develop the Certificate program. Finalize updates to the Business Planning Course, including improving course materials, developing new templates, refreshing the course platform, and revisiting supplementary resources. Goal 2: Run the first pilot of iFRESA, ensuring that incubator farmers complete the online assessment and following up with them to build individualized learning plans. Expand the milestone framework to create a more quantitative approach for tracking progress within the incubator program. Finalize the eight training modules and launch the Google Site to allow incubator farmers easy access to resources. Develop a written technical assistance plan for farmers going through the incubator. Goal 3: Review existing approaches from other incubator farms to support farmers graduating from the incubator. Continue providing technical assistance to incubator farmers and graduates. Develop a graduation checklist for incubator farmers and begin implementing it. Continue facilitating consultation packages for farmers transitioning off the incubator. Continue facilitating the mentoring program by matching experienced farmers with those transitioning off the incubator. Goal 4: Continue engaging the advisory board, shifting to an individual consultation format. Present the project at the 2024 BFRDP Director meeting. Share curriculum and materials with partners and upload them to resource libraries.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: For curriculum development, the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture has been fully developed and condensed into a 10-week format. The program includes comprehensive content covering all aspects of crop production. We created a skills evaluation checklist to ensure participants gain essential competencies throughout the program. For each module, we developed detailed slides, module summaries, supplementary resources, and knowledge tests, which have all been integrated into our online platform, Canvas. Additionally, we revised the Crop Production Course extensively, updating all course materials, restructuring some modules for better content flow, and enhancing the online platform for easier navigation. New resources were added, and existing ones updated to further improve the learning experience. As part of the process to develop the Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture, we had several meetings with North Shore Community College. The updated curriculum for both the Practicum and the Farm Business Planning Course was shared with the college administration and has now received accreditation approval. In terms of outreach and recruitment, we developed outreach materials, including flyers for the Practicum, which have been successfully distributed. The outreach plan has been implemented, with updates scheduled for 2025. Additionally, materials in multiple languages were created to promote participation, particularly targeting high school students and underserved communities, and have been shared with partners to maximize their reach. For program delivery, the first iteration of the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture was completed, with 18 aspiring producers participating and 16 completing. To provide alternative skills development opportunities for those unable to participate in the formal Practicum or Certificate Program, New Entry explored other approaches. We hosted five high school students through collaborations with Essex Tech and Mass Hires. Additionally, an asynchronous version of the Crop Production Course is being developed to offer greater flexibility and make it available year-round. Goal 2: We reviewed existing models, analyzed incubator farm programs, curricular frameworks, and DACUM materials for sustainable vegetable production. Unfortunately, we found limited materials available, so we supplemented this with interviews and a monthly FIELD networking session conducted in Fall 2023. This allowed us to understand how most incubator programs are structuring their curricula. We developed a first version of the program milestones for Years 1, 2, and 3, aligning them with the Incubator Farm Evaluation and Self-Assessment (iFRESA) Framework. This initial version will be refined to include a more quantitative approach for evaluating incubator farmers' progress. The iFRESA tool itself was created by drawing on various existing resources, resulting in a comprehensive list of 150 skills that incubator farmers should develop as they progress through the program. A Qualtrics survey instrument based on this list has been designed to enable farmers to self-evaluate these skills. Following the initial draft, we collected feedback directly from farmers to refine the tool, and it will be piloted in the fall of 2024. To complement the iFRESA, we started developing eight training modules to address key milestones, and these resources are being mapped onto a Google Site to connect seamlessly with the iFRESA tool. Key training topics include Business Basics, Land Access, Financial Management, Employment and Labor Management, Production Practices, Marketing, Credit Access, and Insurance. We also developed a service provider coaching/resource and referral checklist, which is updated regularly to support incubator farmers and ensure consistent access to necessary resources. Our team worked closely with current and graduated incubator farmers to enhance their business plans, record-keeping practices, financial management, and other competencies needed for running a farm business successfully. Goal 3: We have successfully recruited farm mentors to support incubator farmers as they prepare to transition off the incubator program. So far, at least two matches have been established, with mentors meeting regularly with 2nd or 3rd-year farmers multiple times throughout the year. We continued our technical assistance for incubator farmers and graduates, focusing on individual business goals to facilitate a smooth transition to independent farming. In addition to ongoing technical support, we launched the consulting services program, which provides up to five farmers each year with 20 hours of professional consulting support to cover a wide range of needs, including financial advising, business development, legal assistance, marketing, and infrastructure consulting. We began this initiative with a recent incubator graduate, and systems are now in place to make the process more streamlined for other farmers in need. To track and evaluate the long-term success of incubator graduates, we have established a plan to monitor progress over several years--specifically in Year 1, Year 3, Year 5, and Year 10. Together with our PhD student, we have developed a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan, outlining the theory of change and identifying key indicators that will need to be tracked over time. Goal 4: We have started engaging the Advisory Committee to review the curriculum design, proposed project outcomes, and evaluation data to ensure all aspects align with the project's goals and needs. In terms of curriculum dissemination, we are currently preparing materials by formatting the new training curricula for public sharing. Once ready, these resources will be uploaded to various online libraries, such as Farmanswers.org and the FIELD Network, to encourage broad replication among other land-based programs. This will help to make our training materials accessible and beneficial for a wider audience. We have also completed mentoring activities with one of our partners, the Center for Land-Based Learning in California, and are planning to deliver a presentation at the BFRDP Project Director meeting in October 2024.

Publications