Source: CARTER FARMS LLC submitted to
ENHANCING LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN VIA ETHNIC AND SPECIALTY CROPS TO INCREASE AND STRENGTHEN MARKETING SYSTEMS FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND VETERAN BEGINNING FARMERS IN VIRGINIA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031298
Grant No.
2023-70017-40905
Cumulative Award Amt.
$517,551.00
Proposal No.
2023-05775
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 15, 2023
Project End Date
Sep 14, 2026
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[BFRDA]- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Standard
Project Director
Carter, M. J.
Recipient Organization
CARTER FARMS LLC
26427 CARTERS LN
UNIONVILLE,VA 225672933
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Carter Farms LLC long term goal for our project is to enhance the local supply chain from socially disadvantaged farmers via specialty and ethnic specialty crops and proteins as a way to increase and strengthen marketing systems for historically underserved and veteran beginning farmers and ranchers in Virginia and southern Maryland. The objectives are to: 1) Provide outreach education to HUVBF on opportunities that are available to them through USDA programs and services; 2) Enhance and increase business, financial, marketing and sales management and strategies and opportunities for HUBVF; 3) To enhance the ability of HUVBF to rent, own, retain and transition farmlands successfully; 4) Enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of HUVBF to produce and market high value, profitable specialty and ethnic crops; 5) Increase and encourage implementation of Climate Smart agriculture practices for HUVBF. The expected results are enhanced economic opportunities, soil and natural resource conservation and preservation, and an improved quality life of these farmers, their families, and communities. This project is driven by the increasing market demands for ethnic foods in the USA. It will involve planning, production and marketing of tested and marketable high-value specialty and ethnic crops. Climate-smart agricultural practices will be incorporated in addition to financial management practices that will assist in making beginner farmers more sustainable. A variety of topics will be addressed to provide HUVBF with the information and skills they need to sustainably operate successful farm enterprises. Priorities will be given to the following topics: 1) Climate-smart strategies, agronomy, crop farming practices, Basic livestock, forest and land management; 2) food safety and good agricultural practices trainings; 3) Meaningful and innovative farm/ranch, heir property and private non-industrial land management and transfer strategies; 4) Entrepreneurship, financial management, risk management and business training; 5) Diversification and marketing strategies 6) Mentoring, Apprenticeship, and internships.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90314993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
The objectives are to: 1) Provide outreach education to HUVBF on opportunities that are available to them through USDA programs and services; 2) Enhance and increase business, financial, marketing and sales management and strategies and opportunities for HUBVF; 3) To enhance the ability of HUVBF to rent, own, retain and transition farmlands successfully; 4) Enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of HUVBF to produce and market high value, profitable specialty and ethnic crops; 5) Increase and encourage implementation of Climate Smart agriculture practices for HUVBF. The expected results are enhanced economic opportunities, soil and natural resource conservation and preservation, and an improved quality life of these farmers, their families, and communities. This project is driven by the increasing market demands for ethnic foods in the USA. It will involve planning, production and marketing of tested and marketable high-value specialty and ethnic crops. Climate-smart agricultural practices will be incorporated in addition to financial management practices that will assist in making beginner farmers more sustainable. A variety of topics will be addressed to provide HUVBF with the information and skills they need to sustainably operate successful farm enterprises. Priorities will be given to the following topics: 1) Climate-smart strategies, agronomy, crop farming practices, Basic livestock, forest and land management; 2) food safety and good agricultural practices trainings; 3) Meaningful and innovative farm/ranch, heir property and private non-industrial land management and transfer strategies; 4) Entrepreneurship, financial management, risk management and business training; 5) Diversification and marketing strategies 6) Mentoring, Apprenticeship, and internships.
Project Methods
The methods to be used in conducting this project are to provide a comprehensive program to the participating beginning farmers and ranchers by training them on climate-smart practices and strategies and food safety practices, principles, and techniques. Exposing farmers to institutional marketing opportunities, land transition, acquisition, and retention strategies, financial and farm business planning and management, and improved production practices through workshops, hands-on demonstrations, one-on-one farm visits, farm tours, and mentoring. We will then prepare these producers for the existing and new markets for specialty and ethnic crops by conducting outreach and training on various marketing strategies including social media content creation, value addition through storytelling and farm history, the 'art of farming' as well as training and preparation for in food safety practices, including but not limited to good agricultural practices (gap) certification, and value-added product development.

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

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience has been new, beginner and historically underservedfarmers in the following counties in Virginia, Orange, Caroline, Spotsylvania, Louisa, Culpeper, Greene, Albermarle, King George, Amelia, Dinwiddie, Cumberland, Stafford, Nelson,Campbell, Bedford, Madison, Surry, Hanover and Halifax. Cities in Virginia have included growers in Petersburg, Richmond, Newport News, and Charlottesville. In Maryland we have worked with historically underserved new and beginning farmers in Prince Georges County and Charles County. We have also targeted food service marketers and educational institutions as well, to establish relationships for our farmers to sell to in the spring. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Carter Farms conducted two farming financial workshops and one value added workshop. We have provided opportunties for 50 urban farmers in Richmond to gain professional training as a beginner farmer course with Happily Natural Day, to prepare for the spring growing season. Our staff has also had the opportunity to receivemarket based leadership training, working with some of the leaders of Virginia agriculture. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We send out a newsletter quarterly, social media post and updates, word of mouth, and community engagement. Our newsletter database is 600 people, and they receive copies of this every month. https://thecarterfarms.com/whats-going-on/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have a full schedule of summer and fall of events to engage small farmers. We will continue to have volunteer and growing events at the farm as well as culinary events engaging both chefs and farmers in meaningful ways. We also expect to hold several farmer buyer meet ups, sustaining our territory this season as well as opportunities in North Carolina.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have provided outreach education for over 710farmers and potential farmers and ranchers in Virginia and Maryland between September 15, 2023 and June1, 2024. Carter Farms director was the keynote speaker for the Mountain Run Jam in Bedford County Virginia, where we spoke to over 130 farmers and potential farmers in an area that wasn't our target market. We were able to share information about USDA programs and services, and market opportunites for these farmers and further established, built and maintained relationships. Carter Farms team has conducted 42 one on one farm consultations over this period, assisting farmers via text messaging, emails, phone calls, farm visits, or lunch meetings during this period. We meet our farmers where they are, and how they are most comfortable with communicating . We've assisted with one farmer gaining GAP certification in Virginia, and now working with farmers in that area to do group GAP for 2024. This same community of farmers in Surry county we have assisted in gaining markets at the College of William and Mary and creating a market for their sweet potato greens, adding another revenue source to their operation by making these greens marketable. During this period we held 3mental health workshops, as well as a series of regular mental health discussions to assist in preventing farmer depression, anxiety and suicides. We assisted an family of heir property owners in Orange County get their family trusts to assist in perpetually perserving their lands. One of our farmer trainees in Maryland who attended 3 to 4 of our workshops in 2023, have acquired their farm property, to relocate from Washington DC to rural Maryland to become farmers. Carter Farms conducted two farming financial workshops and one value added workshop. We sponsored 72 farmers and potential farmers (numerous military veterans as well) in attending the Virginia Association of Biological Farmers/Virginia State University Small Farm Summit in Roanoke Virginia, removing their barriers of entry (financially) to gain more knowledge about how to make their operations more successful. We also assisted in sponsoring 50 urban gardeners in Richmond to go through the Southside Bootcamp academy led by Happily Natural Day. In January, we brought a group of historically underserved, veteran and small farmers to meet with congressional representative U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger to discuss issues related to the farm bill, as well as opportunities and challenges they may be having. Carter Farms presented at the Organic Association of Kentucky's conference, virtually, in January and assisted in organizing a socially disadvantaged farmer dinner at the University of Virginia with students and university administration. Three farmers have acquired funding for high tunnels through the EQIP program and we assisting farmers further in applying for EQIP benefits for 2024. We also had the opportunity to be a on panel for the movie premiere feature of Common Ground, at the Byrd Theater in Richmond, and were able to talk about conservation practices and activities. Numerous workshops have been conducted around business planning, health and equity in agriculture. Our Edna Lewis day event brought together farm to table working with local farmers and culinary professionals for a community event that embraced local agriculture and highlighted new and beginner farmers produce that we work with. https://thecarterfarms.com/whats-going-on/

Publications