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

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is beginning farmers and ranchers living in a seven-county area in western NC. A total of 112 participants attended the sixworkshops offered between 9/15/2023 and 9/14/2024. Participants represented sixof the seventargeted counties. Twelve participantswere currently deriving revenue from farming, with eighthaving farmed for less than 10 years and fourhaving farmed for more than 10 years. Fifty-four workshop participants indicated an interest in becoming farmers in the future. The specific demographics targeted were limited resource producers, military veterans, organic producers, small farms, and specialty crop producers. While we didn't capture data regarding all descriptors, 13 identified as military veterans. According to current Census data, the poverty rates in fourof seven targeted counties exceedthe state average, so it is likely that some workshop participants were limited resource producers. The average acreageof farms in all targeted counties is 94, meeting the USDA definition of a small farm. According to the 2017 NC Census of Agriculture, row crop production in the project's two most mountainouscounties was below reportable limits, with limited ornoproduction of corn, soybeans, and/or wheat in the remaining five. This suggests the suitability ofspecialty crop production, including organically grown products, on small farms in the Appalachian region. After the project concludes on December 14, 2024, workshop participants will be asked to complete an online follow-up survey regardingthe extent to which they benefited from attending aBFRDP workshop. These surveys will include a request for respondents to indicate the target populations with which they identify. Attendance data from all 10 workshops will be analyzed to determine the extent to which workshop participants reflected the audience targeted by this project and this information will be included in the Final Report. Changes/Problems:We are on target to meet or exceed the proposed number of workshops, with higher attendance numbers than projected. The pro bono project management team at Patterson School Foundation (PSF) acquiredthe knowledge and skills needed to successfully interact with ASAP and USDA reporting platforms and logged their hours as in-kind match. This team included PSF Finance Officer Dawn Turner, PI/PD Kitty Rosati, and PSF volunteer Michele Oros. A total of sixworkshops were conducted between 9/15/23 and 9/14/24, with the remaining four workshops scheduled between 9/15/24 and 12/14/24.While most of the workshops originally proposed have either been conducted or are scheduled to occur during the no-cost extension period, the order of workshops was modified based on the availability of presenters and the best time of year for specific workshops. All targeted counties were impacted by Hurricane Helene at the end of September 2024, forcing some workshops to be rescheduled. Several substitutions were also made when a proposed workshop proved unfeasible or the presenter was no longer available. The dehydration room referenced in the funding application was cancelled upon investigation into health and safety requirements. The solar greenhouse workshop was cancelled after all quotes for materials and labor far exceeded the amount originally budgeted. Our greatest challenge has been hiring and retaining qualified and committed project staff. While mostapplicantsseeking temporary, part-time work in rural western NC had knowledge of farming, they did not have the level of technical or organizational skills needed to manage a year-long, federally-funded project. The original Farm Manager resigned in March 2024 and the Program Manager resigned in June 2024. Although the Farm Manager position was quicklyfilled, the PSF management team had to assume operational responsibility for the project from June 2024 until a new Program Managerwas hired in September. The lack of consistency in staffing has impeded our ability to fulfill all aspects of the project or consider applying for the next level of BFRDP funding. As the PSF project management team worked pro bono and logged hours to meet the requiredmatch, a portion of funds budgeted for the Program Manager position will remain unspent at the end of the Performance Period. Referring to the original scope of work outlined in the funding application, Objectives 1, 3 and 4 were adequately accomplished although the workshops could have been better promoted among the target population and additional partnerships could have been cultivated if the Program Manager's skill set had more closely fit the job requirements. His level of commitment to the project was also lower than anticipated and he seldom workedthe 20 hours per week allocated in the budget, whichculminatedin his resignation in June 2024. The original Farm Manager had an appropriate level of knowledge but was unreliable and resistant to taking instruction from the Program Manager. The objective most critical to the success of a future application was Objective 2, the formation of a PSIF Advisory Council, which did not occur. While the Program Manager initiated contact with several individuals who could have served on an Advisory Council, he did not follow through and this objective was not accomplished. A key role of the Advisory Council would have been providing input and feedback for the next BFRDP funding application to ensure it addressed the needs of the target population. Although a new Program Manager was hired in September, the length of time remaining in the Performance Period was too shortto address these shortcomings. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The pro bono PSF management team participated in most NIFA webinars to obtain the knowledge needed to perform grant management activitiessuch as ASAP drawdowns and reporting. Formal professional development was not provided tothe Program Manager or Farm Manager, although informal meetings with the PSF management team occurred regularly to teachprogram staff how to perform functions related to their job descriptions. Some of the skills taught during these informal sessions included theuse of Canva to create workshop flyers andhow to post workshop announcements on social media platforms. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?As this was a one-year Planning/Developmental project, there have been no notable results to disseminate. The initial intent was to use the results of this project to inform the design of a fullBFRDP application, in which case the results would have been incorporated into the new application. The challenges encountered during the current project prevented it from generating sufficient data on which to base a full BFRDP application and revealed the inadequacy of ourorganization's capacity to manage a larger, more complex project. As a result, PSF does not intend to submit a BFRDP funding application in 2025. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This project was funded by a one-year, Planning/Developmental grantthat originally ended on 9/14/24. Because our first workshopoccurred in March 2024, we obtained a 90-day no-cost extension to enable completion of the proposed 10 workshops by the end of 2024.The next reporting period will include activities that occurredbetween September 15 and December 14, 2025, mostof which will have been completedwhen this Progress Report is submitted. Activities for this final period will be included in the Final Report. Although we hired a new Program Manager in September, it wastoo late in the project to remedy the deficiencies previously noted so some of our goals will remain unmet.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objectives and Outcomes: The goal of this project is to scale-up and increase the capacity of the Patterson School Incubator Farm (PSIF), which will be achieved through accomplishing the objectives and associated activities described below. Objective 1: Increase regional awareness of PSIF programs and resources, with a focus on outreach to new/beginning farmers and ranchers in the 7 target counties. Issue: The Patterson campus and Incubator Farm Program offer extensive environmental and agricultural resourcesbut knowledge ofthese assets is limited geographically and demographically. Project Work: The Program Manager was responsible for contacting agriculturally-related programs and resources in the seven-county target area to acquaint them with the programs and resources available on the Patterson campus. Inaddition, the ProgramManager was charged with identifying the informal places farmers and ranchers frequented, such as country stores, restaurants, andagricultural supply businesses, andobtaining permission to postprinted notices regarding upcoming BFRDP workshops. Online noticesabout workshops were posted on Facebook, Eventbrite, andInstagram. The workshops were also posted on the Caldwell CountyChamberof Commercewebsite. Outcomes: The Program Manager made some initial efforts toward these ends but expressed frustration when emails or phone callswere notreturned and he engaged in limited in-person follow-up. He did not post notices in public locations. The Program Managerinitially handled some social media postings but thePSFmanagement handledmost of the online and social media postings. Impact:While workshop attendance was greater than anticipated, the percentage of active farmers was less than hoped. It is possible that morefarmers would have attended if they had received information about the workshops. Objective 2: Establish a PSIF Advisory Council that includes incubator farmers and new/beginning farmers to recommend program improvements and disseminate information about PSIF workshops and resources. Issue: PSIF recognizedthe need to identify and engage current and potential agricultural producers from the surrounding region inplanning and program development efforts to ensure alignment with their needs. Project Work:The Program Manager was responsible for recruiting members of the Advisory Council and conducting one or moremeetings,eitherin-person or virtually, to discuss the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers in the targeted counties and plan futureworkshops andevents that would meet their needs. The Advisory Council would serve as the steering committee for subsequent BFRDP funding applications. Outcome: The Program Manager was aware of this expectation but failed to organize an Advisory Committee during the seven months hewas employed by the project so the Outcome was not achieved. Impact: As a result of this failure, the project did not obtain the input and feedback needed to make adjustments to the proposedworkshop calendar and/or add workshops that may have better met the needs of the target population. Without the engagement of thepopulation served,PSIF feelsunprepared to pursue the next level of BFRDP funding. Objective 3: Expand the current calendar of PSIF workshops to include topics relevant to new/beginning farmers and ranchers in the 7 target counties. Issue: Since the PSIF program was established in 2017, workshop topics havefocused more on the needs and interests of gardeners and hobbyists than working farmers or ranchers, and PSIF recognized a need to increase outreach to agricultural producers to fulfill its educational mission. Project Work: Bythe end of the project in December 2024, 10 free workshops will have been conducted on topics relevant to beginning farmers and ranchers in the seven targeted counties. Topics have included sustainable and cost-effective agricultural methods such as biochar and composting, as well as woodland management for carbon sequestration. Outcomes: A total of 112 participants attended the first six workshops, with four additional sessions occurring by mid-December. Although only 11% of attendees were currently farming, 48% of attendees expressed an interest in becoming farmers in the future. Impact:Follow-up surveys will be analyzed for the final report todetermine the degree to which workshop participants implemented the methods or utilized the information they acquired and the impact this had on their agricultural enterprises. Objective 4: Strengthen existing partnerships and cultivate new partnerships to support expanded programming for the target population. Issue:The current roster of PSIF workshops presenters consists primarily of local and regional experts, including Appalachian State University faculty, who have collaborated with PSIF in the past seven years. There are, however, numerous additional experts in the region whose knowledge and expertise would be of value to current or future farmers and ranchers. To fulfill its mission and sustain the PSIF program, itis necessary for PSIF to expand the number and scope of partnerships with individuals and organizations that can help educate and inform the next generation of agricultural producers. Project Work: TheProgram Manager was responsible foridentifying and contacting agricultural experts and organizations to expand the roster of potential workshop presenters, as well as possible members of the Advisory Council. Outcomes: While existing partnerships were strengthened during execution of the project,the Program Manager did notexpand the number of partnershipsduring his seven-month tenure. Impact:The long-term success and economic stabilityof the PSIF program dependon collaborationand partnerships with organizations that share a commitment to the future of sustainable agriculture in western North Carolina. Although PSIF has strong relationships with Appalachian State University and several local experts, there are many other individuals and groupsin the region thatcould be engaged and contribute to the work of Patterson School Foundation and the PSIF program. The effort to strengthen and expand partnerships must continue beyond the grant-funded period to sustain the work of the organization.

Publications