Progress 03/15/06 to 03/14/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: California FarmLink organized and hosted a 3-day training for non-profit professionals: "Advancing the Agricultural IDA Program Model" from February 8-10, 2006. Attendees represented Michigan State University - Center for Urban Affairs, North Carolina Farm Transition Network, Land Stewardship Project, New England Small Farm Institute, and Center for Rural Affairs. Four states: are working on developing IDA programs. This means that the project impacted all SARE regions. In addition, on July 11-12, 2006, Steve Schwartz presented the IDA Expansion Project to USDA Farm Service Agency's Advisory Council on Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program on July 12-13, 2006. Beginning farmers and groups representing them from around the nation were present including Farm Bureau, the Farm Credit System and bankers.
PARTICIPANTS: California FarmLink Staff involved in the training included: Steve Schwartz, PI and California FarmLink Executive Director Linda Petersen Emily Martin, Americorps*VISTA Attendees at the training that participated in the project included: Susan Cociarelli, Michigan State University - Center for Urban Affairs Andrew Branan, North Carolina Farm Transition Network Laura Borgendale, Land Stewardship Project Judy Gillan, New England Small Farm Institute Michael Holton, Center for Rural Affairs Mary Embleton, Cascade Harvest Coalition/Washington FarmLink TARGET AUDIENCES: The primary audience was groups serving beginning farmers and planning to implement or expand agricultural IDA programs. These groups were located throughout the nation and project resources are available to additional groups upon request. In addition the project sought to help policy decision-makers that would be considering how to advance agricultural IDA's at a policy level. Input from the first audience was used to impacdt the second.
PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The primary modification was that participating groups, in general did not begin implementation of new IDA programs in terms of offering matched savings to new farmers. This was due to limited ability to secure funding apart from the $5,000 training grant from CSREES. As a result work on best practices was limited to bringing concepts that would expand on the IDA model to reflect regional goals and objectives described by the participants. This was coupled with California FarmLink's ongoing experience in offering IDA's.
Impacts
The project served to expand its IDA program by assisting other organizations committed to establishing IDA programs for small scale farmers in their own states. In February 2006, California FarmLink hosted an IDA Program Expansion Training in an effort to provide interested organizations with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop successful agricultural IDA programs. The three-day IDA training oriented staff of five non-profit farmlinking organizations around the country to the IDA model and its application to the agricultural community. The training covered aspects of program design and implementation. Hard copy and electronic versions of all forms and documents used by California FarmLink were provided to the participants. The training also allowed partners to explore and consider variations on the agricultural IDA program that California FarmLink has pioneered. California FarmLink's IDA program serves as the model from which other states are in the process of designing their own IDA programs suited to their region. Variations along the lines of this model are expected as the new states develop their respective programs. Variations may include: the match rate; the total amount of matched savings that will be contributed for a single farm; the types of training and support to be provided; requirements for applications; and evaluation criteria. The organizations designing the new IDA programs held several phone conference calls with California FarmLink to discuss progress and share challenges as well as ideas regarding evolving best practices. The training involved presentations from representatives from California FarmLink, Wells Fargo Bank, the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), the Community Reinvestment Coalition, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and West America Bank.
Publications
- Schwartz, etc. al., 2006. California FarmLink compiled a binder of materials for the training that is available for programs beginning agricultural IDA programs. This resource included both hard copy and electronic versions of documents. The binder included over 60 documents for IDA program developers including: an overview of IDA accounts; PowerPoint presentations; participant documents; applications; internal monitoring documents; evaluation design materials; sample proposals; and sample media releases.
- Schwartz, 2008. California FarmLink prepared a brief "Best Practices in Agricultural IDA's" report. This short narrative described current thinking in agricultural IDA design reflecting California FarmLink's original model and the recommended improvements based on practical experience, input from the Corporation for Enterprise Development, and input from organizations participating in the training.
- Advocates, 2007. Though not a publication from the project, the project did lead directly to the language in the 2008 Farm Bill for the "Beginning Farmer and Rancher Individual Development Account Pilot Program".
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