Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: OUTREACH Farmers visited FSC for help with a farm business plan, recordkeeping and other problems 214 (combined with other 2501 program grant) Incoming calls to FSC 837 (combined) Flyers 443 (combined) Letters to farmers and landowners 670 (combined) Agendas distributed at conference and workshops 985 (combined) Agricultural Specialists farm/site visits 58 Agricultural Specialist phone calls to FSA farm loan 62 Calls to NRCS, Natural Resource Conservation Service 23, calls to NAD 5 Calls to farmers/landowners 285 Conference calls with farmers and USDA agency 12 Monthly meetings with cooperatives 16 Site visits to Cooperatives 18 Coop development meetings 4 Marketing meetings with commercial/local buyers, school systems 10 FSC 11th Annual Farmer's Appreciation Dinner was held in Albany December 16, 2011, 125 farmers/landowners attending. (Combined) FSC 29th Annual Georgia Farmers Conference was held at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Albany, GA on February 10-11, 2012, with 175 farmers and landowners attending Friday and 300 attending Saturday. A USDA panel discussion with NRCS, Farm Service Agency and Rural Development was held on Saturday morning. Class Counsel Attorneys updated farmers on the Pigford II Lawsuit. The Farmer Conference featured four sessions with 14 workshops on the following topics: (Combined) Cooperative Development, Farm and Facility Risk Mitigation, Marketing Opportunities, and Federal Resources, 100 attending. Two other workshops were held on USDA programs, 40 farmers and landowners attended. Ten (10) farmers were approved for NRCS EQIP cost share program for irrigation and well. Women Infants and Children (WIC) Workshops for farmers participating in the WIC Program 14, 45 attending. Site visits and farm surveys to monitor production and purchasing 35 Redeemed from the WIC Program $300,000 (Combined) Collaborated with NRCS, FSA, Rural Development, SARE and Risk Management for workshop presentations (benefits, eligibility, availability and sign-up dates). FARM LOANS Farm Business Plans developed for loan applications 22, $2,049,778. Operating loans approved (3) $1,131,587 Farm ownership loans approved (2) $430,633 Restructured loans approved (1) $36,970 Direct bank loan approved (1) Guaranteed loans approved (2) Restructured loans denied (2) $68,864 Operating loans denied (6) $690,846 Withdrawn application (1) $450,588 Farm ownership loan application denied 1 Requested reconsideration of application 5 NAD appeal hearing was denied 1 COMPETITIVE MARKETING COMMITTEE Ten vendors received professionally designed labels for products. FSC provided training in marketing and follow-up. Nine businesses completed Safe Food Handling certification. Each business has demonstrated an increase in marketing and sales. There is a greater awareness of the products that are offered by the businesses due to FSC marketing initiative. (Combined) MARKETING MEETINGS Walmart, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, CH. Robinson, Fresh Point, Frontera Imports, Inc, Carter's Grill & Restaurant, Gibbs Patrick Farms, and County Boards of Education for Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Mitchell, and Miller and City of Thomasville, and several regional organizations. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included the following agencies, businesses, and potential customers: Governmental agencies: Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Rural Development Small entrepreneurial vendors: 1) Flint River Farmers Cooperative 2) Southern Alternatives Agricultural Cooperative 3) Heavenly Pound Cake 4) Lady V Baking & BBQ 5) Nick-a-Million 6) J. Green's Pure and Natural 7) Hill Top's Finest 8) CC Barbeque Sauce 9) Shekinah International Foods 10) Hot as Hell Pepper Sauce Potential commercial customers Walmart Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta CH. Robinson, Fresh Point, Forest Park Frontera Imports, Inc, Forest Park Carter's Grill & Restaurant, Albany Gibbs Patrick Farms, Omega Dougherty County Schools Baker County BOE, Newton Calhoun County BOE, Morgan Mitchell County BOE, Camilla Thomasville BOE, Thomasville Miller County BOE, Colquitt TARGET AUDIENCES: The Federation's Outreach and Assistance program is targeted at black farmers in at least 16 counties of southwest Georgia. These farmers range from a few acres of vegetable production to several hundred acres of woodland, row crop and cattle production. Some are organized into farmer cooperatives designed to reduce expenses through joint purchasing and to leverage marketing activities. On average, these farmers have smaller and less profitable operations than their white counterparts in the same counties. The Federation's approach is to help these farmers strengthen their ability to take advantage of USDA farmer assistance and to provide information that will help them enter new markets, reduce their risks through best practices, and qualify for broader marketing opportunities. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Increasingly, consumers are associating fresh produce with good health initiatives, thereby increasing demand and opportunity to grow for even larger markets. Our fall 2011 project with Patrick Gibbs consisted of 60 acres of collards and five acres of turnip greens. The producers engaged in developing collective marketing efforts to secure premium prices from niche markets and access to larger volume buyers. All nine cooperative members participated, providing land use, labor, equipment, and financial resources. The marketing model employed reduces or eliminates common barriers: (1) buyer purchases entire crop based on specifications outlined in contract; (2) strategic relationships are developed between, field, labor and transportation managers; (3) crop variety is rotated as market demands; and (4) negotiated and contracted prices do not fluctuate. Flint River Farmers Cooperatives harvested 374,500 pounds of collard and turnip greens in the fall of 2011. Location: Baker County Farm: Irrigated The activities described here have had the following impact on minority farmers in southwest Georgia: 1) Expanded income opportunities from new or expanded sources 2) Greater network of contacts, bringing local food into a variety of venues including schools and major retailers 3) Greater organizational capacity of farmer cooperatives to support future development 4) Modern marketing tools better able to respond to customer needs (website for online ordering, inventory control) 5) Substantial outreach to minority farmers in southwest Georgia to improve their understanding of the benefits and eligibility requirements for USDA programs 6) Outreach to USDA agencies and offices raises their awareness of minority farmers and their needs
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1) OUTREACH WORKSHOPS Our annual farmer conference featured five workshops on USDA programs, which were attended by 103 farmers. The NRCS eligibility workshop was attended by 66 farmers, of whom 34 completed applications for cost sharing. 2) ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS Staff members assisted 38 farmers to prepare annual Farm Business Plans for their farms, including income and revenue projections, capital investment, marketing, and value-added production. This assistance entailed 396 office conferences with farmers and 1757 (*combined total) incoming and outgoing phones calls with farmers. Staff made 78 phone calls to officials of the FSA Farm Loan and Farm Program. 3) CONFERENCES Our annual farmer conference was held on February 11 and 12, 2011, in Albany GA. 300 farmers (*combined total) attended the conference. Of these, 120 farmers (*combined total) attended the farm tour on February 11. We worked with partnering agencies including National Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and Risk Management Administration to make workshop presentations on federal programs (benefits, eligibility, and enrollment). Ninety farmers (*combined total) attended the Federation's farmer appreciation dinner 4) FARMER/RANCHER MANAGEMENT TRAINING Staff members met with farmers on numerous occasions about a variety of topics to promote alternative marketing. Nine farmers attended meetings about farmers markets. WIC workshops and training sessions were held in 14 counties (*combined total) attended by 30 farmers, resulting in 35 farmers completing surveys and on-site visits. Farmers redeemed $300,000 in WIC sales (*combined total). 15 farmers elected to sell at farmers markets. Six meetings were held about cooperatives, and five farmers attended GAP and GHP certification workshops to educate farmers on the importance of and process for this certification. Staff met with farmers to organize a regional cooperative to market to farmers markets, school systems, restaurants and colleges, Staff also met with school systems, restaurants and colleges in the area to discuss sales opportunities, which began to materialize in the region's largest school system toward the end of the project year. Staff met 22 times with the staff and owners of Southern Alternatives, a pecan shelling and candy making cooperative, to provide coop development assistance. *Number reflects conference attendance by participants in both of our 2501 programs. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audience is black farmers who reside in the following Georgia counties: Baker, Brooks, Calhoun, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Lee, Macon, Marion, Mitchell, Seminole, Sumter, Terrell, Thomas, Terrell, and Worth. There are some 4,491 farmers in these counties, of whom 527 are minority, virtually all black. A majority of these farmers participated in our annual conference in February 2011, while 151 received training and education through our workshops and 36 received individual, one-on-one assistance in completing a farm plan and applying for loans to purchase or operate a farm. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The formation of a regional cooperative will expand opportunities and reduce marketing costs for farmers, mini-farmers and gardeners, and value-added producers. The cooperative will sell retail and wholesale to school systems, restaurants, farmers market customers, WIC and senior customers, and others across six to ten counties. Of the farmers receiving assistance with farm business plans, 38 utilized these Farm Plans to support loan applications for $4,344,496 (16 approved for operating loans of $2,106,729 and one approved for farm ownership for $250,000). Eight applications for $1,203,089 were denied. Twelve farmers withdrew loan applications totaling $1,173,308. Exact acreage is difficult to determine, but an increasing number of farmers, both conventional and mini-farms, are producing vegetables, small fruits and herbs for direct sale locally. Two farmers we work with are selling biomass crops to an ethanol production facility in Camilla (Mitchell County). We always include workshops at our annual conference on techniques of growing and marketing alternative crops. The Southern Alternatives pecan processing cooperative buys nuts from local minority farmers for processing and candy manufacture. The number of farmers participating in the Southern Alternatives coop is five, and there are about 10 farmers making value-added products in the East Baker Community Kitchen (out of a total of 55 entrepreneurs using the Kitchen).
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Assist 130 farmers with intensive one on one services: Project staff assisted 78 farmers with one-on-one services, which included assistance with preparation of farm business plans, loan applications, advice on how to begin farming, crop selection, dealing with farming problems, assistance with marketing, and a variety of other needs for information and advice. 110 farmer visits to the FSC office, and 225 had conversations with staff. Assist at least 200 farmers through the outreach program: 210 farmers attended farmer's conference and 90 went on Farm Tour. 25 Farmers obtaining loans for farm operating or ownership: 25 operating loan applications were approved totaling $3,082,216, plus five restructuring loans $312, 978 and 2 farm ownership for $282,500. Farmers applying for NRCS assistance to 30: advised 25 farmers about NRCS benefits. Conduct eight workshops: Cooperative Development, FSA Farm Loan, Farm Programs, NRCS Programs, Estate Planning, and Livestock production. Participants in intensive service will complete an annual Farm Business Plan: 35 Farm business plans completed for an operating loan. 5 Farm business plans completed for a farm ownership loan. Increase alternative crops to 600 acres: At least ten farmers affiliated with the Federation devoted about 300 acres to alternative crops (vegetables). The major force driving much farm activity in southwest Georgia this past year was historically high cotton prices. Farmers who would normally be interested in alternative crops and methods were this year devoting all possible acreage to production of cotton to take advantage of the high price for a crop that is easily grown in the region. We recognize that the high prices will not last forever. Assist six farmers to obtain GAP certification: One farmer obtained GAP certification. Staff are working with two facilities in the area to prepare for GAP and GHP certification. 30 farmers participating in WIC, farmers markets: About five farmers in southwest Georgia participated in WIC markets and several participated in farmers markets. Farmers participating in WIC markets averaged an estimated $20,000 in gross income. To this date, only two farmers markets are functioning in southwest Georgia, one each in Thomasville and Cordele. Fewer farmers than in the past grew vegetable crops, due to the historically high cotton prices, which commanded attention. 30 producers using value-added processing: About 35 small producers, some farmers, used the Baker Community Kitchen for value-added processing. The salmonella scare of recent months has at least temporarily discouraged vegetable processing. The Flint River processing plant, which processes greens, squash and field peas for sale to food outlets, has been hampered by the lack of a refrigerator truck for deliveries. Three farmers are working in the Baker Community Kitchen to prepare products from the produce they grow. Improve average farm income of participants by 5%: Farmer income data is very difficult to obtain. We can say that several farmers were able to purchase farms to begin or expand farming activity, which would represent increased income. PARTICIPANTS: Primary staff person who worked on the project was Cornelius Key, Project Director/Agricultural Specialist. Two hundred ten (210) people attended our annual conference. During the project year we partnered with representatives from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and Cooperative Extension Service, as well as Georgia Rural Development. Representatives from these agencies attended our workshops and made or assisted in workshop presentations. Our conferences included training on the following topics: Cooperative Development, FSA Farm Loan, Farm Programs, NRCS Programs, Estate Planning and Livestock production. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audience is African-American farmers located in 16 counties of southwest Georgia, most of whom are small, limited resource farmers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The Annual Farmers Conference presented workshops on the following topics, expanding the number of farmers with knowledge of the topics. Cooperative Development, FSA Farm Loan, Farm Programs, NRCS Programs, Estate Planning and Livestock production. ACTIONS Staff met 10 times with area producer cooperatives: 3 with Flint River Farmers Coop, 6 times with Southern Alternatives, and 1 time with South Georgia Vegetable Farmers Coop. 3% increase in minority women producers operating and maintain their farms: New women producers were assisted with initial organization of their production. This represents a 30% increase over the number of women producers reported in the 2007 Census of Agriculture for Dougherty and Clay counties (46 farmers). Most of the 32 farmers (all Socially Disadvantaged) who were assisted with loan applications would not have been able to apply without the Federation's help. At least 20 farmers now have experience with growing one or more alternative crops, including vegetables for direct sale or processing for local sale; watermelons for sale in the Northeast; strawberries for local sale; pecans for processing by Southern Alternatives, a local cooperative; and other enterprises. At least six farmers participate in the vegetable processing done by Flint River Farmers Cooperative, four are part of the Southern Alternatives pecan operation; and 25 small entrepreneurs operate value added processing businesses at the community kitchen and business incubator in Baker County. One farmer is producing ten acres of collard greens under GAP/GHP certification. One facility, Flint River Farmers Cooperative, is processing collard greens, snap beans, squash, field peas and other vegetables under GHP certification. Southern Alternatives, a marketing cooperative for shelled pecans and pecan products, has gradually been building volume and will be making candy from pecans at the USDA-certified community kitchen in Baker County. The kitchen now has about 35 small businesses processing and preparing food for sale in a variety of markets throughout southwest Georgia and beyond.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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