Progress 09/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: -71 interviews; 6 focus groups with 55 people; 4 farmers' market tours, 2 community resource guides; Research material including: research plan, code book, subject position list, transcriptions, coded reports, a foundation for a value chain plan and pilot project; identified new community resources - Most significant outputs: *New community resources (leaders) identified *New relationships established and solidified (Headstart in Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Rio Arriba County) * New relationships with producers interested in meeting needs of low-income populations *Recommendations for value chain pilot -Results Disseminated to: Advisory Board, New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council; Santa Fe Food Policy Council. Also scheduled to be disseminated and Southwest Marketing Network Conference and New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association's annual market manager conference PARTICIPANTS: NMFMA staff:Executive Director Denise Miller, Project Coordinator Heidi Leidtke, and Sarah Grant Advisory Committee: Sarah Noss of Santa Fe Farmers' Market Institute; Sherry Hooper of Food Depot; Craig Mapel, New Mexico Dpet. of Agriculture; Susan DeFrancesco and Emily Piltch of UNM Prevention Center; Pam Roy and Ilana Blankman of Farm to Table; Joesphine Valesquez of Espanola Senior Center; Kristen Slater-Huff of City of Santa Fe RSVP; Liz Jaramillo of WIC Clinic; Sabra Moore of Espanola Farmers Market; Steve Warshawer of LaMontinata Coop & Beneficial Farm Consultant:Claudi Isaac, UNM Planning Department--Provided qualitative research methodologies and analysis training Community Researchers: Two researchers were hired from Rio Arriba County and two from Santa Fe. In Rio Arriba County, the first researcher hired was Norma, a bilingual Latino woman in her late twenties who is very passionate about local foods and is active in the local food community. The other half of the Rio Arriba team was the Trujillos, a husband and wife from Abiquiu that was deeply embedded in their community. The husband, Virgil, is a rancher, and the wife, Isabel, is the librarian at their small community library. The researcher who would be working with the senior population, Carol, was hired in Santa Fe. Carol lives in a local low-income senior housing facility and is a regular at several of the senior centers in Santa Fe. Finally, NMFMA hired Lily, an immigrant of Guatemala who is a mother of two young children and is active in the Head Start program. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target Audience: Low-income individuals--including seniors, Hispanos, Native Americans, and immigrants in Santa Fe and Rio Arriba counties PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Initial focus group effort proved low in attendance so project was modified to include incentives ("market bucks")and market tours to entice focus group participants. Successful focus group attendance was achieved. Project timetable was extended to accommodate the market tours.
Impacts
KNOWLEDGE OUTCOMES: - Staff, advisory committee and researchers developed skills in community action based research and value chain analysis - All, including research participants, learned more about the local food system - All learned more about the buying needs and preferences of low-income consumers, as well as their current shopping and eating habits - Barriers for purchasing local foods were identified -Producers learned some new ways they could reac these targeted customers ACTION OUTCOMES: - Community researchers identified recommendations for next steps in establishing value chain pilot -Community researchers identified new contacts and leaders in their communities to be involved in future efforts - Producers were identified who want to participate in next steps of value chain pilot - Research participants (who went to focus groups)attended farmers markets, got to know farmers and purchased local food - Several community stakeholders (senior centers & local Headstarts)are pursuing new relationships to make local food purchasing possible for their clients CONDITION OUTCOMES: - Community researchers and several other leaders have become activated to continue value chain pilot development - Dialogue has opened an environment of collaboration between producers, stakeholders and community members - New knowledge has been gained about conditions and barriers for local food access by low-income groups by many community stakeholders
Publications
- New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association's CFP Planning Grant 2009 Final Report: "Growing New Mexico's Local Food System by Empowering Low-Income Eaters"
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We have accomplished a number of effective outputs: We provided enterprise development consultation to 30 producers, including in-depth consulting with 10 producers. We held a "Scaling Up" workshop in three locations in November 2009 which included information on season extension, marketing, business planning and accessing USDA resources. The workshops reached 35 people, 20 of which were socially disadvantaged. We provided ongoing administrative assistance and strategic planning consultation to the Beef Industry Improvement - NM initiative, which included assistance in writing a USDA grant. It also included work to develop a brand of New Mexico beef. We assisted the Northern New Mexico Stockman's Association (whose hundreds of members are primarily Hispanic) in developing a strategic plan for outreach, education, and fundraising activities. This included providing information about USDA resources. In October 2009, we hosted a farm tour for 6 young Native American farmers focusing on season extension. In July 2010, we hosted an on-farm workshop at the Red Willow Center in Taos Pueblo focusing on season extension and marketing. Five socially disadvantaged producers attended. We provided consultation to five Santo Domingo pueblo (Native American) producers on opening a farmers market. We planned for a tour (held in October 2010) of the Sedillo Livestock Association which was attended by 40 Native American ranchers. We provided five scholarships to the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference to Native American producers to learn about production practices and marketing opportunities. We provided two presentations to producers in Shiprock, NM (Navajo Nation) on marketing. At the first workshop, 40 producers were present. At the second, 8 producers were present. We provided technical assistance to the Red Willow Farm Board and farmers (Tohatchi, Navajo Nation) to apply for a USDA Community Facilities grant to drill a well for irrigating their 938 acres of farm plots that are being farmed by 450 Tohatchi individuals and families. We provided technical assistance to Dine Ag, a Native American agricultural producer group in Shiprock, NM, including advice on applying for and managing USDA grants. We provided value chain consultation to a project working to develop marketing opportunities for producers to low-income communities. We provided basic training to 60 producers on the value chain methodology. We provided in-depth training to 20 agricultural service providers on the value chain methodology. We established a planning committee to develop the agenda for the Southwest Marketing Network conference that will focus on water and land issues to be held in Window Rock, AZ, March 2011. Committee members include Navajo farmers, ranchers and service providers. We provided technical assistance to and facilitated strategic planning for the Developing Innovations in Navajo Education, Inc. in Flagstaff, AZ (Navajo serving organization) to 6 organizers (3 Navajo farmer organizers). We provided a list of Federal Funding Opportunities for farmers and ranchers at all meetings, convenings, conferences, and field trips. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Pamela Roy (Farm to Table) is the project director. She has been responsible for financial management of the grant and for overseeing all grant activities to ensure they meet grant requirements and obligations. Ms. Roy has also been an active technical assistance provider, particularly with Red Willow Farm Board, and DINE Inc. Tawnya Laveta (Farm to Table) is a technical service provider. She has worked individually with several Native American producers. She is also the primary service provider working with Dine Ag, a Navajo producer group. Ilana Blankman (Farm to Table) is a value chain specialist and technical service provider. She has coordinated the value chain trainings and worked on the beef, farm to restaurant, b-grade fruit, and farm to school value chains. She has also worked to organize the farm tours and on-farm trainings. She has also provided one on one technical assistance to producers and worked with the N NM Stockman's Association. Collaborators We have worked closely with the following organizations on this project: The Santa Fe Alliance (Farm to Restaurant, value chain training) The NM Farmers' Marketing Association (marketing to low-income communities, value chain training) Beef Industry Improvement--NM (beef value chain development) La Montanita Coop (value chain training, b-grade fruit, beef, farm to restaurant) New Mexico Department of Agriculture (Farm to School value chain, food safety work) Sedillo Livestock Association (organizing livestock tour/networking) AISDevelopment (provided value chain training) Shiprock Cooperative Extension (assisted with Scaling Up training) Southwest Marketing Network (working toward 2011 Navajo conference, newsletter publication). Training/Professional Development 20 agricultural service providers received training in the value chain methodology. Numerous trainings were provided to producers (see outputs section for more details). TARGET AUDIENCES: The main target audiences for project efforts have been: socially disadvantaged producers, especially those exploring entering new markets or trying to scale up their businesses; producer groups with a large portion of socially disadvantaged members; and agricultural service providers that work with socially disadvantaged producers. We have reached these audiences throughout the state, but especially on the Navajo Nation, in Northern NM pueblos (Native American communities), the Colonias in the southern part of the state, and Northern New Mexico hispanic ranchers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: We found that because producers are very busy, that rather than doing both peer networking sessions and on-farm trainings that it works best to combine these activities. We have also found that rather than plan a training and do outreach for it, that it has been more effective to work with specific groups of producers and plan trainings with them to meet specific needs.
Impacts
These outputs have fostered the following outcomes and impacts: 10 producers or producer groups have applied for USDA or other grants. So far, we have heard that 4 of these have been successful. We assisted four socially disadvantaged producers to sell to New Mexico schools. We developed a new distribution entity to help producers sell to restaurants. Over $25,000 worth of product has been sold through this system. Three of the producers are socially disadvantaged. As a result of one of the successful grant applications, a group of 10 Navajo ranchers received training that enabled them to get $0.1 per pound more for their cattle than the average price at a recent auction. Through value chain facilitation, a pomegranate apple juice product was created that allowed two socially disadvantaged producers to develop a market for their "b-grade" fruit. Two socially disadvantaged producers began selling to a collaborative CSA. Participants in the Native American season extension tour have implemented a number of season extension systems they learned about on their farm. As a result of our value chain consultation, 150 producers at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market had access to new senior citizen customers. Plans are in the works to develop additional marketing opportunities for the farmers to Headstart families. 27 Navajo individuals and families have applied for and been given permits (through the Bureau of Indian Affairs) for plots at the Red Willow Farm. An additional 30 permits are pending receipt of plot plans -- in anticipation of the water well being funded and installed.
Publications
- Blankman, Ilana. Federal Funding Opportunities for Farmers. 2009.
- Southwest Marketing Network. Southwest Marketing Network Newsletter (distribution approximately 4,000). 2010.
- Farm to Table. Financial Resources for Food and Farming Businesses. (to be published) December 2010.
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