Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audiences that were served by the project include: 1) Beginning farmers and Ranchers that are limited-resource Hispanic producers and often immigrant and first-generation farm workers, living in food-desert areas or "colonias"; 2) The school-age children of these low-income Hispanics that are often Immigrant and first generation farm workers; 3) Farm workers and other low-income people seeking to become independent farm business owners, as well as farm owners/operators with less than 10 years of experience; 4) Youth at local schools; 5) Beginning farmers and ranchers that are Hispanic. Educational methodologies included: 1) The provision of an intensive 12 month-training program, in English and Spanish, to socially disadvantaged and limited-resource beginning farmers and ranchers at more distant locations that were more challenging to support; 3) The provision of training to beginning farmers in a farm incubator with training events on a variety of subjects; 4) The development and use of demonstration sites using different farming techinques; 5) The provision of technical assistance to ensure the succesful adoption of tecniques reviewed during training events; 6) Hands-on training events in rural areas in collaboartion with non-profit organizations. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the three-year project period, the following opportunities for training and professional development were attended by project staff: 6th National Small Farm Conference "Promoting the Successes of Small Farmers and Ranchers" Memphis, TN, September 18 - 20, 2012, (Amelia Soto-Sanchez,); Workshop on Fall Planting, El Cenizo, TX, November 14-16 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez, Juan Raygoza); Project Directors' Meeting "Regional and National Models for Beginning Farmer & Rancher Education" Rochester, MN, December 5-6, 2012 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez, George H. Bennack); Southern SWAG' Conference, Little Rock, AR, January 23-27, 2013 (George H. Bennack); Canning Course in Chaparral,NM, Feb 20-24, 2013 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez); Vegetable/Strawberry Production and New Small Farm Loan Programs, Weslaco, TX, Feb 21, 2013 (Cruz Salinas); Grafting Workshop, Bayview, TX, February 23, 2013, (Cruz Salinas); Presentation/Hands on Demonstration on Planting Spring Vegetable, Laredo, El Cenizo, TX, March 7, 2013 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez); Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council (TACC) March 10-12, 2013 San Antonio, TX, (George H. Bennack);Building Stronger Rural communities/MAFO Conference, San Antonio, TX, March 17-20, 2013 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez); Orchard Crops and Small Farm Loans Workshop, Weslaco, TX, March 20, 2013 (Cruz Salinas). BFRDP 4th Annual Directors Meeting "Cruzando Fronteras", McAllen,TX, November 13-16, 2013. (George Bennack, Cruz Salinas, Juan Raygoza) ; Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference, Mobile, AL, January 15-18, 2014 (George Bennack, Cruz Salinas, JuanRaygoza); UTPA staff training "Public Speaking with Confidence", June 24, 2014 (Juan Raygoza); NRCS Soil Health Seminar, Raymondville,Texas, December 4, 2013 (George Bennack, Cruz Salinas); TACC Cooperative Conference, San Antonio, TX, March 9-12, 2014 (George Bennack); 6) Aquaponics Training Overview, Weslaco,TX, May 27, 2014 (George Bennack); 7) Permaculture Overview, Rio Grande Valley, TX, July 7, 2014 (George Bennack, Juan Raygoza); National Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Project Directors Meeting, Baltimore, MD, September 23-25, 2014 (George Bennack, Juan Raygoza); Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference, Mobile, AL, January 14-17, 2015 (Cruz Salinas); Small Farm Production, Marketing and Food Safety Workshop, Weslaco, TX, May 7, 2015. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Since this is not a NIFA-funded research, results are not being dissemintaed to communities of interest. However, materials produced to promote the program or recruit beginning farmers for training events are distributed in targeted local places. Another source for dissemination and promotion of educational events is the facebook page:www.facebook/begfarmers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This Project reached out to 1,347 participants through trainings, workshops and classroom presentations during its three years of operation. During the first year, Project included 23 participants in an extensive 9-month training program and 67 in less extensive training sessions. Of the participants in the extensive training program, 22 successfully completed the program and 13 substantially adopted methods and techniques from the program. Also during the first year, of the 90 participants that completed any part of the training program: 100% (98/98) plan to start farming or expand their operations; 73% (66/90) are farming; 73% (66/90) plan to continue farming. A change of knowledge occurred with project participants: 84% (76/90) experience a positive change in knowledge, and 78% (70/90) experienced a change in attitudes. A change in skills occurred in 73% (66/90) of participants; 78% (70/90) experienced a change in their approach to growing vegetables and fruits; and 73% (66/90) plan to continue participating in the trainings. During the first year of project operation, as a result of the training: 25% (22/90) changed business practices and started selling their produce through direct-marketing techniques and methods; 73% (66/90) changed farming/land management practices; 25% (22/90) changed marketing practices; 5% (40/90) developed a farm business plan; 14% (13/90) increased productivity; 25% (22/90) increased profitability; 73% (66/90) increased knowledge and practices in environmental sustainability; 73% (66/90) increased their social wellbeing. During the second year of operation, the project had 33 participants in an extensive 9-month training program and 65 in less-extensive training sessions. Of these participants, 23 Individuals successfully completed the extensive training program and 12 substantially adopted methods and techniques from the program. Of the 98 participants that completed any part of the training program: 100% (98/98) plan to start farming or expand their operations; 68% (67/98) are farming; 68% (67/98) plan to continue farming. A change of knowledge occurred with project participants: 87% (85/98) experienced a positive change in knowledge, and 74% (73/98) experienced a change in attitudes. A change in skills occurred in 72% (71/98) of participants; 74% (73/98) experienced a change in their approach to growing vegetables and fruits; and 77% (75/98) plan to continue participating in the trainings. During this second year of project operation, as a result of the training: 19% (19/98) changed business practices and started selling their produce through direct-marketing techniques and methods; 85% (83/98) changed farming/land management practices; 19% (19/98) changed marketing practices; 9% (9/98) developed a farm business plan; 45% (44/98) increased productivity; 19% (19/98) increased profitability; 85% (83/98) increased knowledge and practices in environmental sustainability; 80% (78/98) increased their social wellbeing. During the final year of this project, the number of individuals participating in an extensive training was 39, and 50 in a less-extensive training program; 27 participants graduated from the extensive-training sessions and 15 participants incorporated methods and techniques they learned from the program. From the 89 participants that completed any part of the training: 96% (85/89) plan to start farming or expand their operations; 81% (72/89) are farming; 81% (72/89) plan to continue farming. A change of knowledge occurred with project participants: 96% (85/89) experience a positive change in knowledge, and 69% (61/89) experienced a change in attitudes. A change in skills occurred in 65% (56/89) of participants; 67% (60/89) experienced a change in their approach to growing vegetables and fruits; and 78% (69/89) plan to continue participating in the trainings. During the last year of project operation, as a result of the trainings: 18% (16/89) started selling their produce through direct-marketing techniques and methods; 76% (68/89) changed farming/land management practices; 18% (16/89) changed marketing practices; 9% (8/89) developed a farm business plan; 61% (54/89) increased productivity; 18% (16/89) increased profitability; 90% (80/89) increased knowledge and practices in environmental sustainability; 79% (70/89) increased their social wellbeing. Some of the positive changes among project participants are: 1) Beginning farmers increased and gained knowledge on organic farming practices; 2) Beginning farmers and their families benefited from having access to fresh vegetables and increased their consumption while reducing their food expenses; 3) A collaborative group of beginning farmers increased their production capacity by having access to more farm land; 4) Beginning Farmers learned new marketing strategies that resulted in better sales of their products. Throughout the life of the project, the Direct Marketing Initiative for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in South Texas continued collaborating with the HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability Incubator Project, where 21 low-income participants expanded their knowledge in sustainable production and benefited from having access to fresh and chemical-free produce; 14% (3/21) of the participants in this project started marketing their produce at their local farmers market and were able to improve their financial situation. Activities included ag-production related tours, teaching, mentoring, facilitating, assessment and surveys. A total of 162 events were conducted during the lifespan of this project including trainings, workshops, field days, classroom presentations, and tours. Covered topics included: Introduction to Organic Farming, Compost and Compost tea, Soil Quality and Fertility Improvement, Fall Planting Schedule, Spring Planting Schedule, Vermicomposting, Organic Pest Control, Vegetable Families, Benefits of Cover Crops, Organic Pest control, Cooking your Vegetables, Plant Propagation, Marketing Strategies, Organic Pest control, Vegetable Families, How to Take a Soil Sample, Tomato Diseases, Plant Diseases, Weed Control, Opportunities in Sustainable Agriculture, and Harvest and Post-Harvest Management. On the second year of this project, the BFRDP project was introduced in detail to potential low-income and Hispanic Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in two events and in 2 occasions the training events were promoted on a local T.V. station, which resulted in an increased number of participants at the events. During the three-year period of this project, 490 one-on-one technical-assistance visits were provided by the project staff to individual beginning farmers and ranchers providing counsel, hands-on trainings on efficient organic production practices, soil improvement, drip-irrigation installation, and marketing techniques that apply to local farmers markets or CSA's. A great accomplishment occurred during the last part of the project. With the collaboration of the Subtropical Organic Agriculture Research Project at the University of Texas-Pan-American, a major local hospital, and local farmers; the first Farm-to Work program in the region was implemented. This Farm-to-Work Program resulted in a great need to provide specialized training to beginning and potential farmers to successfully supply the demand of organic fruits and vegetables in the Rio Grande Valley.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Target Audiences that were served by the project include: 1) Beginning farmers and Ranchers that are limited-resource Hispanic producers and often immigrant and first-generation farm workers, living in food-desert areas or "colonias"; 2) The school-age children of these low-income Hispanics that are often Immigrant and first generation farm workers; 3) Farm workers and other low-income people seeking to become independent farm business owners, as well as farm owners/ operators with less than 10 years of experience; 4) Youth at local schools; 5) Beginning farmers and ranchers that are Hispanic. Educational methodologies included: 1) The provision of an intensive 12 month-training program, in English and Spanish, to socially disadvantaged and limited-resource beginning farmers and ranchers at more distant locations that were more challenging to support; 3) The provision of training to beginning farmers in a farm incubator with training events on a variety of subjects; 4) The development and use of demonstration sites using different farming techinques; 5) The provision of technical assistance to ensure the succesful adoption of tecniques reviewed during training events; 6) Hands-on training events in rural areas in collaboartion with non-profit organizations. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Trainning and Professional development opportunities for project staff included: 1) BFRDP 4th Annual Directors Meeting "Cruzando Fronteras", McAllen,TX, November 13-16, 2013. (George Bennack, Cruz Salinas, Juan Raygoza) ; 2) Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference, Mobile, AL, January 15-18, 2014 (George Bennack, Cruz Salinas, Juan Raygoza); 3) UTPA staff training "Public Speaking with Confidence", June 24, 2014 (Juan Raygoza); 4) NRCS Soil Health Seminar, Raymondville,Texas, December 4, 2013 (George Bennack, Cruz Salinas); 5) TACC Cooperative Conference, San Antonio, TX, March 9-12, 2014 (George Bennack); 6) Aquaponics Training Overview, Weslaco,TX, May 27, 2014 (George Bennack); 7) Permaculture Overview, Rio Grande Valley, TX, July 7, 2014 (George Bennack, Juan Raygoza) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Since this is not a NIFA-funded research, research results are not being dissemintaed to communities of interest. However, materials produced to promote the program or recruit beginning farmers for training events are distributed in targeted local places. Another soource for dissemination and promotion of educational events is the website: www.utpa.edu/bfrd and facebook page: www.facebook/begfarmers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? During the last part of the project, staff will continue to follow the fully-developed project timeline detailing all of the project's 22 activities, originally included in the project proposal in Appendices 5 and 6. Marketing strategies will be emphasized on more training events.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This Project had 98 participants during the second year of operation including participants that stayed in the program from the previous year and new participants. A total of 33 participants were part of an extensive 9-month training program and 65 in less extensive training sessions. Of the 33 participants in the extensive training program, 23 graduated and 12 substantially adopted methods and techniques learned in the training program. During this second year, of the 98 participants that completed any part of the training program: 100% (98/98) plan to start farming or expand their operations; 68% (67/98) are farming; 68% (67/98) plan to continue farming. A change of knowledge occurred with project participants: 87% (85/98) experience a positive change in knowledge, and 74% (73/98) experienced a change in attitudes. A change in skills occurred in 72% (71/98) of participants; 74% (73/98) experienced a change in their approach to growing vegetables and fruits; and 77% (75/98) plan to continue participating in the trainings. During this second year of project operation, as a result of the training: 19% (19/98) changed business practices and started selling their produce through direct-marketing techniques and methods; 85% (83/98) changed farming/land management practices; 19% (19/98) changed marketing practices; 9% (9/98) developed a farm business plan; 45% (44/98) increased productivity; 19% (19/98) increased profitability; 85% (83/98) increased knowledge and practices in environmental sustainability; 80% (78/98) increased their social wellbeing. Some of the positive changes among project participants are: 1) Beginning farmers increased and gained knowledge on organic farming practices; 2) Beginning farmers and their families benefited from having access to fresh vegetables and increased their consumption while reducing their food expenses; 3) A collaborative group of beginning farmers increased their production capacity by having access to more farm land; 4) Beginning Farmers learned new marketing strategies that resulted in better sales of their products. In this second year of the project, the Direct Marketing Initiative for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in South Texas continued collaborating with HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability Incubator Project where 14 low income participants expanded their knowledge in sustainable production and benefited from having access to fresh and chemical-free produce; 21% (3/14) of the participants in this project started marketing their produce at their local farmers market and were able to improve their financial situation. Activities included ag-production related tours, teaching, mentoring, facilitating, assessment and surveys. 31 events were conducted including trainings, field days and tours, promotion and 5 events were in partnership with Texas Mexico Border Coalition (TMBC). Covered topics included: Introduction to Organic Farming, Compost and Compost tea, Soil Quality and Fertility Improvement, Fall planting Schedule, Spring Planting Schedule, Vermicomposting, Organic Pest Control, Vegetable Families, Benefits of Cover Crops, Organic Pest control, Cooking your vegetables, Plant Propagation, Marketing Strategies, Organic Pest control, Vegetable families, How to take a soil sample, Tomato diseases, plant diseases, weed control, Opportunities in sustainable Agriculture and Harvest and Post-Harvest Management. In 2 events the BFRDP project was introduced in detail to potential low-income and Hispanic Beginning Farmers and Ranchers and in 2 occasions the training events were promoted on a local T.V. station, which resulted in a large number of participants at the events. Services included 156 one on one visits with individual beginning farmers and ranchers to provide technical advice, counseling and hands-on trainings on efficient organic production practices and marketing techniques that apply to local farmers markets or CSA’s.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Target Audiences that were served by the project include: 1) Beginning farmers and ranchers that are limited-resource Hispanic producers and often immigrant and first-generation farm workers, living in food-desert areas or "colonias"; 2) The school-age children of these low-income Hispanics that are often immigrant and first-generation farm workers; 3) Farm workers and other low-income people seeking to become independent farm business owners, as well as farm owners / operators with less than 10 years of experience; 4) Youth at local schools; 5) Beginning farmers and ranchers that are Hispanic. Educational methodologies included: 1) The provision of an intensive 12-month training program, in English and Spanish, to socially-disadvantaged and limited-resource beginning farmers, most of whom speak Spanish as their first language; 2) The provision of less frequent training programs to beginning farmers and ranchers at more distant locations that were more challenging to support; 3) The provision of training to beginning farmers and ranchers in a farm incubator with training events on a variety of subjects; 4) The development and use of demonstration sites to demonstrate farming techniques to beginning farmers and ranchers; 5) The provision of technical assistance to ensure the successful adoption of techniques reviewed during training events; 6) Hands-on training in rural areas in collaboration with non-profit organizations. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project has provided opportunities for training and professional development through the following 11 conferences and training events attended by project staff: 6th National Small Farm Conference “Promoting the Successes of Small Farmers and Ranchers” Memphis, TN, September 18 – 20, 2012, (Amelia Soto-Sanchez,); Workshop on Fall Planting, El Cenizo, TX, November 14-16 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez, Juan Raygoza); Project Directors’ Meeting “Regional and National Models for Beginning Farmer & Rancher Education” Rochester, MN, December 5-6, 2012 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez, George H. Bennack); Southern SWAG’ Conference, Little Rock, AR, January 23-27, 2013 (George H. Bennack); Canning Course in Chaparral, NM, Feb 20-24, 2013 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez); Vegetable/Strawberry Production and New Small Farm Loan Programs, Weslaco, TX, Feb 21, 2013 (Cruz Salinas); Grafting Workshop, Bayview, TX, February 23, 2013, (Cruz Salinas); Presentation/Hands on Demonstration on Planting Spring Vegetable, Laredo, El Cenizo, TX, March 7, 2013 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez); Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council (TACC) March 10-12, 2013 San Antonio, TX, (George H. Bennack); Building Stronger Rural communities/MAFO Conference, San Antonio, TX, March 17-20, 2013 (Amelia Soto-Sanchez); Orchard Crops and Small Farm Loans Workshop, Weslaco, TX, March 20, 2013 (Cruz Salinas). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Since this is not a NIFA-funded research project, research results are not being disseminated to communities of interest. However, materials produced to publicize and administer the program or recruit beginning farmers for training included: 16 bilingual flyers created to disseminate and promote educational events; the website: www.utpa.edu/bfrd redesigned and updated; Facebook www.facebook/begfarmers redesigned and updated. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? During the next reporting period, project staff will continue to follow the fully-developed project timeline detailing all of the project’s 22 activities, originally included in the project proposal in Appendices pages 5 and 6. Some minor adjustments are being made.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This Project had 90 participants during its first year of operation, which included 23 participants in an extensive 9-month training program and 67 in less extensive training sessions. Of the 23 participants in the extensive training program, 22 graduated and 13 substantially adopted methods and techniques learned in the training program. During this first year, of the 90 participants that completed any part of the training program: 100% (90/90) plan to start farming; 73% (66/90) are farming; 73% (66/90) plan to continue farming. A change of knowledge occurred with project participants: 84% (76/90) experienced a change in knowledge, and 78% (70/90) of the participants experienced a change in attitudes. A change in skills occurred in 73% (66/90) of participants; 78% (70/90) experienced a change in their approach to growing vegetables and fruits; and 73% (66/90) plan to continue participating in the trainings. During this first year of project operation, as a result of the training: 73% (66/90) started farming; 25% (23/90) changed business practices and started selling their produce through direct-marketing techniques and methods; 73% (66/90) changed farming/land management practices; 25% (23/90) changed marketing practices; 14% (13/90) developed a farm plan; 14% (13/90) increased productivity; 25% (23/90) increased profitability; 73% (66/90) increased environmental sustainability; 73% (66/90) increased their social wellbeing, and; 73% (66/90) continue to participate in training programs. A change of conditions occurred with project participants: 1) Low-income beginning farmers gained knowledge on sustainable farming practices; 2) Families of beginning farmers benefited from having access to fresh vegetables and increased their consumption while reducing their food budget; 3) One additional farmers’ market was opened in September as a result of the increased interest, by the public, in locally-grown fresh produce; 4) Beginning farmers program participants learned new marketing practices and applied them at Farmers’ Markets and increased their sales. The continuous collaboration of Direct Marketing Initiative for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in South Texas with HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability Incubator Project contributed to the training and education of 16 low-income, disadvantaged families and small-scale farmers interested in sustainable production. Families of beginning farmers benefited from having access to fresh vegetables and increased their consumption while reducing their food budget; Low-income beginning farmers gained knowledge on sustainable farming practices. Through the ‘Direct Marketing Initiative for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in South Texas’, a great deal has been learned about how to assist beginning farmers and ranchers with direct marketing in South Texas. This project directly involved an NGO—the Texas-Mexico Border Coalition CBO (TMBC)—through a 25% sub-award that allows the project to reach and serve more beginning farmers and ranchers. TMBC’s Project Director for the sub-award is integrating this project with the CBO’s small-producer network and current outreach projects. Through this sub-award, TMBC provides a Farm & Ranch Technician that focus on providing better hands-on start-up assistance to a broader group of beginning farmers and ranchers. Materials formally published by the program for or about Beginning Farmers and Ranchers include—as documented in conference proceedings, pages 402-403—a paper on ‘Weeds can be Valuable’, presented by Amelia Sanchez at the 6th National Small Farm Conference in Memphis, Tennessee from September 18 – 20 at the Memphis Convention Center. Activities included field tests, surveys, assessments, facilitating, teaching, and mentoring. Events included 93 workshops, field days, and training events. Of these 93 events, 30 events were in partnership with Texas Mexico Border Coalition (TMBC), 5 events were in partnership with AgriLife Extension, 86 events specifically targeted beginning farmers that are low-income and Hispanic. This project provided 31 hands-on demonstrations on planting, harvesting, and weed control and targeted 90 disadvantaged, immigrant, beginning farmers seeking to increase their knowledge and become sustainable. Services included 203 visits to individual farms to provide consulting, counseling, and tutoring to beginning farmers and ranchers that are low-income and Hispanic, so that they can better market their produce directly to consumers. Also, 60 visits were made to farmers’ markets in order to assist beginning farmers and ranchers with their direct-marketing activities. Dissemination included 26 classroom based presentations along with handouts in English (9) and Spanish (17) to mostly beginning farmers and ranchers that are low-income and Hispanic, covering topics that included: Introduction to Organic Gardening, Fall Planting Schedule, Compost Tea, Seedlings, How to make your own Compost, Vegetable Families, Medicinal Herbs, Diseases in Vegetables, Spring Planting Schedule, Beneficial Insects, Vermicomposting, Pests in Vegetables, Cover Crops, Irrigation, Marketing your produce, Cooking your Vegetables, Soil Principles, Tomato Diseases, How to Take a Soil Sample and Test, Pest Identification, Weed Management, Propagation and Post-Harvest Safety. UTPA’s BFRDP program allocates some of its staff’s time a couple of times a year to go and address the youth at some of the local schools, with a focus on the importance of farming and the benefits a farmer can contribute to society and the environment by working the land. This year 87 youth attended local presentations. In this first year of the renewal for Direct Marketing for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in South Texas, the project started an Evaluation Plan led by an external evaluator, Dr. Rigoberto Delgado, Executive Director of the National Immigrant Farming Initiative (NIFI). The evaluation team includes members of the project’s Advisory Council. Project staff assisted Dr. Delgado and the evaluation team by providing efficient, reliable data collection. The Advisory Council formed by members of partner organizations participated in biannual meetings to refine delivery methodology, to evaluate course materials, to meet specific regional needs, and to manage outcome assessments for participants at specific points during the project. Numbers and demographics of participants attending workshops and training programs were: Socially Disadvantaged (85/90) 94%, Limited Resource (85/90) 94%, Immigrants (85/90) 94%, Farm Workers (5/90) 6%, Females (72/90) 80%, Veterans (12/90) 13%.
Publications
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