Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached during the 3 year periodof the projectwere either beginning Latino farmers and ranchers in Missouri and Nebraska whohave recently (within 10 years) started their farming or ranching businesses or they were aspiring new Latino farmers and rancher is Missouri and Nebraska who have not started their farming or ranching activities but were planning to do so in thenext 2 years. The farmers and ranchers targeted in this program were mainlylonger-termresidents of the United Stateswho movedfrom other places in the United states, primarilylarge urban area such as Chicago, Los angeles and Dallas to rural areas in Missouri and Nebraska. Many worked in farming or agriculture related fields in the countries where they migrated from so the move to a more rural environment was a choice they made because of opportunties in agri-processing and because of opportunites to get into farming.Most of of these farmersare not fluent in the English language.However,theyhave been able to navigate in their way inthe local rural communities where they currently reside. New generations of Latino farmers are following similarpaths to start farming and ranching in other rural areas in these states. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have offered a workshop at the Cambio de Colores conference. This is an annual program ofwhich is an annual conference heldin theMidwest bringing together educators from different fields of knowledge meet to analyze and discuss Latino community and immigrant integration into USA communities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have used shared results of this program through regional conference events, the annual program meeting and our curriculum and prosentations will be made available on Start 2 Farm intranet.The program annually presented results and other resources at Cambio de Colores, which is an annual conference heldin theMidwest bringing together educators from different fields of knowledge meet to analyze and discuss Latino community and immigrant integration into USA communities.The Center for Rural Affairs has used their network and newslwetter to share information about the program and results. In addition, there has been a program about this project featured through several media outlets including a radio program produced for Public Radio International and broadcast on National Public Radio. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Community navigation: Increasing access to social and institutional support networks Project outputs: 1. Up to 5 workshops in each community that facilitates organizing, promotes an understanding of community resources, develops connections to producer networks and leads to greater access to resources. Four workshops were conducted in each state (4, 2.5 hour sessions each). The workshops were designed to help Latino farmers and ranchers understand how to access and utilize the community resources available to support their farming and ranching activities. Latino farmers and ranchers were able to connect with local producer networks and associations of farmers as part of the program. The target number of participants at each session was 9. On average, we had at least 7 participants at each session with a high of 15. Participants weresurveyed before each session and the same survey was used at the end.Producers were asked, "To what extent do you feel you have enough knowledge of where to find resources for farming and ranching?" Using a likert scale from 1 to 5 (with 5 having very good knowledge) states showed an increase of 26% 2. A Curriculum established for limited-English-proficiency beginning Latino farmers that help them understand and access community resources. A curriculum for limited-English-proficiency beginning Latino farmers designed to help them to increase their financial and management skills and to understand and access community resources. The curriculum included a manual and presentations. The curriculum was using as the primary instruction resource for each of the eight workshops and reached more than 72 producers. Pre/Post evaluation data were collected and analyzed for each state to measure the proportion of skills and knowledge gained during the program. Workshop 1. Nebraska 22%; Missouri, 32%: Aggregate, 27% Workshop 2. Nebraska 55%; Missouri, 24%: Aggregate, 39% Workshop 3. Nebraska 35%; Missouri, 36%: Aggregate, 36% Workshop 4. Nebraska 53%; Missouri, 31%; Aggregate, 42% 3. Latino farmers and ranchers with a better understanding of community resources; with 72 farmers trained. The project trained an average of 72 Latino farmers and ranchers. 80 sessions were held in Missouri & Nebraska, including 16 farms visits. Participants in the leadership workshops stated that having direct interaction with community leaders that represent the resources in the community has helped them to grow trust and confidence in their ability to following up and complete applications with these resource organizations. Pre/Post results measuring the proportional change in new knowledge after assisting to each workshop were collected showed knowledge gain about USDA was generally fairly low. More farmers were reporting increased new knowledge on Agriculture Markets. Workshop 1. Knowledge gain about USDA, 6%; New knowledge on Ag. Markets, 14% Workshop 2. Knowledge gain about USDA, 11%; New knowledge on Ag. Markets, 13% Workshop 3. Knowledge gain about USDA, 9%; New knowledge on Ag. Markets, 24% Workshop 4. Knowledge gain about USDA, 6%; New knowledge on Ag. Markets, 4% 4. Latino farmers able to access and use USDA programs and other resources to improve their startup farming and ranching activities. We anticipate at least 28 requests to resource providers for access to services. All the participants were informed about how to access and use USDA programs and other resources to improve their startup farming and ranching activities. One financial educational session was oriented to helping farmers understand financial applications (chapter 6 of the manual) focused on providing personalized assistance in understanding and filling forms to apply for farming and ranching resources. The most common forms they have showed interest are the Microloan and the EQIP Seasonal High Tunnel application forms. Participants in the leadership sessions met with agents from USDA agencies. Multiple meetings between beginning farmers and FSA agents have occurred in both states. Early in 2015, Five Latino Ranchers of south west MO formally apply for a FSA-USDA program that compensated their ranching loses because the 2012 drought. Those farmers were lead to those resources thought this BFRD program. One factor that might keep Latino farmers and ranchers for applying is the lack of a registering number in their states. Most farmers and ranchers, who are served by the program lack an ID number required in the application forms. Business Literacy, including having their farm registered as a business, is a topic in the financial education part of the curriculum and follow-up work with the farmers is ongoing in order to help them address this hurdle. 5. Individuals able to serve as "promotores" or community resources to other Latinos regarding how to access USDA and other community resources. All participants were encouraged through the workshops to become promotores of other people willing to farm and ranch. Their level of interest was measured in session evaluations and results were discussed in a paper was presented at a conference. http://www.cambio.missouri.edu/Library/Publications/2014CambiodeColoresProceedings.pdf 6. We anticipate 6 "promotores" operating in two states We identified 6 people in both states willing to become promotores of other new farmers. Objective 2: Improve farm financial and production skills Project outputs: 1. Instructional curriculum on financial literacy and FSA loan programs for use with limited-English-proficiency Latino farmers. An instructional curriculum was piloted in year one. Extensive revisions were made based on participant feedback informed by evaluation data and in-depth participant interviews and resulted in a curriculum for years 2 and 3, consisting of three parts: a financial management and a leadership part. Each workshop had 12 sessions; six sessions to train financial and management capacity, 4 sessions to develop leadership capacity & access community resources and 2 sessions were farm visits to expose them to other successful farmers. Satisfaction level of the program was measured using a likert scale (from 1 to 5, with a 5 being very satisfied)at the end of each session. The average score for the programs in Nebraska ranged from 4.16 to 4.73 and Missouri ranged from 4.53 to 4.65. 2. 15 FSA loan applications submitted in two states. Getting farmers to make an application to FSA loan program is still a challenge among most Latino farmers and ranchers. During the life of the program, we wereinformed of 10 applications submitted to FSA programs forfarming support and 5 were successful. 3. Training courses using the financial curriculum: piloted in each state in year 1, 4 times in year 2 and 2 times in year 3. During the 3-year beginning farmer and rancher program 8 workshops were conducted (4 in each state). Each workshop included 12, 2.5 hour sessions. We were able to have a consistent number of participants on each workshop but the number of participants coming to each session varied. 4. Production and marketing sessions During the program we visited 14 farming operations of successful farmers in the communities where the workshops were conducted. In Southwest MO, we visited a dairy and a Livestock grass-fed operation (15 participants). In central Missouri we made farm visits to a chicken and gardening operation (11 participants) and also we visit a horticultural operation with a seasonal high tunnel facility (12 participants). Two days of production sessions/farm tours were held in Nebraska following each workshop series during the life of the program. Eleven total participants attended the farm tours. Tours took place on a dairy farm, a vegetable operation, and a poultry operation. In year 3 of the program, two days of production sessions/farm tours were held, with 14 total participants. Tours took place on a vegetable farm, dairy farm, organic grain processing center, and grass-fed beef operation.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Gonzalez E. U. and Frank S. E. (2015) "Manual para Desarrollar la Capacidad Financiera de Granjeros y Rancheros Latinos Principiantes" University of Missour-Extension.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Eleazar U. Gonzalez, Jeanetta C. Stephen, O'Brien David (2014)"Exploring Beginning Latino Farmers and Ranchers Willing to Become Involved in Community Activities in Rural Missouri." Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Eleazar U. Gonzalez, Stephen C. Jeanetta, and David J. OBrien (2015) "Assessing Learning Skills and Knowledge of Latino Farmers and Ranchers in Missouri: An Assessment to Curricula Evaluation" University of Missouri. Cambio de Colores 2015
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Stephen Jeanetta and Eleazar U. Gonzalez"Financial and Community CapacityBuilding Among Beginning Latino Farmers and Ranchers in Missouri and Nebraska." Community Development Society Annual Conference Charleston, South Carolina. July 22, 2013
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Program Helps Immigrant Rural Farmers
Integrating immigrant farmers is critical for the rural Midwest
https://mizzoumag.missouri.edu/2013/08/program-helps-immigrant-rural-farmers/
Published by MIZZOU magazine,Copyright � 2015 Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information.
An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer.
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Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience reached during this reporting period were Latino beginning farmers in Missouri and Nebraska that have recently (within 10 years) started their farming or ranching businesses or they were aspiring new Latino farmers in Missouri and Nebraska who have not started their farming or ranching activiites but were planning to do so in the next 2 years. Changes/Problems: One challenge to the program has been the consistent participation of the farmers. In the first year, the farmers received an incentive to participate and that helped keep them engaged across the program as the curriculum was developed. This year, the program is voluntary. Participation has been good but farmers tend to be picking and choosing the sessions they want to attend. We have had to make some revisions to the curriculum to make each session more stand alone. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project has shared its progress at the Cambio de Colores conference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We plan to share the results during year three. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We are on target to meet our goals for the project. We have another set of workshops to conduct and follow-up activities with the communities and the development of the promotoras. There will be more focus on sharing what we have learned from the project.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Community navigation: Increasing access to social and institutional support networks Project outputs will include: 1. In year 2 we conducted 4 workshops consisting of 4 leadership sessions each. The workshops helped Latino farmers and ranchers understand how to access and utilize community resources available to support their farming and ranching activities. The Latino farmers and ranchers who participated in the sessions were able to connect with local producers networks and associations of farmers. These leadership workshops were conducted in the fall of 2013 the Sprint of 2014. 2. A leadershipcurriculum for limited-English-proficiency beginning Latino farmers that help them to understand and to access community resources has been updated and extended. In this part of the project, we helped Latino farmers and ranchers learn how to access their current local community resources to improve farming and ranching activities. Each one of the 4 sessions targeted 4 different community resources. 3. Through year 2 of the project, we have been able to train an average of 27 Latino farmers and ranchers in Missouri and 24 in Nebraska. In year 2, we conducted a total of 48 sessions in Missouri and Nebraska, including 8 farms visits in both states. Latino farmers and ranchers who participated in the leadership workshops have stated that having direct interaction with community leaders that represent the resources in the community is helping them to grow trust and confidence in their ability to following up and complete applications with these resource organizations. We are excited to meet at least the goal of having 72 farmers trained by the end of this project. 4. Latino farmers able to access and use USDA programs and other resources to improve their startup farming and ranching activities. As part of the workshop literacy one financial educational session is oriented to helping farmers understand financial applications. The focus is on providing personalized assistance in understanding and filling forms to apply for farming and ranching resources. The most common forms they have showed interest are the Microloan and the EQIP Seasonal High Tunnel application forms. In year 2, we have brought a significant number of farmers (36 in both states) to the leadership sessions, where they met agents from USDA agencies. Multiple meetings between beginning farmers and FSA agents have occurred in both states, though no applications have been successful at this point. Beginning and aspiring new Latino farmers and ranchers have tremendously increased knowledge of FSA and the microloan program and are prepared to reach out to this resource in the future. While in Missouri 2 farmers have formally worked on microloans applications in year 2. In Nebraska no attendees have been reported yet. One factor that might keep Latino farmers and ranchers for applying is the lack of a registering number in their states. Most farmers and ranchers, who are served by the program lack an ID number required in the application forms. Business Literacy on having their farm registered as a business is a topic in the financial education part of the curriculum. 5. Individuals able to serve as "promotores" or community resources to other Latinos regarding how to access USDA and other community resources. In year 2, four workshops consisting of 12 sessions in each state were conducted. During those sessions we were able to identify 2 potential promotores in Missouri and we are developing interest with one farmer to become a promotor with those participants in Nebraska. Objective 2: Improve farm financial and production skills Project outputs will include 1. Instructional curriculum on financial literacy and FSA loan programs for use with limited-English-proficiency Latino farmers in year 1. After conducting the six sessions that constituted workshop 1, we analyzed the qualitative data collected at the end of each of the sessions. We asked open-ended questions to participants to better understand how to improve each session and make the content more aligned with their financial capacity to farm and ranch. At the end of year one and beginning of year two we made adjustment to each session of the curriculum to meet Latino farmers and ranchers profile. Consequently; in year 2 we were able to teach the workshops with a curriculum that included two parts: a financial management and a leadership part. Each workshop consisted of 12 sessions; six sessions were used to train financial and management capacity and 6 sessions to develop their leadership capacity to access community resources. The leadership part include 4 sessions where they met face to face with community agents and 2 sessions focused to make farm visits to expose them to other successful farmers production experiences. 2. The application for Farm Services Agency loans has been a challenge among most Latino farmers and ranchers. We have found that most participants in our workshops lack a farm business number registered in their state. After two years in Missouri, we have 5 applications submitted to receive farming resources, however; there has not a successful application yet. The lack of a a state ID number for the farm limited their applications. In Nebraska multiple meetings between beginning farmers and FSA agents have occurred, though no applications have been submitted at this point. 3. In year 2 we conducted 2 workshops in Missouri and 2 workshops in Nebraska. Each workshop consisted of 12 sessions. We have been able to have a consistent number of participants on each workshop, however; the number of participants coming to each session has varied. We have had open sessions when 16 participants showed and then we observed inconsistence in assisting to all sessions. We had a more consistent participation in sessions when participants received a gift card as an incentive. 4. In year 2 we visited 8 farming operations of successful farmers in the communities were the workshops were conducted. In the Southwest MO region, we visited a dairy and a Livestock grassfed operation (15 participants). In central Missouri we made farm visits to a chicken and gardening operation (11 participants) and also we visit a horticultural operation with a seasonal high tunnel facility (12 participants). Two days of production sessions/farm tours were held in Nebraska following both the second and third series (the fourth is still in progress). Following the second series, 11 total participants attended the farm tours. Tours took place on a dairy farm, a vegetable operation, and a poultry operation.Following the third series, two days of production sessions/farm tours were held, with 14 total participants. Tours took place on a vegetable farm, dairy farm, organic grain processing center, and grass-fed beef operation. Topics covered on each tour ranged from production techniques to marketing strategies.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Eleazar U. Gonzalez, Jeanetta C. Stephen, O'Brien David. ( ...)"Exploring Beginning Latino Farmers and Ranchers Willing to Become Involved in Community Activities in Rural Missouri."
Working paper.
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience reached during this reporting period were either beginningLatino farmers and ranchers in Missouri and Nebraska that have recently (within 10 years) started their farming or ranching businesses or they were aspiring new Latino farmers and rancher is Missouri and Nebraska who have not started their farming or ranching activities but were planning to do so in the next 2 years. Changes/Problems: The program is going pretty well. The primary challenge is recruiting farmers and ranchers and maintaining their regular participation in the program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Training occurred in three ways. The first was through the workshops. There were two curricula developed and piloted over a 10 week period in both Nebraska and Missouri. The first six sessions that focused financial management and four that focused understanding and accessing the resources available to Latino farmers and ranchers in their communities. Each session included formal instruction and the opportunity to interact with a local resource with expertise on the topic of the session. The second form of training occurred through production sessions. The productions sessions focused on skills the farmers could develop to improve their farming practices. These sessions were held on a farm in the area and served as a ways of improving production practices and expanding the resource networks of the new farmers and ranchers. The third occurred through consulting. The project staff consulted with a number of the farmers and ranchers during the program period to help them troubleshoot issues they were facing. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The project results so far have been disseminated through conference presentations and media outlets focusing on the nature of the project. Results are also being shared through the Start 2 Farm website. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The curriculum will be revised based on input from the farmers and ranchers in the first session in year one. A second set of workshops and productions sessions will be conducted in the same communities as year one in Missouri and Nebraska. Follow-up with the farmers and ranchers from year one will continue to see how they are accessing resources and developing their practices. A second community will be identified in each state and a new set of workshops will be conducted in this second location. The focus will also begin to move towards helping the farmers and ranchers in community develop their capacity to support each other in their continuing education efforts. Linkages will be strengthend with local resources and the capacities of the people identified as promotores will be enhanced so they can serve as the basis for the development of a local support system.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments for year one. Goal: Community navigation: Increasing access to social and institutional support networks 1. A four-sesson leadership development currciculm was developed focused on developing the capacity of Latino farmers and ranchers to understand and access community resources for use with Latino farmers and ranchers with limited english proficiency. 2. The first workshop piloted the curriculum over 4 weeks (one 3-hour session per week) . The first program averaged nine participants in Missouri and 6 in Nebraska. 3. Six producers in Missouri made applications for funding support. Three made applications to local banks and all three received funding. Three farmers also made applications to the FSA microloan program but were not successful in getting funded. They are working to improve their applications. In addition four sought soil testing for their operations as a result of one of the production workshops. In Nebraska three farmers began the process of submitting FSA applications (two large operating loans and 1 microloan). They started the process, visited with FSA officers and subsequently decided to wait on making their applications. They many still complete applications in the future. 4. There are three people in Missouri who can play a promotoras role and at least one in Nebraska. Improve farm financial and production skills 1. An instructionial curriculum was developed focused on developing the financial management skills of Latino farmers and ranchers. It was a six-session curriculum (3-hour session) taught once a week for six weeks. 2. Three FSA applications in Missouri. The three in Missouri were not funded. Three additional applications were developed in Nebraska were developed in year one, but the farmers have not submitted the applications at this point. 3. The curriculum was piloted in both Missouri and Nebraska for year one. 4. Two production sessions were held in each state. In Missouri the first was a farm visit to a dairy farm that focused on sustainable milk production, soil testing and grass management. The second one was a visit to a Latino farmer's operation to focus on identification of weeds, grazing production and weed management. There were a total of 15 participants in Missouri. In Nebraska the first program consisted of visiting a farmers market and meeting with the market manager and vendors, learning about diversified cooperative marketing, seeing poultry and and on-farm processing facilities and exploring joint marketing efforts. They also saw a diversified direct-market based small farm where layers, broilers, pastured pigs and vegetables are raised and where the farmers constructed a mobile processing-plant for value added items.The second farm tour consisted of visiting a local farm specializing in genetics and selling "show" animals. Attendees visited with the farmers and saw goats, sheep and hogs. They visited a farm specializing in sheep, where they also saw shorn wool and discussed marketing and a greehouse operation where season extension structures were viewed and discussed. Seven people attended the farm tours in Nebraska.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Gonzalez, E.U (January, 2013). Accessing resources for food production among Latino farmers and ranchers, West Plains Growers Conference, St. Joseph, MO
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Jeanetta, S.C. & Gonzalez, E.U. (June, 2013). Financial and community capacity building among beginning Latino farmers and ranchers in Missouri and Nebraska, Cambio de Colores, St. Louis, MO
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Jeanetta, S.C. & Gonzalez, E.U. (July, 2013). Financial and community capacity building among Beginning Latino farmers and ranchers in Missouri and Nebraska, Community Development Society Annual Conference, Charleston, S.C.
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