UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII`S GOFARM HAWAII: A REGIONAL NEW FARMER DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1005453
• Grant No.: 2015-70017-22871
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $712,500.00
• Proposal No.: 2014-07360
• Project Start Date: Dec 15, 2014
• Project End Date: Dec 14, 2017
• Grant Year: 2015
• Program Code: [BFRDA]- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Standard

Recipient Organization
UNIV OF HAWAII
3190 MAILE WAY
HONOLULU,HI 96822

Performing Department
Agribusiness Incubator Program

Non Technical Summary
How can we capitalize upon the interest in agriculture to effectively develop the real, commercial farmers that are prepared to overcome the challenges and address Hawaii's food insecurity? Furthermore, how might we efficiently develop prospective commercial farmers across the state in order to maximize the number of farmers developed and the geographic accessibility and communities benefitted?We propose to address these questions by doing the following:Support continued operation of the recently-established Hawaii-based beginning farmer training program (GoFarm Hawaii) that has proven effective in developing commercial farmers--allowing them to develop more farmers efficiently (startup costs already incurred) and refine their curriculum.Leverage this program's three existing locations and a collaborating program to evaluate delivery of a standardized curriculum across both geographies and programs to evaluate the curriculum and delivery method's effectiveness.Investigate the feasibility of expanding the program to more locations and the curriculum to other programs, to facilitate future expansion for increased impact on the number of successful new farmers in Hawaii.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
601	6030	3020	100%

Knowledge Area
601 - Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm Management;

Subject Of Investigation
6030 - The farm as an enterprise;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Keywords

beginning farmer

development

gofarm

hawaii

training

Goals / Objectives
Goals:To enhance Hawaii's food security and economy by increasing the number of local agricultural producers by offering those with an interest in agriculture a combination of knowledge, experience, and support designed to assist them in becoming viable production growers, and accomplish this in a manner that encourages sustainability.Objectives1: Develop beginning farmers to commercial readiness.2: Evaluate effectiveness of curriculum across sites and programs.3: Determine feasibility of additional GFH program sites.

Project Methods
Approach - Description of activities:Develop New Farmers - GFH utilizes a five-phase model designed to capitalize upon the widespread interest in farming while focusing resources on the most committed and likely to succeed. Its phases are designed to cover the continuum of a prospective farmer's development from interest to commercial farming. The phases are, briefly:AgCurious - 3 hour seminar to attract broad group of those interested in farming.AgXposure - 3 all-day working excursions to expose participants to the breadth and demands of farming, designed to allow for self-selection out of the program as well as help program leaders identify prospects for the next level.AgSchool - 10 months of science-based curriculum and field-based practicum, with participants responsible for full crop cycles on their own plots and marketing their own production. Twice weekly classes held after-hours (weekday evening classroom and weekend field+class) to accommodate working adults. Approximately 8.5 hours of instruction and practice per week. Emphasis of curriculum is on commercial production techniques and business skills. Individualized business-plans and showcase of their plots to a panel as capstones and as qualification into AgIncubator. Ongoing. Continuous activity due to concurrent programs across multiple sites.Topics include: Soils, plant physiology, nutrition, diseases, weeds, pests, irrigation, pesticides, farm machinery, post-harvest handling, grading, food safety, business planning, crop planning, marketing, cost of production, cash flow projection, recordkeeping, employee management, regulations, financing, and land acquisition.AgIncubator - Optional 2 year access to land, shared equipment, and facilities. Participants are charged a nominal fee, must form businesses, and are responsible for the production, marketing, and expenses and profits of crops of their choosing. Designed to provide further production and business experience and to establish a record of business success. Ongoing and continuous.AgBusiness - Post AgSchool. Individualized business consulting from the Agribusiness Incubator Program. Assistance includes business formation, business planning, financing, and land acquisition. Ongoing and continuous.Evaluate Curriculum Dissemination - Curriculum is currently standardized across GFH programs, but further development will make it more easily delivered with consistent quality. Two rounds of development will allow feedback to be incorporated.Design evaluation - Designer will develop evaluation instruments that measure the effectiveness of the curriculum consistently across different curriculum topics, as well as the ease of delivering the content.Develop/Refine delivery collateral - In collaboration with subject matter experts, develop Coach's Guide, Student Workbook, and supporting material such as videos and reference material.Test curriculum delivery - Packaged curriculum will be delivered at GFH programs at multiple sites as well as non-GFH collaborator (The Kohala Center).Evaluate curriculum delivery - Evaluator will collect quantitative and qualitative feedback to develop recommendations for improvement for each of the tested curriculum topics.Determine Feasibility of Expansion - Research and outreach will determine where additional GFH programs might be most needed and most feasible.Solicit stakeholders - Stakeholders across the state will be queried for willingness to participate in this research.Design criteria - Designer will distill key characteristics that indicate need and feasibility (support) that suggest priority areas for expansion.Determine communities of need - Research will be performed to identify geographic areas with high need for farmer training.Outreach and discussion - Discussions with stakeholders in areas of need to identify community-based priorities for new farmer development.Research requirements per community - Identify resources and collaborations required to implement a GFH program that addresses community needs.Research support - Identify sources of required resources and partners, targeting specific amounts and commitments where possible.Recommend priorities for expansion - Report ranking areas for GFH expansion by estimated impact on the number of new farmers developed, along with resource needs, area stakeholders, and community feedback.

Progress 12/15/14 to 12/14/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The target of GoFarm Hawaii (GFH) is adult residents of Hawaii who aspire to become commercial farmers. The GFH approach is highly appropriate to this target audience as it focuses on beginning commercial-scale production techniques with Hawaii/sub-tropical specificity and business topics and consulting necessary to be a viable agripreneur in Hawaii. The rigor of the program and commitment required on the part of participants further help to ensure that the program serves those most likely to transition into commercial farming. Furthermore, GFH does not require college enrollment nor is it restricted by ethnicity, income, or other status. Programs are located in Waialua Oahu, Windward Oahu, and on the islands of Kauai, Maui and Hawaii. Target audience therefore largely comes from within 30-45 minute drive of the program locations. Due to the demographic makeup of Hawaii, a majority of the target are minorities, primarily Asian and Pacific Islanders (including Native Hawaiians). Changes/Problems:No changes in approach or reporting necessary but management and funding of this greatly expanded organization will necessitate additional resources, which we will seek to secure. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We train students, but assume this question relates to training and development of staff. With that in mind, we have sent staff to relevant state and national conferences and workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Regular updates of activities and graduations on social media. Booths at ag-related events. State Ag Conference. Regular meetings with partners Multiple appearances on community television, radio, local magazine and newspaper articles. Hosted 2nd statewide conference for Hawaii-based beginning farmer training programs, drawing attendees from programs across the state to lean about our respective offerings, share successes and challenges, and begin formation of a regional (statewide) network to leverage knowledge and resources. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. During program period 12/15/14-12/14/17, developed beginning farmers to commercial readiness: a. Graduated 196 from the 4-month AgSchool curriculum b. Graduated 92 from the 6-month AgPro curriculum c. 63 students started farming commercially in the AgIncubator and independently 2. Evaluated effectiveness of curriculum across sites and programs: a. External evaluator interviewed student focus groups at 3 program sites and delivered report. b. Delivered pre/post survey at 5 sites 3. Determined feasibility of additional GFH program sites: a. Secured funding for, and entered into an agreement to expand GoFarm Hawaii at the Kauai site, new location will allow program to offer all phases of the program b. Expanded training phases to include AgIncubator at Leeward/North Shore site. 4. Expanded business curriculum for AgPro students: a. Increased marketing curriculum b. Added value-added product production training module c. Added cost of production training module d. Added a farm-to-table training module 5. Expanded evaluation and support for AgIncubator students: a. Monthly production evaluation, feedback, support started in AgIncubator b. Semi-Annual business meeting started in AgIncubator to provide support on marketing, sales, financial outlook, and long term business planning.

Publications

Progress 12/15/15 to 12/14/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The target of GoFarm Hawaii (GFH) is adult residents of Hawaii who aspire to become commercial farmers. The GFH approach is highly appropriate to this target audience as it focuses on beginning commercial-scale production techniques with Hawaii/sub-tropical specificity and business topics and consulting necessary to be a viable agripreneur in Hawaii. The rigor of the program and commitment required on the part of participants further help to ensure that the program serves those most likely to transition into commercial farming. Furthermore, GFH does not require college enrollment nor is it restricted by ethnicity, income, or other status. 5 Programs are located on 4 islands: Leeward Oahu, Windward Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. Although not proposed, we were able to add a new program location on the island of Hawaii during this period. Target audience therefore largely comes from within a 30-45 minute drive of the program locations. Due to the demographic makeup of Hawaii, a majority of the target are minorities, primarily Asian and Pacific Islanders (including Native Hawaiians). Changes/Problems:We have expanded in both breadth (geographic) and depth (training phases). No changes in approach or reporting necessary but management and funding of this greatly expanded organization will necessitate additional resources, which we will seek to secure. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We train students, but assume this question relates to training and development of staff. With that in mind, we have sent staff to relevant state and national conferences and workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Regular updates of activities and graduations on social media. TEDx Honolulu Salon presentation about the program. National magazine article about our program. Booths at ag-related events. Tour of program for North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture 2016 national conference. Tour of program for Hawaii Crop Improvement Association. Multiple appearances on community television, radio, local magazine and newspaper articles. Hosted first statewide conference for Hawaii-based beginning farmer training programs, drawing attendees from programs across the state to lean about our respective offerings, share successes and challenges, and begin formation of a regional (statewide) network to leverage knowledge and resources. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue to offer AgSchool and AgPro sessions, training more beginning farmers. Complete establishment of newest site on Hawaii island and hold first cohort. Complete establishment of AgPro phase on Kauai island and pursue addition of AgIncubator phase. Pursue addition of AgIncubator phase for Maui island. Continue to pursue diverse funding sources for financial viability. To date successfully raised over $900,000. Strengthen network developed at the Hawaii beginning farmer training programs conference we hosted.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1: Develop beginning farmers to commercial readiness. Graduated44 from the 4 month AgSchool curriculum. Graduated14 from the 6 month AgPro curriculum. 18 students started farming commercially in the AgIncubator and independently. 2: Evaluate effectiveness of curriculum across sites and programs. External evaluator interviewed student focus groups at3 program sites and delivered report 3: Determine feasibility of additional GFH program sites. Secured funding for, and entered into an agreement to launch GoFarm Hawaii @ The Kohala Center, a new program site on Hawaii island! Expanded training phases to include AgPro at Leeward and Maui programs,received permissionforandestablished farming area for AgPro phase atKauai.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Chiang, S. 2016. Entrepreneurial Government: Opportunity-based public-private partnerships. 2016 Asian Food and Agribusiness Conference (Keynote Presentation) Bandung, INDONESIA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Chiang, S. 2016. Conference on State-of-the-Art Technologies to Drive Agricultural Productivity in the Next Quarter of the Century (Paper and Presentation) Agripreneur Adoption of Modern Technologies, 2016, Tokyo, JAPAN.
• Type: Websites Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: www.gofarmhawaii.org
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Chiang, S. 2016. Teach Them to Fish or Buy Them the Pole: Successful models of PPP. 2016 Asian Food and Agribusiness Conference (Paper Presentation) Bandung, INDONESIA.

Progress 12/15/14 to 12/14/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The target of GoFarm Hawaii (GFH) is adult residents of Hawaii who aspire to become commercial farmers. The GFH approach is highly appropriate to this target audience as it focuses on beginning commercial-scale production techniques with Hawaii/sub-tropical specificity and business topics and consulting necessary to be a viable agripreneur in Hawaii. The rigor of the program and commitment required on the part of participants further help to ensure that the program serves those most likely to transition into commercial farming. Furthermore, GFH does not require college enrollment nor is it restricted by ethnicity, income, or other status. Programs are located on Leeward Oahu, Windward Oahu, and the island of Kauai. Although not proposed, we were able to add a new program location on the island of Maui during this period. Target audience therefore largely comes from within 30-45 minutes drive of the program locations. Changes/Problems:Not Major changes or problems, but: Identified potential issues with first curriculum survey instrument, as results were incongrous. We are planning to review and redesign based on focus group and instructor feedback. Unprojected expansion to Maui island leaves only Hawaii island (of the major populated islands) without a GoFarm Hawaii program. Feasibility study will therefore likely focus on that island, and additional effort placed in discovering training needs of beginning farmers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Regular updates of activities and graduations on social media. TEDx Honolulu presentation about the program. Front page of main local newspaper article about the program and its graduates Tour and discussion with U.S. Senator Hirono and USDA Deputy Secretary Harden Tour and discussion with the cohort of the Ag Leadership Foundation of Hawaii What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue to offer AgSchool and AgPro sessions, training more beginning farmers Make curriculum improvements based on evaluation of first curriculum survey Perform survey related to expansion Engage in discussions with potential partners for expansion (geographic breadth, program depth) Pursue funding for expansion

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1: Develop beginning farmers to commercial readiness. Graduated 33 from the 4 month AgSchool curriculum. Started training (currently in training) 38 in the 4 month AgSchool curriculum. Graduated 10 from the 6 month AgPro curriculum. Started training (currently in training) 8 in the 6 month AgPro curriculum. 8 students started farming commercially in the AgIncubator and independently. 2: Evaluate effectiveness of curriculum across sites and programs. Developed survey instrument, delivered first round at 4 program sites Drafted evaluation including statistical analysis of first round survey results 3: Determine feasibility of additional GFH program sites. Drafted feasibility survey instrument Engaged non-project partner to leverage their planned Statewide agricultural producer survey for our purpose Launched GoFarm Hawaii @ Maui, a new program site!

Publications