Progress 12/15/14 to 12/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Audience Emphasis Immigrant producers Limited resource producers Small farms Specialty crop producers Urban producers Participants Served Total Number of Participants: 5,526 Started farming: Target - 20, Actual - 14 Helped prepare to start farming: Target - 1910, Actual - 1838 Improved farming success: Target - 100, Actual - 921 Changes/Problems:The most unexpected result from this project was related to creating a Learning Hub Network. As the project moved forward,several additional learninghubs and project partners emerged that have been interested in collaborating and being tied into thenetwork. There have been several complementaryevents in neighboring regions, where farmers and other learning hubsexpressed the desire to engage more and share their events with the wider farmeraudience. While a primary objective of this project was to create information-sharing networks across learning hubs in the East Bay, and it'sencouraging to seeadditional learning hubs wanting to join our extended network, we discovered challenges in how to serve, letalone best connect, diverse learning hubs.We found a vast disparity in the human resources, skills, facilities, funding and vision ofeach hub with which we collaborated. Because our overall intended outcomes were to increase the economic and environmental viability of diverse farmers andranchers, we ended up focusingmost of our energy on the educational programs administered directly to our target community asopposed to developing strategies for the hubs withwhich we collaborate. We do believe there is a promising opportunity for a future, separate grant dedicated to developing and growing a state-widelearning hub network and/ordesigning how to best optimize a learning hub's impact in its region. If we were to start again, we would have dedicated more time at the beginning to design a robust customer relationshipmanagement (CRM) software toprioritize and track the vast community of farmers and ranchers in the ten counties the projectserves. Without an online database or streamlined, electronic registration/evaluation process, we required participants to provide detaileddemographic data forour grant reporting every time they attended a workshop; and we found it rare that they would actuallycomplete every question we required of them, thusmaking it challenging to capture accurate data. In retrospect, we would have also dedicated time to design scheduled feedback loops in our project implementation plan includingmore frequent check-in calls, to allow us to continually, easily monitor our progress and course-correct where needed - in a regularand predictable process. Hiring a full-time project manager would also ensure that goals which are not directly tied to a single partner's activities could bebetter coordinated and evaluated.For example, we intended to provide more robust support and coordination to the network of learning hubs inour target counties, but we found wedidn't have the capacity to dedicate enough time to check in with and visit each of them on aregular basis. Thus, it was challenging to try to developfeedback loops to allow for more iterative learning (and improvements). A project at this scale could also benefit from the project manager expanding our overall outreach and program promotions by attending other regionalbeginning farmer events, identifying gaps/needs for farmers, and facilitating connections with other community resources to meet those needs. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Total Meetings: 143 Total Meeting Participants: 5389 Total Webinars: 0 Total Webinar Participants: 0 Total Website Visits: 108565 Total Online Course Participants: 0 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Growing Roots Website Beginning Farmers, highlighting upcoming workshops, resources,and details about Agricultural Learning Hubs Growing Roots Facebook Page Promotional tool for upcoming workshops, events, and resourcesfrom our Agricultural Learning Hub Network GoogleGroup - Beginning Farmer & Rancher Bay Area Network - Full URL:https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/bfr-bayarea-network This group is intended to serve as a forum for Bay Area beginningfarmers and ranchers, as well as supporting organizations, toshare information(events/workshops/issues of note) or ask questions (production/markets etc). Weare also planning to use this toolto communicate with this network, so we cankeep you updated on further events and resources that we will be offering. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Result 1. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Ecological Production methods in the following topics: Soil Management, Cover Cropping, Ecological Pest Management, Water Conserving Irrigation, Organic Certification, Sustainable Viticulture Self-Assessment and Certifications, and Olive Grove Management including Pruning and Pest Management. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 660, Actual Number: 612 How verified: Sign-in sheets & pre/post-evaluations at event. Result 2. Participants implement 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Ecological Production series of workshops. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Organic production When measured: 6 months after the workshop Estimated Number: 220, Actual Number: 541 How verified: Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 3. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills following workshops on business planning and marketing. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 45, Actual Number: 445 How verified: Sign-in sheets & pre/post-evaluations at event. Result 4. Participants implement 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Business & Marketing series of workshops. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: 6 months after the workshop Estimated Number: 20, Actual Number: 172 How verified: Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 5. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Ecological Livestock & Poultry production. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Pasture / Rangeland When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 225, Actual Number: 145 How verified: Sign-in sheets & pre/post-evaluations at event. Result 6. Participants implement 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Ecological Livestock & Poultry production series of workshops. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Pasture / Rangeland When measured: 6 months after the workshop Estimated Number: 20, Actual Number: 64 How verified: Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 7. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Cottage Food Operations. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Value-added enterprises When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 337, Actual Number: 234 How verified: Sign-in sheets & pre/post-evaluations at event. Result 8. Participants implement at least 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Cottage Food Operations workshops, such as registering as a new Cottage Food Operator or expanding their existing Cottage Food operation. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Value-added enterprises When measured: 6 months after the workshop Estimated Number: 110, Actual Number: 0 How verified: Evaluations 6-months after event. (Unable to contact sufficient number of 6-month evaluation participants.) Result 9. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Food Safety practices and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). Producer action: Understand, Topic: Food safety liability When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 105, Actual Number: 146 How verified: Sign-in sheets & pre/post-evaluations at event. Result 10. Participants implement 1 or more Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) practices on their farm, such as developing a customized food safety plan. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Food safety liability When measured: 6 months after the workshop Estimated Number: 35, Actual Number: 56 How verified: Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 11. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge about viable collaborative farming operations and land access opportunities. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Access to land When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 30, Actual Number: 30 How verified: Sign-in sheets & pre/post-evaluations at event. Result 12. Participants utilize skills learned to access farmland via a collaborative farming learning hub and/or access farmland on their own. Producer action: Implement, Topic: Access to land When measured: 6 months after the workshop Estimated Number: 20, Actual Number: 14 How verified: Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 13. Producers join new beginning olive producer group and niche livestock processors group, where participants increase knowledge and collaborate in production, marketing and sales. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: 6 months after the event Estimated Number: 30, Actual Number: 28 How verified: Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 14. Participants receive 1:1 or small group technical assistance. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 100, Actual Number: 142 How verified: Via internal data tracking. Result 15. Participants are connected with grower leaders or mentors for technical assistance. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: After the session Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 24 How verified: Via internal data tracking. Result 16. Participants re referred to other informational, educational resources and related loan, capital, conservation, marketing and land access organizations. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: After the referral Estimated Number: 125, Actual Number: 111 How verified: Via internal data tracking.
Publications
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Progress 12/15/15 to 12/14/16
Outputs
Target Audience: Audience Emphasis Specialty crop producers Urban producers Small farms Immigrant producers Limited resource producers Participants Served Record the total number of unique participants who participated in your program: Enter the actual cumulative number of participants who as a result of your program: 3095. Started farming: Target - 20, Actual - 0. Helped prepare to start farming: Target - 1910, Actual - 466. Improved farming success: Target - 100, Actual - 0. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Delivery Total Meetings: 95 Total Meeting Participants: 3095 Total Meeting Participant Hours: 0.00 Total Webinars: 0 Total Webinar Participants: 0 Total Webinar Participant Hours: 0 Total Website Visits: 52962 Total Online Course Participants: 0 Date CA City # Attendees 12/8/2016 San Martin 3 12/6/2016 Sunol 10 11/15/2016 Monterey 7 11/15/2016 Monterey 7 10/26/2016 Cordova 7 10/19/2016 Cordova 7 10/12/2016 Cordova 12 10/5/2016 Cordova 12 9/28/2016 Cordova 12 9/20/2016 Stanislaus 20 8/31/2016 Brentwood 14 8/24/2016 Brentwood 14 8/11/2016 Winters 14 8/10/2016 Brentwood 14 8/9/2016 San Jose 5 8/3/2016 Brentwood 14 6/26/2016 Stockton 9 6/25/2016 Richmond 9 6/25/2016 Salinas 32 6/22/2016 Salinas 32 6/21/2016 Sacramento 9 6/20/2016 Stockton 4 6/18/2016 Richmond 11 6/16/2016 Livermore 10 6/13/2016 Stockton 3 6/11/2016 Richmond 12 6/5/2016 Berkeley 21 6/4/2016 Richmond 12 6/4/2016 Cordova 9 5/26/2016 Livermore 12 5/7/2016 Sunol 6 4/26/2016 Winters 10 4/24/2016 Stockton 5 4/21/2016 Modesto 16 4/21/2016 Modesto 16 4/21/2016 Modesto 16 4/21/2016 Modesto 16 4/21/2016 Modesto 16 4/21/2016 Sunol 4 4/18/2016 Stockton 5 4/5/2016 Winters 17 3/31/2016 Livermore 23 3/30/2016 Livermore 23 3/29/2016 Winters 17 3/16/2016 Sacramento 11 3/14/2016 Stockton 7 3/2/2016 Cordova 6 2/23/2016 Stanislaus 32 2/23/2016 Stanislaus 32 2/23/2016 Stanislaus 32 2/23/2016 Stanislaus 32 2/23/2016 Stanislaus 32 2/8/2016 Stockton 4 12/21/2015 Livermore 8 11/17/2015 Albany 26 11/10/2015 Salinas 28 11/4/2015 Sacramento 5 11/3/2015 Albany 14 10/28/2015 Rancho Cordova 15 10/22/2015 Albany 8 10/21/2015 Rancho Cordova 15 10/17/2015 Concord 8 10/14/2015 Rancho Cordova 15 10/14/2015 Fairfield 5 10/12/2015 Stockton 4 10/7/2015 Rancho Cordova 15 10/6/2015 Sunol 3 9/27/2015 Sunol 500 9/23/2015 Rancho Cordova 15 9/21/2015 Albany 244 9/20/2015 Albany 285 9/17/2015 Albany 25 9/16/2015 Sunol 12 9/5/2015 Livermore 20 9/2/2015 Salinas 28 8/22/2015 Albany 6 8/19/2015 Sunol 8 8/15/2015 Rancho Cordova 9 7/25/2015 Sunol 8 7/20/2015 Sunol 4 7/14/2015 Winters 14 7/10/2015 Livermore 27 6/25/2015 Pescadero 14 6/24/2015 Pescadero 14 6/15/2015 Sunol 7 6/7/2015 Cordova 12 6/6/2015 Rancho Cordova 9 5/21/2015 Modesto 29 4/18/2015 Sunol 800 4/15/2015 Dublin 49 4/15/2015 Albany 2 4/9/2015 Winters 14 3/25/2015 Oakland 23 2/1/2015 Albany 2 12/1/2014 Modesto 11 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Promotional Materials Growing Roots Website:https://growingroots.berkeley.edu Growing Roots Facebook Page Google Group - Beginning Farmer & Rancher Bay Area Network:https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/bfr-bayarea-network What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Steps This project is taking the following steps to help participants: Deliver a total of at least 110 workshops, field days, networking events, farm tours and other community events covering the topics of Ecological Farming, Business, Marketing, Value-Added Processing, Cottage Foods, Food Safety and Collaborative Farming: 43 in year 1, 52 in year 2 and at least 20 in year 3. Develop 39 multimedia educational materials and 12 reference guides and tip sheets in English, Spanish, Hmong and Mien that can be accessed online (e.g., via FarmAnswers, Start2Farm, NCAT, UCANR, ACRCD, SAGE websites). Offer technical assistance to workshop participants as well as other farmers and ranchers in our target 10-county region in Northern California. Assist 30 BFRs to access land or learn how to enter land leases via collaborative farming. Develop 2 small producer groups focused on olive production and niche meat processing. Assist in the development of 2-4 new agricultural learning hubs. Facilitate network of 5 East and South Bay Agricultural Learning Hubs and at least 3 additional other agricultural learning hubs to share best practices for BFR training. Host 2 agricultural learning hub retreats. Develop a BFR google group of over 100 BFRs as well as learning hub community members. Create a website, Facebook group and newsletter to promote our programs.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Results: What Producers Learned, Achieved, Applied Result 1. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Ecological Production methods in the following topics: Soil Management, Cover Cropping, Ecological Pest Management, Water Conserving Irrigation, Organic Certification, Sustainable Viticulture Self-Assessment and Certifications, and Olive Grove Management including Pruning and Pest Management. Topic: Organic production Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 660 Act #: 189 How verified? Sign-in sheets & pre/post- evaluations at event. Result 2. Participants implement 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Ecological Production series of workshops. Topic: Organic production Producer action: Implement When measured: 6 months after the workshop Est #: 220 Act #: 0 How verified? Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 3. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills following workshops on business planning and marketing. Topic: Business and strategic planning Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 45 Act #: 150 How verified? Sign-in sheets & pre/post- evaluations at event. Result 4. Participants implement 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Business & Marketing series of workshops. Topic: Business and strategic planning Producer action: Implement When measured: 6 months after the workshop Est #: 20 Act #: 0 How verified? Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 5. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Ecological Livestock & Poultry production. Topic: Pasture / Rangeland Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 225 Act #: 140 How verified? Sign-in sheets & pre/post- evaluations at event. Result 6. Participants implement 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Ecological Livestock & Poultry production series of workshops. Topic: Pasture / Rangeland Producer action: Implement When measured: 6 months after the workshop Est #: 20 Act #: 0 How verified? Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 7. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Cottage Food Operations. Topic: Value-added enterprises Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 337 Act #: 0 How verified? Sign-in sheets & pre/post- evaluations at event. Result 8. Participants implement at least 1 or more practices demonstrated in the Cottage Food Operations workshops, such as registering as a new Cottage Food Operator or expanding their existing Cottage Food operation. Topic: Value-added enterprises Producer action: Implement When measured: 6 months after the workshop Est #: 110 Act #: 0 How verified? Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 9. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge/skills in Food Safety practices and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). Topic: Food safety liability Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 105 Act #: 28 How verified? Sign-in sheets & pre/post- evaluations at event. Result 10. Participants implement 1 or more Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) practices on their farm, such as developing a customized food safety plan. Topic: Food safety liability Producer action: Implement When measured: 6 months after the workshop Est #: 35 Act #: 0 How verified? Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 11. Participants indicate an increase in knowledge about viable collaborative farming operations and land access opportunities. Topic: Access to land Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 30 Act #: 21 How verified? Sign-in sheets & pre/post- evaluations at event. Result 12. Participants utilize skills learned to access farmland via a collaborative farming learning hub and/or access farmland on their own. Topic: Access to land Producer action: Implement When measured: 6 months after the workshop Est #: 20 Act #: 0 How verified? Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 13. Producers join new beginning olive producer group and niche livestock processors group, where participants increase knowledge and collaborate in production, marketing and sales. Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships Producer action: Understand When measured: 6 months after the event Est #: 30 Act #: 28 How verified? Evaluations 6-months after event. Result 14. Participants receive 1:1 or small group technical assistance. Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 100 Act #: 122 How verified? Via internal data tracking. Result 15. Participants are connected with grower leaders or mentors for technical assistance. Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships Producer action: Understand When measured: After the session Est #: 25 Act #: 20 How verified? Via internal data tracking. Result 16. Participants re referred to other informational, educational resources and related loan, capital, conservation, marketing and land access organizations. Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships Producer action: Understand When measured: After the referral Est #: 125 Act #: 63 How verified? Via internal data tracking.
Publications
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Progress 12/15/14 to 12/14/15
Outputs
Target Audience:In our first year, 2,716 individuals participatedin our Growing Roots programming via workshops, networking events, harvest festivals, producer groups, farm tours, and technical assistance. We hosted 30 workshops with a total of 402 participants. On average, 61% of workshop participants filled out evaluations, of which 191 identified themselves as beginning farmers. We hosted workshops at various farms, Resource Conservation Districts, and at 8 different agricultural learning hubs. The target audience for the Growing Roots project included:Limited resource beginning farmers including southeast Asian, Latino/Hispanic, and other socially disadvantaged, minority or immigrant farmers and ranchers. All of the participants in our workshops were provided with pre-post evaluations to determine demographic data as well as information about their farming practices and intentions to change their behavior. Of the 402 workshops participants, 61% of them completed pre-post evaluations. Of those who were surveyed, 36% plan to start farming, 51% currently farm, 27% plan to continue farming, and 1% indicated that they plan to stop farming. Half of the participants (50%), indicated that they were limited resource farmers, 37% were farm workers, 39% identified themselves as socially disadvantaged, and 80% of workshop participants identified themselves as beginning farmers. Approximately 40% of workshop participants were female, 6% were under the age of 18 (youth), and 4% were veterans. After participating in the workshop, 81% of all participants indicated they learned something new and 76% of all participants stated they intended to change their behavior or farming practices in the next six months based on the knowledge they gained during the workshops. Changes/Problems:In our first year, several challenges and opportunities presented themselves. First, creating a Learning Hub Network has taken time, as efforts were made to ensure that all learning hubs felt accurately represented, and that reasonable opportunities were made to strengthen and build this network. Similarly, several of our emerging Learning Hub Partners have taken longer than expected to break ground and develop structured training opportunities. We anticipate these emerging Learning Hubs and the associated Learning Hub Network to grow in years 2 and 3 of our grant. A final challenge that we faced was related to technical details around reporting in the RVS system. In order to calculate the results regarding what producers learned, achieved, and applied, we extrapolated data based on the percent of evaluations that our farmers filled out.This provided a significantchallenge in terms of data collection and analysis, as the results required inthe RVS system were quite different from those originally outlined in our grant deliverables. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Toallow for beginning farmers to have access to resources and collectively share events, we created a Google Group that grew to over 122 beginning farmer members in its first year. We also increased referrals and technical assistance to beginning farmers, by providing 42 beginning farmers with 1:1, small group, or phone consultations. 20 farmers were connected with grower leaders or mentors, and at least 44 beginning farmers were referred to other informational or educational opportunities and partner email lists. 10 farmers were referred to loan, capital, conservation, marketing, or land access organizations. A producer group of 25 niche livestock producers was convened, which included both beginning and mentor producers as well as agricultural and resource professionals. This group was convened on four occasions over the last year, 3 times in person and 1 by phone to discuss a needs assessment for livestock slaughter and processing. The livestock producer group helped provide additional resources and access to information primarily for members of the ranching community interested in niche meat production. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?To support a network of beginning farmers and learning hubs in the East and South Bay area, we send out a bi-monthly newsletter that share upcoming opportunities, workshops, and resources that are relevant to our learning hub network. Each month, we feature a different agricultural learning hub, share success stories from workshops, and provide descriptions of regional workshops and opportunities. At the end of the year, we shared with our network key successes and highlightsabout our programming to date. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the second and third year of our grant, we plan on creatingand disseminatingeasily understood and accessed technical information, favoring audio-visual modes, such as short videos, as well as succinct tip sheets to complement the videos and simple guidebooks. The information provided in these resources will be based on the feedback we received following the workshops that were provided during year one.We look forward to following up with our workshop participants and beginning farmers in years 2 and 3 to determine if our workshops impacted their growing practices, and allowed them to stay in business or start farming operations. Additionally, in years 2 and 3, we will be completing and sharing a variety of resources and educational materials to beginning farmers and the wider Learning Hub Network.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our first objectiveis to partner with local 'agricultural learning hubs' and other local partners to offer in-depth culturally and regionally appropriate training, which include a series of workshops/field courses and technical assistance (TA).In our first year, 2,716 individuals participatedin our Growing Roots programming via workshops, networking events, harvest festivals, producer groups, farm tours, and technical assistance.We hosted 30 workshops with a total of 402 participants. On average, 61% of workshop participants filled out evaluations, of which 191 identified themselves as beginning farmers. We hosted these workshops at various farms, Resource Conservation Districts, and at 8 different agricultural learning hubs. Onegoal of this project is to build a network of existing and emergent "agricultural learning hubs" to support and enhance beginning farmer learning, networking and mentorship opportunities. To support these efforts, we hosted 2 farmer-buyer networking events, 5 farm tours, and 2 harvest festivals. These events had over 2,198 participants, collectively. We also hosted a Learning Hub Retreat, where we invited 37 individuals from 12various agricultural learning hubs, to promote shared learning among new and established learning hubs.
Publications
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