Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The Journeyperson Program is designed for people who want to dedicate their lives to farming. All participants have completed a farm apprenticeship, taken in-depth courses and worked on at least one farm. Applicants are typically in their mid- to late 20s, college educated, and from non-farming backgrounds. They have dedicated themselves to learning how to farm by spending one to five years apprenticing or being employed on farms. They have accumulated enough experience to commit to the next step in their farm training. Eighty percent are from Maine. Most do not have secure, long-term land tenure - which makes MOFGA's partnership with Land For Good and Maine Farmland Trust doubly important. Nearly all have been committed to farming for the bulk of their adult life. Most would be considered "low-income" under USDA guidelines. The majority of journeyperson participants are women. While the broad range of agriculture is well represented by the farms that participate, the most common farm type is small (5 to 35 acres), diverse, and entrepreneurial. Major enterprises include direct-market fresh vegetables and greens, small livestock, value-added products such as cheeses and baked goods, and storage crops. While MOFGA encourages participants to become certified organic, it is not a requirement. Audience Emphasis Limited resource producers Organic producers Small farms Women Participants Served Record the total number of unique participants who participated in your program: Total Number of Participants: 485 Enter the actual cumulative number of participants who as a result of your program: Started farming: Target - 0, Actual - 33 Helped prepare to start farming: Target - 0, Actual - 250 Improved farming success: Target - 150, Actual - 552 Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Support for journeypersons includes two years of one-on-one mentorship with an experienced farmer. Journeypersons also receive tuition waivers for all 60 events and workshops that MOFGA runs for the general public. Most focus on practical agricultural and rural living skills, and many are based on the "farmer-to-farmer" model of horizontal knowledge transfer. Examples include workshops on recordkeeping, livestock processing, low-impact forest management, equipment safety and maintenance, and orchard management. Participants can also access the MOFGA Farm Beginnings (FB) course, which provides business planning and management expertise. In addition to the off-site Journeyperson Program, MOFGA operates a small incubator site on farmland at its headquarters in Unity, Maine, where farmers-in-residence - part of the Journeyperson Program - also have access to additional resources and support. MOFGA annually provides one or two farmers-in-residence with the land, housing, equipment, and infrastructure they need to establish a farming business. Farmers-in-Residence are also entitled to loans for start-up expenses and receive a modest living stipend. In return, they help organize educational workshops and events, serve on MOFGA committees, and review applications from others interested in the program. MOFGA invests about $5,000 in direct costs for each off-site journeyperson over two years and $6,000 for each farmer-in-residence. We cover journeypersons' fees to our annual three-day Farmer-to-Farmer Conference, which features a unique three-hour workshop format. Agricultural service professionals and farmers focuses on specific topics during the first half of each session. The second half of the session is a roundtable discussion capitalizing on the accumulated knowledge of those present. MOFGA has cultivated partnerships with Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) and Land for Good (LFG), two regional organizations offering areas of knowledge that complement MOFGA's expertise. These organizations help new farmers secure land by offering education, personalized consulting, customized land search assistance, and support with land acquisition transactions. These services continue to be offered to journeypersons after graduation as farms become established and mature. Over the past 3 years, well over 8,000 farmers participated in MOFGA's Educational Programs, including ovdr 160 apprentices, 152 journeypersons and over 200 farmer mentors and peer instructors. Each year, the New Farmer Training Program offered numerous training opportunities for its participants including: 6-month Farm Beginnings whole farm and business planning course 3-day Farmer to Farmer Conference 4-day Low Impact Forestry and Chainsaw Safety Workshop 2-day Organic Farming Principles and Practices, and Advanced Business Planning workshops 1-day intensives on Relational Systems on the Farm, Poultry Processing, Kitchen Licensing (twice), Chainsaw Safety and numerous other topics 20 Farm Training Project workshops on different farms across the state 8 Farmer to Farmer in the Field advanced-level farmer-led trainings 5 session Organic Orcharding series Land for Good, Maine Farmland Trust and the Conservation Law Foundation's Legal Services Hub offered a number of training workshops around conducting effective land searches, writing leases and negotiating regulations; and 3 days of programming at the annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show was coordinated with partners from the Beginning Farmer Resources Network of Maine To augment on-farm learning from early May through the end of September, MOFGA's Farm Training Project hosted 20 programs on exemplary organic farms across the state on topics including soil health, seedling production, interpersonal communications skills, creative marketing, biodynamic agriculture and everything in between. These were 4-hour farm tours, How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Workshops, trainings, conference presentations, networking events, listserv, social media, quarterly newspaper, website, organizational partnerships (Beginning Farmer Resource Network), peer mentoring/consulting. Program partners in Maine including Maine Farmland Trust, Land For Good, Beginning Farmer Resource Network, Cooperative Extension, NRCS, FSA, Kennebec Valley Community College, Unity College, College of the Atlantic and others Regional and national collaborations with similarly focused programs including the Farm Beginnings Collaborative and partners including the Quivira Coalition, Rogue Farm Corps, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and others Appearances on radio and stories in popular print media as well as MOFGA's outreach materials, newsletters and quarterly newspaper, instagram Workshops and information sessions at the annual Common Ground Country Fair, Maine Agricultural Trades Show and other public events across the state Regional and national conferences for new farmer programs service providers as well as conferences/workshops for beginning farmers themselves What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Results: What Producers Learned, Achieved, Applied Result 1. Farmers will use MOFGA's 60+ days of educational programming to build a self-designed professional development curriculum. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 150, Actual Number: 161 How verified: Annual check-in/self-evaluation Result 2. Journeyperson Farmers will attend MOFGA Farmer-to-Farmer Conference Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 30, Actual Number: 83 How verified: Registration Result 3. New farms are established Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 27 How verified: Staff reporting Result 4. Make use of mentorship and technical assistance by mentor farmers and MOFGA Agricultural Services staff Producer action: Implement, Topic: Organic production When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 50, Actual Number: 259 How verified: Annual check-in, self-evaluation, staff reporting Result 5. Participate in Farm Beginnings (r) whole farm and business planning course Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 74 How verified: Registration Result 6. Create a farm plan as capstone in Farm Beginnings course. Producer action: Develop, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 22 How verified: End of course plan submission Result 7. Second year Journeypeople will continue farming Producer action: Implement, Topic: Organic production When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 79 How verified: Annual check-in/self-evaluation Result 8. Second year Journeypersons will implement farm plans and meet income goals Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 37 How verified: Annual check-in/Self-evaluation Result 9. Farmers cite sustainable production methods in use on their farms Producer action: Implement, Topic: Organic production When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 114 How verified: Annual Check-in/Self-evaluation Result 10. Farmers access NRCS transition-to-organic program to become MOFGA Certified Organic Producer action: Implement, Topic: Branded, certified, or identity preserved marketing When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 5, Actual Number: 11 How verified: Annual check-in/Self-evaluation Result 11. Farmers receive guidance, coaching, customized land search and land acquisition assistance, plus business planning and business development services Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 158 How verified: Annual check-in/self-evaluation/registration Result 12. Farmers will receive 5 hours of follow-up individual consultation and guidance Producer action: Implement, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 60 How verified: Annual check-in/self-evaluation/staff reporting Result 13. Farmers (new and retiring) will attend workshops on the basics of land leases Producer action: Understand, Topic: Access to land When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 50, Actual Number: 76 How verified: registration, annual check-in, self-evaluation Result 14. Use Farm Beginnings (R) course to better identify current and future land needs and secure additional land for continued production using Land For Good resources Producer action: Decide, Topic: Access to land When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 12, Actual Number: 29 How verified: Annual check-in/self-evaluation/staff reporting Result 15. Farmers (new and retiring) will attend negotiation workshops to increase their skills related to crafting working agreements and leases. Producer action: Understand, Topic: Interpersonal, family, and business relationships When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 30 How verified: Registration/annual check-in/self-evaluation Result 16. Attend workshops introducing the resources and services of Land For Good and Maine Farmland Trust Producer action: Understand, Topic: Access to land When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 50, Actual Number: 173 How verified: Registration/annual check-in/self-evaluation/staff reporting Result 17. Graduates of Journeyperson Program become mentors to new Journeypersons Producer action: Implement, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 5, Actual Number: 21 How verified: Annual check-in/self-evaluation Result 18. Graduates from Journeyperson Program enroll in Farm Beginnings to help refine their farm business plans Producer action: Decide, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 5, Actual Number: 1 How verified: Registration, staff reporting Result 19. Add $2.3 million to MOFGA's educational endowment to ensure operational funding for the Journeyperson Program Producer action: Implement, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: Annually Estimated Number: 2300000, Actual Number: 5100000 How verified: Financial report
Publications
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The Journeyperson Program is designed for people who want to dedicate their lives to farming. All participants have completed a farm apprenticeship, taken in-depth courses and worked on at least one farm. Applicants are typically in their mid- to late 20s, college educated, and from non-farming backgrounds. They have dedicated themselves to learning how to farm by spending one to five years apprenticing or being employed on farms. They have accumulated enough experience to commit to the next step in their farm training. Eighty percent are from Maine. Most do not have secure, long-term land tenure - which makes MOFGA's partnership with Land For Good and Maine Farmland Trust doubly important. Nearly all have been committed to farming for the bulk of their adult life. Most would be considered "low-income" under USDA guidelines. The majority of journeyperson participants are women. While the broad range of agriculture is well represented by the farms that participate, the most common farm type is small (5 to 35 acres), diverse, and entrepreneurial. Major enterprises include direct-market fresh vegetables and greens, small livestock, value-added products such as cheeses and baked goods, and storage crops. While MOFGA encourages participants to become certified organic, it is not a requirement. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica} Over the past year, MOFGA well over 3,000 farmers participated in MOFGA's Educational Programs, including 67 apprentices, 92 journeypersons and over 100 farmer mentors and peer instructors. The New Farmer Training Program offered numerous training opportunities for its participants including: • 6-month Farm Beginnings whole farm and business planning course • 3-day Farmer to Farmer Conference • 4-day Low Impact Forestry and Chainsaw Safety Workshop • 2-day Organic Farming Principles and Practices, and Advanced Business Planning workshops • 1-day intensives on Relational Systems on the Farm, Poultry Processing (twice), Kitchen Licensing (twice), Chainsaw Safety andnumerous other topics • 20Farm Training Project workshops on different farms across the state • 4Farmer to Farmer in the Field advanced-level farmer-led trainings • 5 session Organic Orcharding series • Land for Good, Maine Farmland Trust and the Conservation Law Foundation's Legal Services Hub offered a number of training workshops around conducting effective land searches, writing leases and negotiating regulations; and 3 days of programming at the annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show was coordinated with partners from the Beginning Farmer Resources Network of Maine • To augment on-farm learning from early May through the end of September, MOFGA's Farm Training Project hosted 20 programs on exemplary organic farms across the state on topics including soil health, seedling production, interpersonal communications skills, creative marketing, biodynamic agriculture and everything in between. These were 4-hour farm tours, discussions and potluck dinners where people shared ideas and strengthened networks. • Hundreds of hours of one-on-one consultation were also provided at the farms by Education and Ag Services staff • Journeypersons accessed dozens of other profesional development opportunities through their mentors and using their $500 educational stipends How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica} The structure and successes of MOFGA's New Farmer Training Program have been shared widely across networks through • program partners in Maine including Maine Farmland Trust, Land For Good, Beginning Farmer Resource Network, Cooperative Extension, NRCS, FSA, Kennebec Valley Community College, Unity College, College of the Atlantic and others • regional and national collaborations with similarly focused programs including the Farm Beginnings Collaborative and partners including the Quivira Coalition, Rogue Farm Corps, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and others • appearances on radio and stories in popular print media as well as MOFGA's outreach materials, newsletters and quarterly newspaper, instagram • workshops and information sessions at the annual Common Ground Country Fair, Maine Agricultural Trades Show and other public events across the state • regional and national conferences for new farmer programs service providers as well as conferences/workshops for beginning farmers themselves What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica} We plan to continue growing the program and supporting new farmers. We intend to continue adapting our programming to reflect the evolving needs of Maine's new farmers within our maturing local food and agriculture system.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica} The State of Maine, like much of the rest of the US, needs well-trained and innovative new farmers to supply a growing demand for sustainably-produced food. MOFGA's Journeyperson Program attracts and trains a critical base of beginning farmers from a wide geographic area and helps them establish successful farms in Maine. The educational foundation of the Journeyperson Program is hands-on, peer-to-peer learning that helps new farmers learn to grow top quality produce, manage livestock, and think critically about business development and whole farm planning. The program offers a 2-year package of educational and financial support to new farmers in Maine, including mentorship from an experienced farmer, access to the MOFGA Farm Beginnings course, and financial support. When compared to Maine's average beginning farmer, the income generated on journeypersons' farms is 22% higher, and journeypersons are 72% more likely to succeed in the most critical first five years on the farm. In August 2015, MOFGA surveyed 210 past and present journeypersons. Data collected shines new light on the program's ongoing strengths and successes. Journeypersons are building and sustaining successful farm businesses in Maine, earn more from on-farm income than beginning farmers overall, and indicate their intention to increase production in the future. Reaching back through 15 years of Journeyperson Program participants, the survey found that 92% of those reporting are still farming today--and 87% have remained in Maine to do so, further strengthening rural economies throughout the state. An overwhelming majority of journeypersons report increases in farm income, number of marketing outlets, overall production, land in production, systems efficiencies, and number of employees. Most farmers noted that the Journeyperson Program was crucial or very important in improving their farming practices in target areas, notably whole farm and business planning. Seventy-two percent of journeyperson owner/operators in Maine have one or more full-time year round employees. Including full-time, part-time and seasonal paid employment, journeyperson-operated farms have created nearly 800 jobs. Furthermore, compared to a national average of only 39%, 45% of Maine's organic farmers and 70% of journeypersons have indicated their intention to increase organic production over the next five years, likely creating additional full-and part-time jobs as their successful farms grow. Over the past year, MOFGA has made progress towards its MAJOR GOAL of contributing significantly to the training and support of the new farmers that Maine needs to catalyze and sustain its growing food system in the following ways: p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} ? 76 beginning farmers were supported through MOFGA's Journeyperson Program: 27 newly enrolled, 29 entering their second year and 20 completing the 2-year program ? 50 participated in 6-month long Farm Beginnings whole farm and business planning course ? 11 new farms were established ? 88 beginning farmers were introduced to the resources and services of Land For Good and Maine Farmland Trust, and 25 attended workshops on the basics of land leases ? 85 received guidance, coaching, customized land search and land acquisition assistance, business planning and business development services ? Raised an additional $1.9 million for our Educational Endowment, bringing the current fund total to $5 million to support the long-term stability of MOFGA's farmer training and support programs
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Securing the Future of Maine's Organic Farms: An impact report highlighting the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's Beginning Farmer Training Programs
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Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The Journeyperson Program is designed for people who want to dedicate their lives to farming. All participants have completed a farm apprenticeship, taken in-depth courses and worked on at least one farm. Applicants are typically in their mid- to late 20s, college educated, and from non-farming backgrounds. They have dedicated themselves to learning how to farm by spending one to five years apprenticing or being employed on farms. They have accumulated enough experience to commit to the next step in their farm training. Eighty percent are from Maine. Most do not have secure, long-term land tenure - which makes MOFGA's partnership with Land For Good and Maine Farmland Trust doubly important. Nearly all have been committed to farming for the bulk of their adult life. Most would be considered "low-income" under USDA guidelines. The majority of journeyperson participants are women. While the broad range of agriculture is well represented by the farms that participate, the most common farm type is small (5 to 35 acres), diverse, and entrepreneurial. Major enterprises include direct-market fresh vegetables and greens, small livestock, value-added products such as cheeses and baked goods, and storage crops. While MOFGA encourages participants to become certified organic, it is not a requirement. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over the past year, MOFGA more than 2,750 people participated in MOFGA's Educational Programs, including 67 apprentices, 92 journeypersons and over 100 farmer mentors and peer instructors. The New Farmer Training Program offered numerous training opportunities for its participants including: 6-month Farm Beginnings whole farm and business planning course 3-day Farmer to Farmer Conference 4-day Low Impact Forestry and Chainsaw Safety Workshop 2-day Organic Farming Principles and Practices, and Advanced Business Planning workshops 1-day intensives on Soil Health, Labor Management Models, Poultry Processing, Kitchen Licensing, and other topics 24 Farm Training Project workshops on different farms across the state 5 session Organic Orcharding series Land for Good, Maine Farmland Trust and the Conservation Law Foundation's Legal Services Hub offered a number of training workshops around conducting effective land searches, writing leases and negotiating regulations; and 3 days of programming at the annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show was coordinated with partners from the Beginning Farmer Resources Network of Maine To augment on-farm learning from early May through the end of September, MOFGA's Farm Training Project hosted 1-2 programs on exemplary organic farms across the state on topics including soil health, seedling production, interpersonal communications skills, creative marketing, biodynamic agriculture and everything in between. These were 4-hour farm tours, discussions and potluck dinners where people shared ideas and strengthened networks. Hundreds of hours of one-on-one consultation were also provided at the farms. Journeypersons accessed dozens of other profesional development opportunities through their mentors and using their $500 educational stipends How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The structure and successes of MOFGA's New Farmer Training Program have been shared widely across networks through program partners in Maine including Maine Farmland Trust, Land For Good, Beginning Farmer Resource Network, Cooperative Extension, NRCS, FSA, Kennebec Valley Community College and others regional and national collaborations with similarly focused programs including the Farm Beginnings Collaborative and partners including the Quivira Coalition, Rogue Farm Corps, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and others appearances on radio and stories in popular print media as well as MOFGA's outreach materials, newsletters and quarterly newspaper workshops and information sessions at the annual Common Ground Country Fair, Maine Agricultural Trades Show and other public events across the state regional and national conferences for new farmer programs service providers as well as conferences/workshops for beginning farmers themselves What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to continue growing the program and supporting new farmers. We intend to continue adapting our programming to reflect the evolving needs of Maine's new farmers within our maturing local food and agriculture system.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The State of Maine, like much of the rest of the US, needs well-trained and innovative new farmers to supply a growing demand for sustainably-produced food. MOFGA's Journeyperson Program attracts and trains a critical base of beginning farmers from a wide geographic area and helps them establish successful farms in Maine. The educational foundation of the Journeyperson Program is hands-on, peer-to-peer learning that helps new farmers learn to grow top quality produce, manage livestock, and think critically about business development and whole farm planning. The program offers a 2-year package of educational and financial support to new farmers in Maine, including mentorship from an experienced farmer, access to the MOFGA Farm Beginnings course, and financial support. When compared to Maine's average beginning farmer, the income generated on journeypersons' farms is 22% higher, and journeypersons are 72% more likely to succeed in the most critical first five years on the farm. In August 2015, MOFGA surveyed 210 past and present journeypersons. Data collected shines new light on the program's ongoing strengths and successes. Journeypersons are building and sustaining successful farm businesses in Maine, earn more from on-farm income than beginning farmers overall, and indicate their intention to increase production in the future. Reaching back through 15 years of Journeyperson Program participants, the survey found that 92% of those reporting are still farming today--and 87% have remained in Maine to do so, further strengthening rural economies throughout the state. An overwhelming majority of journeypersons report increases in farm income, number of marketing outlets, overall production, land in production, systems efficiencies, and number of employees. Most farmers noted that the Journeyperson Program was crucial or very important in improving their farming practices in target areas, notably whole farm and business planning. Seventy-two percent of journeyperson owner/operators in Maine have one or more full-time year round employees. Including full-time, part-time and seasonal paid employment, journeyperson-operated farms have created nearly 800 jobs. Furthermore, compared to a national average of only 39%, 45% of Maine's organic farmers and 70% of journeypersons have indicated their intention to increase organic production over the next five years, likely creating additional full-and part-time jobs as their successful farms grow. Over the past year, MOFGA has made progress towards its MAJOR GOAL of contributing significantly to the training and support of the new farmers that Maine needs to catalyze and sustain its growing food system in the following ways: 92 beginning farmers were supported through MOFGA's Journeyperson Program: 19 newly enrolled, 37 entering their second year and 36 completing the 2-year program 24 participated in 6-month long Farm Beginnings whole farm and business planning course 14 new farms were established 11 accessed the NRCS transition-to-organic program 85 were introduced to the resources and services of Land For Good and Maine Farmland Trust, and 52 attended workshops on the basics of land leases 73 received guidance, coaching, customized land search and land acquisition assistance, business planning and business development services 34 received intensive follow-up consultation and guidance 3 successfully accessed FSA funding to purchase their own farm, including MOFGA's incubator Farmers in Residence 13 Journeyperson Program alums became mentors for new journeypersons
Publications
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