Progress 08/01/18 to 07/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience For purposes of this project, the Institute focused on education, outreach, technical assistance and training to 35 New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR) in production and marketing of selected specialty crops, small livestock and honey bee enterprises over a three (3) year period. The profile of these small scale beginning farmers are as follows: • Transitioning farmworkers who are interested in owning and operating their own farms • Local residents as small Caucasian farm who have become believers in growing food for commercial sale in a cooperative group, • Part-time farmers consisting of individuals from various disciplines ranging from individuals from the health, financial and construction subsectors facing unemployment since 2008 • Immigrants formerly engaged in some form of agriculture desiring to supply the demands of the ethnic marketplace Veterans and women who are engaged in small farming • Farm operations with sizes ranging from 1 - 80 acres Changes/Problems:The aftermath of Hurricane Irma continues to affect all Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, especially those who have applied to the FSA/ECP program, which has not been concluded even at the time of this report (1 year and 10 months after the event). In other areas, particularly in the southern clusters, most crops showed the effect from excessive rain and moisture. One livestock farmer experienced increased mortality as a result of the introduction of unregistered/unregistered stocks from other farms.In the case of ECP some pathways for resolution were decided in the summer of 2019. In the caseof the livestock, the Institute facilitated a veterinarian to visit with farmers and explained how they should by the requsite stocks. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In the third year, the focus included training using the following modules: • Module 1. Working with USDA Programs that put plans into action (FSA loans, NRCS - EQIP, RD - VAP, and AMS); • Module 2. Farm and Enterprise Business Planning (Development of Agribusiness, LLC, Cooperatives, Farm Planning, Farm Record Keeping, Financial Literacy and Management, Risk Management); • Module 3. Marketing Planning and Implementation (Direct Marketing, Supply Chains and Value Chain Systems); • Module 4. Enterprise Production Systems for Selected Specialty Food Enterprises (Crops and Livestock); • Module 5. Soil and Water Management on Small Farms; • Module 6. Energy Management Systems on Small Farms - One-on-one consultation • Module 7. Increase Farm Revenue with Agritourism and Ecotourism How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results were diseminated to the various communities of interest using, workshops, presentations at conferences, distribution of technical material, interviews with public interest groups, field demonstrations, regional symposiums. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project concludes this year and so we will be preparing the final report.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In terms ofoutcomes in year III as related to the participants, the following summary is provided: • Cluster 1 (South Florida): Twenty-Five (25) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of 46 farmers served by NSI, operating on 72 acres of land secured for farming; • Cluster 2 (Treasure Coast): Sixteen (16) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of Nineteen (19) farmers served by NSI, four (4) operating on 86 acres of land and fifteen (15) farmers on private holdings; • Cluster 3 (Everglades): Five (5) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of nineteen (19) farmers served by NSI, all operating on their private holdings (115 acres); • Two (2) microloans rescheduled, three (3) new microloans approved and one (1) rejected as farm operating loans applied to on-farm production assistance, farm equipment, and farm shed. • Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers of the Sixty-five (65) producers served received training and technical assistance in the seven modules to improve production and marketing on their farms. • These Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers are now operating in three(3)pre-cooperative agricultural groups/clusters. Project output included in year III: - Twelve (12) Grower One-on-One Trainings: addressing increased participation in USDA programs, cooperative leadership and management, business planning, improved know-how in protocols for production and marketing of farm outputs; improvement in financial literacy and access to capital/credit, improved knowledge in farm management and operation, organization in marketing and business skills using cooperative and agribusiness structures, accessing land and stimulating interests in agriculture by veterans and women tenant farmers. - Fifteen (15) Farm Diagnostics completed, with three (3) farm plans developed; - Seven (7) Echo Workshops conducted in specialized areas of farm business planning, production and marketing of specialty food enterprises; - One Hundred and Fifty-Two (152) Field Visits conducted including group visits to assess issues and provide technical solutions. All growers were affected by Hurricane Irma; - Eight (8) Field Day Demonstrations focusing on land preparation, specialty crop planting and maintenance; -One (1) Regional Symposium and Business & Food Resilience Summit; - Access to Capital Support events [Three Hundred and Ninety-Eight (398)], to include microfinancing/microloans and risk management using NAP and WFRP were conducted; - Resulting in Eight (8) loan preparation and packaging, with two (2) microloans rescheduled, three (3) new microloans approved[1], and one (1) rejected; - Twelve (12) producers registered for the 2019 FSA-NAP crop year covering thirteen (13) crops - Twenty-Three (23) producers registered for the 2020 FSA-NAP crop year covering eleven (11) crops. - One (1) Women-Tenant producer in her second year with Whole Farm Insurance. - Agribusiness Mentoring - 4 Lead Farmers with 4 teams of two Beginning Farmers - Over ten-thousand, nine hundred and sixty (10,960) Material & Literature Distributed to the farming groups. [Note 1] One (1) microloan to purchase land, one (1) operating loan, and one (1) microloan to purchase a farm shed.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
North-South Institute, Florida(2019), Developing and Using an Effective Marketing Plan Part 1 & 11
North-South Institute (2019) Development of Local Direct Food Marketing Network/Direct Marketing Part 1, NSI, Florida
North-South Institute (2019) Business & Farmer Financial and Tax Management Part I & II, NSI, Florida
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Progress 08/01/16 to 07/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:For purposes of this project, the Institute focused on education, outreach, technical assistance and training to 35 New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR) in production and marketing of selected specialty crops, small livestock and honey bee enterprises over a three (3) year period. The profile of these small scale beginning farmers are as follows: • Socailly Disadavantaged Famers and Transitioning farmworkers who are interested in owning and operating their own farms • Local residents as small Caucasian farm who have become believers in growing food for commercial sale in a cooperative group, • Part-time farmers consisting of individuals from various disciplines ranging from individuals from the health, financial and construction subsectors facing unemployment since 2008 • Immigrants formerly engaged in some form of agriculture desiring to supply the demands of the ethnic marketplace Veterans and women who are engaged in small farming • Farm operations with sizes ranging from 1 - 80 acres Changes/Problems:The aftermath of Hurricane Irma continues to affect all Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, especially those who have applied to the FSA/ECP program, which has not been concluded even at the time of this report (1 year and 10 months after the event). In other areas, particularly in the southern clusters, most crops showed the effect from excessive rain and moisture. One livestock farmer experienced increased mortality as a result of the introduction of unregistered/unregistered stocks from other farms.In the case of ECP some pathways for resolution were decided in the summer of 2019. In the caseof the livestock, the Institute facilitated a veterinarian to visit with farmers and explained how they shouldpurchase the requisite stocks. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The focus included training using the following modules: • Module 1. Working with USDA Programs that put plans into action (FSA loans, NRCS - EQIP, RD - VAP, and AMS); • Module 2. Farm and Enterprise Business Planning (Development of Agribusiness, LLC, Cooperatives, Farm Planning, Farm Record Keeping, Financial Literacy and Management, Risk Management); • Module 3. Marketing Planning and Implementation (Direct Marketing, Supply Chains and Value Chain Systems); • Module 4. Enterprise Production Systems for Selected Specialty Food Enterprises (Crops and Livestock); • Module 5. Soil and Water Management on Small Farms; • Module 6. Energy Management Systems on Small Farms - One-on-one consultation • Module 7. Increase Farm Revenue with Agritourism and Ecotourism How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results were disseminatedusing workshops, presentations at conferences, seminars, webinars, social media, distribution of technical material, public interest interviews, field demonstrations, regional symposium, growers-meeting and one-on-consultations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
2018-2019 In terms ofoutcomes as related to the participants, the following summary is provided: • Cluster 1 (South Florida): Twenty-Five (25) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of 46 farmers served by NSI, operating on 72 acres of land secured for farming; • Cluster 2 (Treasure Coast): Sixteen (16) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of Nineteen (19) farmers served by NSI, four (4) operating on 86 acres of land and fifteen (15) farmers on private holdings; • Cluster 3 (Everglades): Five (5) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of nineteen (19) farmers served by NSI, all operating on their private holdings (115 acres); • Two (2) microloans rescheduled, three (3) new microloans approved and one (1) rejected as farm operating loans applied to on-farm production assistance, farm equipment, and farm shed. • Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers of the Sixty-five (65) producers served received training and technical assistance in the seven modules to improve production and marketing on their farms. • These Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers are now operating in three(3)pre-cooperative agricultural groups/clusters. Project output included: - Twelve (12) Grower One-on-One Trainings: addressing increased participation in USDA programs, cooperative leadership and management, business planning, improved know-how in protocols for production and marketing of farm outputs; improvement in financial literacy and access to capital/credit, improved knowledge in farm management and operation, organization in marketing and business skills using cooperative and agribusiness structures, accessing land and stimulating interests in agriculture by veterans and women tenant farmers. - Fifteen (15) Farm Diagnostics completed, with three (3) farm plans developed; - Seven (7) Echo Workshops conducted in specialized areas of farm business planning, production and marketing of specialty food enterprises; - One Hundred and Fifty-Two (152) Field Visits conducted including group visits to assess issues and provide technical solutions. All growers were affected by Hurricane Irma; - Eight (8) Field Day Demonstrations focusing on land preparation, specialty crop planting and maintenance; -One (1) Regional Symposium and Business & Food Resilience Summit; - Access to Capital Support events [Three Hundred and Ninety-Eight (398)], to include microfinancing/microloans and risk management using NAP and WFRP were conducted; - Resulting in Eight (8) loan preparation and packaging, with two (2) microloans rescheduled, three (3) new microloans approved[1], and one (1) rejected; - Twelve (12) producers registered for the 2019 FSA-NAP crop year covering thirteen (13) crops - Twenty-Three (23) producers registered for the 2020 FSA-NAP crop year covering eleven (11) crops. - One (1) Women-Tenant producer in her second year with Whole Farm Insurance. - Agribusiness Mentoring - 4 Lead Farmers with 4 teams of two Beginning Farmers - Over ten-thousand, nine hundred and sixty (10,960) Material & Literature Distributed to the farming groups. [Note 1] One (1) microloan to purchase land, one (1) operating loan, and one (1) microloan to purchase a farm shed.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
North-South Institute (2019)Developing and Using an Effective Marketing Plan Part 1, NSI, Florida
North-South Institute (2019)Development of Local Direct Food Marketing Network/Direct Marketing Part 1, NSI, FL
North-South Institute (2019,Business & Farmer Financial and Tax Management Part I & II, NSI, FL
|
Progress 08/01/17 to 07/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:For purposes of this project, the Institutefocused on education, outreach, technical assistance and training to 35 New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR) in production and marketing of selected specialty crops, small livestock and honey bee enterprises over a three (3) year period. The profile of these small scale beginning farmers are as follows: Transitioning farmworkers who are interested in owning and operating their own farms Local residents as small Caucasian farm who have become believers in growing food for commercial sale in a cooperative group, Part-time farmers consisting of individuals from various disciplines ranging from individuals from the health, financial and construction subsectors facing unemployment since 2008 Immigrants formerly engaged in some form of agriculture desiring to supply the demands of the ethnic marketplace Veterans and women who are engaged in small farming Farm operations with sizes ranging from 1 - 80 acres Changes/Problems:All producers in the coverage area experienced damages and loss due to Hurricane Irma in September 2017. In cluster one, all producers experienced another instance of excessive moisture and flooding from heavy rainfall in May 2018, which resulted in crops with subpar yield. Even though producers have reported crop losses and filed for emergency relief through programs offered, to date, one year and one month after the event, none of these producers have received any financial relief under the USDA-FSA Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). Administrative delays through various offices and other factors have resulted in slow response in financial support. This delay has caused eight (8) producers of the thirty-five (35) that have applied to exit farming. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The tools used were curricula selected from various universities, small farm programs, and materials from USDA programs as well as those developed by the Institute. These were supported with in-field technical assistance events that were applied based on the following training modules. In the second year, the focus included training using the following modules for producers: • Module 1. Working with USDA Programs that put plans into action (FSA loans, NRCS - EQIP, RD - VAP, and AMS); • Module 2. Farm and Enterprise Business Planning (Development of Agribusiness, LLC, Cooperatives, Farm Planning, Farm Record Keeping, Financial Literacy and Management, Risk Management); • Module 3. Marketing Planning and Implementation (Direct Marketing, Supply Chains and Value Chain Systems); • Module 4. Enterprise Production Systems for Selected Specialty Food Enterprises (Crops, Livestock and Honey Bee); • Module 5. Soil and Water Management on Small Farms; • Module 6. Energy Management Systems on Small Farms • Module 7. Increase Farm Revenue with Agritourism and Ecotourism How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results were disseminated to the various communities of interest using, workshops, presentations of conferences, interviews with public interest groups and echoworkshops with target audiences. All education material was distributed to the major stakeholders What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Activities for 2018-2019 Work with each cluster to advance their development in strengthening their leadership and management capabilities as groups with focus on accessing and using USDA resources offered by FSA, NRCS, AMS and RD Continue training in linking out-grower farms to cooperatives, production systems for improved small livestock, crop and honeybee farming practices Continue to provide technical assistance assisting in the placement of farmers into land agreements through the Institute's Land Bank and Microloan programs. Complete the evaluation process Finalize the documentation for the BFRDP and share the project results
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
FY 2017- 2018 the following summary is provided: • Cluster 1 (South Florida): Twenty-Five (25) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of 47 farmers served by NSI, operating on 72 acres of land secured for farming; • Cluster 2 (Treasure Coast): Fourteen (14) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of twenty-two (22) farmers served by NSI, seven (7) operating on 86 acres of land and fifteen (15) farmers on private holdings; • Cluster 3 (Everglades): Five (5) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of nineteen (19) farmers served by NSI, all operating on their private holdings (115 acres); • Three (3) microloans were approved as farm operating loans applied to on-farm production assistance, purchasing of bees, farm equipment, farm shed, and vehicles to transport products to their markets. Nine (9) microloans rescheduled. • Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers of the Eighty-nine (89) producers served received training and technical assistance in the seven modules to improve production and marketing on their farms. • These Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers are now operating in three(3)pre-cooperative agricultural groups/clusters. • Four agribusiness mentorshipsteams with 8 farmers The project has three phases. In the second year (Phase 2), project output included: - Two Hundred and Two (202) Grower One-on-One Trainings: addressing increased participation in USDA programs, cooperative leadership and management, business planning, improved know-how in protocols for production and marketing of farm outputs; improvement in financial literacy and access to capital/credit, improved knowledge in farm management and operation, organization in marketing and business skills using cooperative and agribusiness structures, accessing land and stimulating interests in agriculture by veterans and women tenant farmers. - Seventeen (17) Farm Diagnostics completed, with farm plans developed; - Six (6) Echo Workshops conducted in specialized areas of farm business planning, production and marketing of specialty food enterprises; - One Hundred and Eighty-Three (183) Field Visits conducted including group visits to assess issues and provide technical solutions. All growers were affected by Hurricane Irma; - Seventeen (17) Field Day Demonstrations focusing on land preparation, specialty crop planting and maintenance; -One (1) Regional Conferences on renewable energy systems of farms; - Access to Capital Support events [Two Hundred and Sixteen (216)], to include microfinancing/microloans and risk management using NAP and WFRP were conducted; - Resulting in Fifteen (15) loan preparation and packaging, with nine (9) microloans rescheduled, three (3) new microloans approved[1] and three (3) pending; Two (2) of the loans from the start of the program have already been paid in full; Twenty-Three (23) producers registered with FSA-NAP covering thirteen (13) crops, and one (1) producer acquiring Whole Farm Insurance. - Agribusiness Mentoring - 4 Lead Farmers with 4 teams of two Beginning Farmers - Over eight-thousand, five hundred and sixty-seven (8,567) Material & Literature Distributed to the farming groups. Major Outcomes The results in the second year have shown the continued development of three pre-cooperative agribusiness groups operating on 275 acres (including 86 acres of out of production citrus land) in the pre-cooperative and agribusiness group stages developing farms ranging from 5-20 acres, and generating stable incomes ranging from $500 - $1,250 per week. Two (2) farmers secured 60 acres and are engaged in production. Thirty-Five (35) received training to initiate the formation of a cooperative and six (6) additional women join the initial ten (10) for a total of sixteen (16) women in the development of the woman's agricultural coalition group. There was rapid expansion on out-of-production citrus land with producers focusing on small livestock enterprises, honey bee and certain ethnic specialty crops (for example, banana, sugarcane, turmeric and Egyptian spinach (Lalu)). Three (3) microloans were approved as farm operating loans applied to on-farm production assistance, purchasing of bees, farm equipment, farm shed, and vehicles to transport products to their markets. Major expansion in the second year saw two (2) producers secure 60 acre plots for citrus and cattle; one 5-10 acre plots, one (1) producer starting small slaughter facility (abattoir), one (1) producer owns and operates a produce store, and the others producing quail, ducks, meat goat, chicken, and small scale vegetables. Other developments include one (1) producer growing fruit trees on 10 acres, one (1) producer growing farm-raised shrimp, and one (1) producer with an acre of hydroponics [1] One (1) microloan to purchase bees and a farm truck, one (1) operating loan, and one (1) microloan to purchase a farm shed.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Agripreneurship Series: Working with USDA- North South Institute
Farm Management and Financial Literacy - North South Institute
Capacity Building for Cooperative, Small Farmers and Agribusiness- North South
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Progress 08/01/16 to 07/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Institute focus on education, outreach, technical assistance and training to 35 New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR) in production and marketing of selected specialty crops, small livestock and honey bee enterprises over a three (3) year period. This number has increased to 37. The profile of these small scale beginning farmers are as follows: Transitioning farmworkers who are interested in owning and operating their own farms Socially Disdavantagted Farmers Local residents as Limited Resource Caucasian farm who have become believers in growing food for commercial sale in a cooperative group, Part-time farmers consisting of individuals from various disciplines ranging from individuals from the health, financial and construction subsectors facing unemployment since 2008 Immigrants formerly engaged in some form of agriculture desiring to supply the demands of the ethnic marketplace Veterans and women who are engaged in small farming Farm operations with sizes ranging from 1 - 80 acre In summary the project has served: African American Hispanic or Latino Immigrant Producers Limited Resource Producers Military Veterans Small Farms Specialty Crop Producers Changes/Problems:In the first year of the project the major challenges were: 1. Farmers with the larger acreages (10 -20) prefers to incorporate as agribusiness LLCs, while farmers with the smaller acreages (<10 acres) trending towards the development of cooperatives, (2) Among the female farming group, concerns were expressed regrading group sharing in liability if they were to form cooperatives.This was resolve during the training as cluster members were encouraged to participate in pre-cooperative groupings In the second year, allproducers in the coverage area experienced damages and loss due to Hurricane Irma in September 2017. In cluster one, all producers experienced another instance of excessive moisture and flooding from heavy rainfall in May 2018, which resulted in crops with subpar yield. Even though producers have reported crop losses and filed for emergency relief through programs offered, to date, one year and one month after the event, none of these producers have received any financial relief under the USDA-FSA Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). Administrative delays through various offices and other factors have resulted in slow response in financial support. This delay has caused eight (8) producers of the thirty-five (35) that have applied to exit farming. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? What the project did during (2016- 2017) They were introduced to a BFR curriculum used for teaching and were provided with technical aspects on how to develop theirfarms and operate as group. The tools used were curricula selected from various universities, small farm programs, and materials from USDA programs as well as those developed by the Institute. These were supported with in-field technical assistance events that were applied based on the following training modules. In the first year, the focus included training using the following modules: • Module 1: Working with USDA Programs that put plans into action (FSA loans, NRCS - EQIP, RD - VAP, and AMS); • Module 2: Farm and Enterprise Business Planning (Development of Agribusiness, LLC, Cooperatives, Farm Planning, Farm Record Keeping, Financial Literacy and Management, Risk Management • Module 3: Marketing Planning and Implementation (Direct Marketing, Supply Chains and Value Chain Systems) • Module 4. Enterprise Production Systems for Selected Specialty Food Enterprises (Crops, Livestock and Honey Bee) • Module 5. Soil and Water Management on Small Farms • Module 6. Energy Management Systems on Small Farms What the project did during (2017 - 2018) This project was used to continue the development of targeted groups/clusters of New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR) totaling 35.They were introduced to a BFR curriculum used for teaching and were provided with technical aspects on how to develop theirfarms and operate as a group. The tools used were curricula selected from various universities, small farm programs, and materials from USDA programs as well as those developed by the Institute. These were supported with in-field technical assistance events that were applied based on the following training modules. In the second year, the focus included training using the following modules: • Module 1. Working with USDA Programs that put plans into action (FSA loans, NRCS - EQIP, RD - VAP, and AMS); • Module 2. Farm and Enterprise Business Planning (Development of Agribusiness, LLC, Cooperatives, Farm Planning, Farm Record Keeping,Financial Literacy and Management, Risk Management); • Module 3. Marketing Planning and Implementation (Direct Marketing, Supply Chains and Value Chain Systems); • Module 4. Enterprise Production Systems for Selected Specialty Food Enterprises (Crops, Livestock and Honey Bee); • Module 5. Soil and Water Management on Small Farms; • Module 6. Energy Management Systems on Small Farms Module 7. Increase Farm Revenue with Agritourism and Ecotourism How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results were disseminated to the various communities of interest using, workshops, presentations of conferences, interviews with public interest groups and ecohworkshops with target audiences. All education material was distributed to the major stakeholders What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The activities targteed for 2018-2019 are as follows: Work with each cluster to advance their development in strengthening their leadership and management capabilities as groups with focus on accessing and using USDA resources offered by FSA, NRCS, AMS and RD Continue training in linking out-grower farms to cooperatives, production systems for improved small livestock, crop and honeybee farming practices Continue to provide technical assistance assisting in the placement of farmers into land agreements through the Institute's Land Bank and Microloan programs. Complete the evaluation process Finalize the documentation for the BFRDP and share the project results
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
FY 2016-2017: the following summary is provided : • 14 farmers secured land (86 acres) for farming; • three (3) microloans were approved, for purchasing farm inputs; one (1) farm operating loan approved, for purchasing a tractor, equipment, and vehicles to transport products to their markets. • 37 producers received training and technical assistance in the six modules to improve production and marketing on their farms, now operating in3agricultural groups • Four agribusiness mentorshipsteams with 8 farmers The project has three phases. In the first year (Phase 1), project output included: - Eighteen (18) Grower One-on-One Trainings: addressing increased participation in USDA programs, cooperative leadership and management, business planning, improved know-how in protocols for production and marketing of farm outputs; improvement in financial literacy and access to capital/credit, improved knowledge in farm management and operation, organization in marketing and business skills using cooperative and agribusiness structures, accessing land and stimulating interests in agriculture by veterans and women tenant farmers. - Twenty-Two (22) Farm Diagnostics completed, with farm plans developed - Nine (9) Echo Workshops conducted in specialized areas of farm business planning, production and marketing of specialty food enterprises - Twenty -Seven (27) Field Visits conducted including group visits to assess issues and provide technical solutions - Two(2) Field Day Demonstrations focusing on land preparation, specialty crop planting and maintenance, -Two (2) Regional Conferences on farm business planning , production, soil and water management, irrigation, good agricultural practices and renewable energy systems of farms - Sixteen (16) Access to Capital Support events were conducted resulting in six (6) loan preparation and packaging, with three (3) microloans approved, one (1) farm operating loan approved and two (2) pending -Agribusiness Mentoring - 4 Lead Farmers with 4 teams of two Beginning Farmers - Over one-thousand, forty-five (1,045) Material & Literature Distributed: (1,045) to the farming groups What was accomplished (2017-2018)? The following summary is provided: • Cluster 1 (South Florida): Twenty-Five (25) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of 47 farmers served by NSI, operating on 72 acres of land secured for farming; • Cluster 2 (Treasure Coast): Fourteen (14) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of twenty-two (22) farmers served by NSI, seven (7) operating on 86 acres of land and fifteen (15) farmers on private holdings; • Cluster 3 (Everglades): Five (5) Farm Units registered with USDA-FSA with a total of nineteen (19) farmers served by NSI, all operating on their private holdings (115 acres); • Three (3) microloans were approved as farm operating loans applied to on-farm production assistance, purchasing of bees, farm equipment, farm shed, and vehicles to transport products to their markets. Nine (9) microloans rescheduled. • Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers of the Eighty-nine (89) producers served received training and technical assistance in the seven modules to improve production and marketing on their farms. • These Thirty-Five (35) Beginning Farmers are now operating in three(3)pre-cooperative agricultural groups/clusters. • Four agribusiness mentorshipsteams with 8 farmers The project has three phases. In the second year (Phase 2), project output included: - Two Hundred and Two (202) Grower One-on-One Trainings: addressing increased participation in USDA programs, cooperative leadership and management, business planning, improved know-how in protocols for production and marketing of farm outputs; improvement in financial literacy and access to capital/credit, improved knowledge in farm management and operation, organization in marketing and business skills using cooperative and agribusiness structures, accessing land and stimulating interests in agriculture by veterans and women tenant farmers. - Seventeen (17) Farm Diagnostics completed, with farm plans developed; - Six (6) Echo Workshops conducted in specialized areas of farm business planning, production and marketing of specialty food enterprises; - One Hundred and Eighty-Three (183) Field Visits conducted including group visits to assess issues and provide technical solutions. All growers were affected by Hurricane Irma; - Seventeen (17) Field Day Demonstrations focusing on land preparation, specialty crop planting and maintenance; -One (1) Regional Conferences on renewable energy systems of farms; - Access to Capital Support events [Two Hundred and Sixteen (216)], to include microfinancing/microloans and risk management using NAP and WFRP were conducted; - Resulting in Fifteen (15) loan preparation and packaging, with nine (9) microloans rescheduled, three (3) new microloans approved[1] and three (3) pending; Two (2) of the loans from the start of the program have already been paid in full; Twenty-Three (23) producers registered with FSA-NAP covering thirteen (13) crops, and one (1) producer acquiring Whole Farm Insurance. - Agribusiness Mentoring - 4 Lead Farmers with 4 teams of two Beginning Farmers - Over eight-thousand, five hundred and sixty-seven (8,567) Material & Literature Distributed to the farming groups. Major Outcomes The results in the second year have shown the continued development of three pre-cooperative agribusiness groups operating on 275 acres (including 86 acres of out of production citrus land) in the pre-cooperative and agribusiness group stages developing farms ranging from 5-20 acres, and generating stable incomes ranging from $500 - $1,250 per week. Two (2) farmers secured 60 acres and are engaged in production. Thirty-Five (35) received training to initiate the formation of a cooperative and six (6) additional women join the initial ten (10) for a total of sixteen (16) women in the development of the woman's agricultural coalition group. There was rapid expansion on out-of-production citrus land with producers focusing on small livestock enterprises, honey bee and certain ethnic specialty crops (for example, banana, sugarcane, turmeric and Egyptian spinach (Lalu)). Three (3) microloans were approved as farm operating loans applied to on-farm production assistance, purchasing of bees, farm equipment, farm shed, and vehicles to transport products to their markets. Major expansion in the second year saw two (2) producers secure 60 acre plots for citrus and cattle; one 5-10 acre plots, one (1) producer starting small slaughter facility (abattoir), one (1) producer owns and operates a produce store, and the others producing quail, ducks, meat goat, chicken, and small scale vegetables.Other developments include one (1) producer growing fruit trees on 10 acres, one (1) producer growing farm-raised shrimp, and one (1) producer with an acre of hydroponics. [1] One (1) microloan used to purchase bees and a farm truck, one (1) operating loan, and one (1) microloan to purchase a farm shed.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Agriprenurship Series: Working with USDA - North South Institute
Farm Management and Financial Literacy - - North South Institute
Capacity Building for Cooperatives, Small Farmers and Agribusinesses- North South Institute
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