Progress 08/15/17 to 08/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:· Asian or Pacific Islander · Organic producers · Small farms · Specialty crop producers · Women · Asian or Pacific Islander · Organic producers · Small farms · Specialty crop producers · Women Changes/Problems:Our goal is to support Beginning Farmers with the foundational production skills, business knowledge, and confidence they need to build farm enterprises that respond to the ever-growing metropolitan demand for sustainably grown, source-identified produce. Within one year of receiving this grant, we have not only equipped beginning farmers with the knowledge to start their own farm, but helped 1/3 of those people gain the confidence to start their own farm next year.? The key success for all of our participants was the hands on learning of the program. We spent about 80% of our time out in the field learning the practical side of farming while the other 20% was spent in the classroom. Another key to our success was the smaller cohort size, which was unexpected, but became the staple for our ability to give each person the learning and direction they needed. Ultimately 3 enrolled, resulting in a significantly smaller cohort than the 10-12 we projected. We are currently reviewing our recruiting strategies and considering ways to do more direct, personal outreach to raise awareness of the training opportunity. If I were to improve this project, I would have a smaller first year cohort. With farming, there is a lot to learn in many different areas. With a smaller group we were able to give each beginning farmer more time and attention. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Provided beginning farmers with adequate resources to learn various farming subject. 2. Access to open space daily for hands on learning 3. Emotional support Delivery Total Meetings: 26 Total Meeting Participants: 104 Total Webinars: 0 Total Webinar Participants: 0 Total Website Visits: 0 Total Online Course Participants: 0 Meetings 2/26/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 8 3/1/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/6/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/7/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/8/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/14/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/21/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 4/2/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 6 4/9/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 4/11/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 4/18/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 5/2/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 5/16/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 5/23/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 6 5/30/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 6/6/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 6/7/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 6/11/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 6/13/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 7/18/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 8/8/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 9/12/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 9/19/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 10/17/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 10/25/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 10/31/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Record the total number of unique participants who participated in your program: Total Number of Participants: 3 Enter the actual cumulative number of participants who as a result of your program: Started farming: Target - 3, Actual - 1 Helped prepare to start farming: Target - 25, Actual - 3 Improved farming success: Target - 33, Actual - 3 Result 1. 1/3 our beginning farmer cohort plan to start farming next year Producer action: Implement, Topic: Organic production When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 1 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 2. 100% of participants feel as though they can get the information they need in the future to start farming Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 3 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 3. 1/3 of our beginning farmer cohort plan to continue their farming education next year Producer action: Decide, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 1 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 4. Beginning farmers will write an business plan outline Producer action: Develop, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: 10/31/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 3 How verified: business plan presentations with curriculum provider Result 5. 100% of our beginning farmers learned a significant amount about harvest and post harvest procedures Producer action: Understand, Topic: Field Crops When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 3 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 6. 2/3 feel they have learned a significant amount about crop planning, weed management, irrication protocals, soil fertility and cultivation practices Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 2 How verified: UESF exit survey
Publications
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Progress 08/15/17 to 07/17/20
Outputs
Target Audience:· Asian or Pacific Islander · Organic producers · Small farms · Specialty crop producers · Women · Asian or Pacific Islander · Organic producers · Small farms · Specialty crop producers · Women Changes/Problems:Our goal is to support Beginning Farmers with the foundational production skills, business knowledge, and confidence they need to build farm enterprises that respond to the ever-growing metropolitan demand for sustainably grown, source-identified produce. Within one year of receiving this grant, we have not only equipped beginning farmers with the knowledge to start their own farm, but helped 1/3 of those people gain the confidence to start their own farm next year.? The key success for all of our participants was the hands on learning of the program. We spent about 80% of our time out in the field learning the practical side of farming while the other 20% was spent in the classroom. Another key to our success was the smaller cohort size, which was unexpected, but became the staple for our ability to give each person the learning and direction they needed. Ultimately 3 enrolled, resulting in a significantly smaller cohort than the 10-12 we projected. We are currently reviewing our recruiting strategies and considering ways to do more direct, personal outreach to raise awareness of the training opportunity. If I were to improve this project, I would have a smaller first year cohort. With farming, there is a lot to learn in many different areas. With a smaller group we were able to give each beginning farmer more time and attention. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Provided beginning farmers with adequate resources to learn various farming subject. 2. Access to open space daily for hands on learning 3. Emotional support Delivery Total Meetings: 26 Total Meeting Participants: 104 Total Webinars: 0 Total Webinar Participants: 0 Total Website Visits: 0 Total Online Course Participants: 0 Meetings 2/26/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 8 3/1/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/6/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/7/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/8/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/14/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 3/21/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 4/2/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 6 4/9/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 4/11/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 4/18/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 5/2/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 5/16/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 5/23/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 6 5/30/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 6/6/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 6/7/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 6/11/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 3 6/13/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 7/18/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 8/8/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 9/12/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 9/19/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 10/17/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 10/25/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 4 10/31/2018: Brentwood, CA -- Number of Attendees 5 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Record the total number of unique participants who participated in your program: Total Number of Participants: 3 Enter the actual cumulative number of participants who as a result of your program: Started farming: Target - 3, Actual - 1 Helped prepare to start farming: Target - 25, Actual - 3 Improved farming success: Target - 33, Actual - 3 Result 1. 1/3 our beginning farmer cohort plan to start farming next year Producer action: Implement, Topic: Organic production When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 1 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 2. 100% of participants feel as though they can get the information they need in the future to start farming Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 3 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 3. 1/3 of our beginning farmer cohort plan to continue their farming education next year Producer action: Decide, Topic: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 1 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 4. Beginning farmers will write an business plan outline Producer action: Develop, Topic: Business and strategic planning When measured: 10/31/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 3 How verified: business plan presentations with curriculum provider Result 5. 100% of our beginning farmers learned a significant amount about harvest and post harvest procedures Producer action: Understand, Topic: Field Crops When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 3 How verified: UESF exit evaluation Result 6. 2/3 feel they have learned a significant amount about crop planning, weed management, irrication protocals, soil fertility and cultivation practices Producer action: Understand, Topic: Organic production When measured: 10/19/2018 Estimated Number: 3, Actual Number: 2 How verified: UESF exit survey
Publications
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Progress 08/15/17 to 08/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences that we reached during the current reporting period are as follows: Asian or Pacific Islander Organic producers Small farms Specialty crop producers Women Our efforts in reaching these target auidences was through both formal and informal teaching, inculding but not limited to, classroom lectures, in field demonstrations, and alternative learning enviroments. Changes/Problems:Official project start date was 8/15/17, but due to clerical/bureaucratic complications, funding was not released until late November/early December. The delay of funding, coupled with the delay in permission to announce our award, impeded to our project launch. FGF had to devote significant time to correspondence and problem-solving with USDA-NIFA. Further, because FGF's beginning farmer training program is a brand new project and we are otherwise a small non-profit without name recognition outside our immediate local community, the inability to foreground our grant award as indication of program credibility inhibited our recruitment efforts in September, October, and November. For example, with the ongoing expectation that we would be able to announce the BFRDP award "any day now," we held off on our recruitment press release, week after week. Had we known in advance that permission to announce would not come until 11/30, we would have taken a different approach to our recruitment and publicity efforts. Although we certainly did begin recruiting in late September, we were constantly struggling with decisions about whether to print fliers and brochures, knowing that we would need to revise and reprint them once we were allowed to include the USDA NIFA logo on the materials. We had a total of 27 applicants, but only about one third were serious, viable candidates for the program. Three of the candidates we accepted ended up deferring enrollment at the last minute, due to unforeseen life events. Ultimately 3 enrolled, resulting in a significantly smaller cohort than the 10-12 we projected. We are currently reviewing our recruiting strategies and considering ways to do more direct, personal outreach to raise awareness of the training opportunity. Among other strategies, recruitment for the 2019 incubator will focus on positioning our program as a next step for graduates of other California training programs (such as CASFS and CA Farm Academy), where there is less (or zero) opportunity to apply skills while independently managing a fraction of an acre. Despite the small size of the cohort (and in some ways because of it), the first year of our program has been extremely successful. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We provided professional development growth for each of our beginning farmers by giving them the opprotunity to attend different beginning farmer workshops/confrences and get togethers provided by other California agriculturists. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During our first year of our grant we were able to accomplish goals under objective 4 and objective 5. Under objective 4 we were able to: provide mentor relationships with our first cohort of beginning farmers source experienced curriculum providers to equip the beginning farmers with invaluable farming information Under objective 5 we found some of our best practices to be the hands on practical learning componant of the program. Our beginning farmers found it to be the most helpful part of our program.
Publications
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