Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:In the finalproject year, we continued our efforts in reaching our target audience who are minority, socially disadvantaged begining farmers and farm owners in the eastern counties of North Carolina mostly within the heart of the USDA Strike Force Initiative counties. This includes Native Americans, African American groups and Female caucasians. We continue to work with collaborating farmer group such asGroup of small hog farmers,Minority groups interested in HEMP cultivation.Piney Wood-Darden Community Organization, Halifax County Bee keeping Club and Three local farmers Changes/Problems:Organizing workshops and classroom training wasa challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We used thefree Zoom teleconferencing option for those with the capabilities to participate virtually. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? On-Farm training for our graduate interns. Interns had opportunity to practice what they learned onan incubator farm. They worked together with the host farmers from land preparation, growing and nurturing seedlings from the greenhouses, transplanting and row cropping, raised beds, crop maintenance, harvesting and marketing of several kinds of exotic vegetables production. In class participatory training in Business Mamngement Skills including Excel for Beginners, Business and Marketing Plan Development and Income Tax Tips Value Added training -Participants were taught the process of pickling fresh vegetables and how to formulate new products that will appeal to their local market. They obtained hands-on experience in preparing pickling solution, dicing cucumbers for pickling and ultimately canning their final product among other things Bee keeping classes and on field training in bee keeping practices Connect Farmers to Resources conferences that introducefarmers and the community to USDA programs and available resources. In attendance are USDA officials from NRCS, FSA, Rural Development, ForestServices etc. Field trip and learnig moments at the Halifax and Ronoake Rapids Farmers Market How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? CommunityOutreach and Workshops WSFG Monthly Newsletters Community Radio Station Interviews What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The project outputs and outcomes are consistent with what the expected Output/Outcomes. Although COVID disrupted most of our in-person gatherings, we innovativle came up with virtual meetings thathelped to continue engaging our farmers. In the final year of this project, we haveoutreached over 170persons and hence have exceeded our total target of350persons for the project. Farmers are gaining very useful and valuable information that fully equips them make well informed business decisions for profitable and sustainable operations. 12 socially disadvantaged farmers acquire new farming skills and a changed attitude and behavior towards farming. Feedback from Sandra and Sheila Solomon "we have learned to work smarter and not harder. Seeing from other farms helps to learn visually and the impact is immediate." 88socially disadvantaged increased their awareness, knowledge and participation in USDA and local programs and services. 4 Farmers have submitted applications and are being considered by local NRCS for the installation of High tunnel loops on their farm after our connect farmers to resource presentation by the District conservationist. 6 Farmers were assisted to submit applications for the "Farmers of Color" infrastructure Grant from the Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA (RAFI) 49 increased knowledge in best business management practices including: - establishing a consistent and reliable record keeping system creating a business and marketing plan learning the proper way to fill out farm taxes 21 increased knowledge in marketing and value-added practices 3Field trip and learnig moments at the Halifax and Ronoake Rapids Farmers Market 12 participarted in the VSU College of Agriculture Field Day. The day was spent on the Randolph Farm in Petersburg, Virginia.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:In the 2019 - 2020 project year, we continued our efforts in reaching our target audience who are minority, socially disadvantaged begining farmers and farm owners in the eastern counties of North Carolina mostly within the heart of the USDA Strike Force Initiative counties. This includes Native Americans, African American groups and Female caucasians. We continue to work with collaborating farmer group such as Group of small hog farmers Minority groups interested in HEMP cultivation Piney Wood-Darden Community Richmond County Halifax County Bee keeping Club Changes/Problems:Organizing workshops and classroom training is now a challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WSFG has began a new social distancing, cost effective but efficient way of facilitating the interaction between farmers and USDA agency representatives. We will reduce the size of our usual connecting to resource summit by 50% and increase the number of meetings to 2 per year at different locations in the project area for proximity to participants. We will also make available free Zoom teleconferencing option for those with the capabilities to participate virtually. We are also utilizing free tele conferencing platforms such as Zoom to continue interaction with project beneficiaries. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? 7 month Hand on experiential traing program at the Small Farm unit of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro, NC. Participants have received training in Greenhouse propagation techniques, field preparation, crop coverage, transplanting and direct seeding crops. In class hands-on training in Business Management skills and value added Bee keeping classes and on field training in bee keeping practices Several training session by Ms. Lillian Alexander from the Black Family Land Trust on Property wills, Land transfers and retention. Connect to Resourse Conference to increase awareness and participation to USDA programs Zoom, facetime, social media meetings and discussions with program participants to provide one on one technical assistance during COVID-19 lock down How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Through Social Media, WSFG FACEBOOK page community outreach and workshops monthly newletters Newletters circulated through the Roanoke Rapids Herald News Paper and the Richmond County Daily Jounal What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In addition to the continous training in Business Management skills, Value added, Bee keeping and Land retention, we will establish 2 incubator farm sites where the community and graduated interns can work together in a train the trainer arrangement. Participants will acquire hands-on training from land preparation, growing and nurturing seedlings from the greenhouses, transplanting and row cropping, raised beds, crop maintenance, harvesting and marketing of several kinds of exotic vegetables production.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In this project year, over 150 people benefited by our multifaceted training sessions designed to equip participants to improve on their business management skills, learn to add value to raw produce and explore Bee keeping as an additional source of income. The Impact of the project on the communities we engaged has been remarkable. Several of the graduates from our internship program have been involved in our ambassadors program and are either helping to recruit new participants for our programs and or are on the incubator farm site maintained by the Piney-Wood Darden Community teaching other beginning farmers while they apply the knowledge and skill they have acquired. We have progressively been able to involve more people in the community to engage in the growing of vegetables. They have also joined in the community-based effort for innovative growing practices, sustainable training, and healthier eating practices. Approximately 500 bedding plants: - 100 (Rutabagas), 25 (Carolina Reaper Peppers), 150 (Collards/Cabbage), and various salads and kale were planted last fall on our incubator farm site. Below are specific accomplishments 12 new and begining farmers completed a 7 month internship program 12 beginig farmers gained knowledge on best practices, sustainability and increased profitabilty increase knowlede in diverse farm enterprises - beek keeping, value added 36 participants raquired certification in Bee Keeping 46 socially disadvantage attanded a USDA program awareness outreach conference 80 people in Bladen and Columbus counties to received knowledge in land retention, estate trust and deeds, 12 participants have completed their estate trust and deeds. 8 people increase knowledge and ability to use excel to develop financial records
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached are minorities, socially disadvantage begining farmers from counties which fall within the heart of USDA Strike Force Initiative counties which are mostly persistent poverty counties. These include 1) Minorities (African American and Native Americans) We also worked with colaaborating farmer groups:- Piney Woods-Darden Community Agriculture Association, Community Agriculture Richmond County Changes/Problems:A major challenge is availability of prospective beneficiaries for workshops. Although it would be very cost effective to get larger groups to participate in workshops, it is mostly unrealistic to get all on the same schedule. Thus, the approach has been to work with smaller but more groups and this has turned out to even effect close interaction and effective participation in the training activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Training Locations # of Classes /Conferences /Workshops Proposed # Participants Actual # Participants Internship Program Small Farm Unit, Centre for Environmental Farming Systems 2 days per month 12 14 Outreach, Workshops and "Focus group meetings 'CONNECTING FARMERS TO RESOURCES" Bladen, Columbus, Robeson Halifax, Duplin, Martin, Wayne Counties 13 120 339 Value Added - Canning, Jam, Pickling Rockingham, Goldsboro, Mount Olive 10 45 83 Business Academy -Business Plan, Records Keeping and Income Tax Tips Goldsboro, Kenansville, Rockingham, Hamlet, Williamston 7 50 75 Bee Keeping Halifax, Jamesville, Goldsboro 14 25 60 Land retention Lake Waccamaw, Garland, Fairmont, Kenansville, Whiteville Halifax, Jamesville 15 50 286 Healthy Vegetable Diets and Cooking Goldsboro 3 0 25 Total Directly Reached 302 882 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?WSFG collaborated with Ronoake Rapids Heralds to disseminate the project activites and outcomes. The Roanoke Rapids Herald inserted over 2,000 copies of a WSFG's newsletter (special edition) in the Herald's June 20th publication distributed in the following communities:- North Hampton County, Halifax County, Weldon, Garysburg, Gaston County, Henrico County, Littleton, Enfield, Hollister, Scotland Neck, Jackson, Conway, Rich Square. The newsletter sought to advertise WSFG and USDA programs as well as share project outcomes to increase awareness, access to resources and participation in both WSFG and USDA programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?WSFG has already lined up dates, venues for its Business Academy, land retention, Value Added and Bee Keeping classes. Theses classes will be held in the Eastern counties of the State. In addition, the second batch of 12 interns will begin their 6 month intern program at the teh Small Farm Unit, Centre for Environment Farming Systems in Goldsboro,
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The program has impacted over 800 minority farmers directly and several hundreds indirectly. Some of the measurable impacts include: - Improved accessibility to over 800 beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers Increased awareness, knowledge and participation regarding programs and services by USDA Increase awareness of land loss risk and Importance of documentation and land ownership/title Increased knowledge in best business management practices, records keeping and developing a business plan as a roadmap to efficiently run their enterprise Awareness and increased knowledge on beekeeping and value-added practices as an incremental source of income increase in knowledge regarding programs and services available through local state and federal agencies increase in knowledge of proper farmland use, retention and future community agriculture possibilities Increased knowledge in the importance of good financial management practices and adding value to farm produce to increase production, guaranteed market and increased income for small scale pork producers.
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