Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:This community-led project has resulted in benefits for limited-resource beginning farmers resettled from Africa to greater Lewiston, Maine. This audience is nearly all of Somali Bantu heritage having attained or seeking US citizenship. They all could be considered socially disadvantaged by being Black, muslim and refugee. Additionally, their access to resources for living and farming have been limited. Those directly participating in this project are skilled farmers who aspire to sustainable agricultural operations both to feed themselves and their community and to generate income. When this BFRDP application was submitted to USDA NIFA, the project supported 135 farmers accessing slightly more than 20 acres on three different farms in New Gloucester, Lewiston and Auburn, ME. During the BFRDP, SBCA increased participation by 75 percent serving 240 farmers. Meeting the community's expressed desire for land access, SBCA increased available arable land to nearly 60 acres, triple that of when the project started. Additionally, those acres are all in one location much more accessible to the community of farmers. And the land is committed in trust with a 99 year rolling lease, so that the community can invest in the property and not have to worry about moving or losing infrastructure. Considering the Bantu population in this area is approximately 3,500 and the average family size, we estimate, at least, 2,000 Bantu community members benefitted from the food produced by this project. This does not include the hundreds of customers who benefitted from purchasing fresh local food the Bantu farmers made available at six different farmers markets during the project. It also does not include the hundreds of students at St. Joseph College and Bates College who were nourished by and learned about local food grown by the project participants. African Flint Corn has emerged as the signature crop of the Bantu farmers. It has grown as a product in demand as we partner with two businesses, Maine Grains and Tortilleria Pachanga who feature the corn in value-added products. Another target audience is hundreds of customers who favor local products that support socially disadvantaged farmers. This season's market corn is still being dried and processed, but we expect, at least, seven tons to enter the market through these businesses. Additionally, the children enrolled in Portland Public Schools, their families and their teachers benefitted from the nearly eight tons (15,887 pounds) of fresh local produce purchased from the Bantu farmers and served to these students. While this whole school community benefited from improved learning outcomes due to this effort, the 3,777 students who qualify for free and reduced price meals due to their family incomes particularly benefitted. These students, from pre-Kindergarten to high school, range in age from 4-19. Many of these low income families are from the multilingual student population. The district has over 2,400 students who come from homes where about 60 different languages are spoken. These students represent a multitude of ethnic groups in about 36% of total enrollment. Knowing that people who share some of their social disadvantages produced the food these students are eating in school encourages their families about the possibilities of living in the US. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Somali Bantu farmers and project staff received technical assistance from USDA professionals including staff from Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency along with University of Maine Cooperative Extension(CDI). Topic areas included irrigation/water conservation, soil fertility/management, and tractor operation/maintenance. We also received TA and training from Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Cooperative Development Institute and Maine Grain Alliance. Additional training was through partner projects including World Farmers, Cultivating Community, and New Roots Farms. We convened the land access initiative with partners Agrarian Commons, CDI, Land for Good, Maine Farmland Trust, American Farmland Trust, and Land in Common. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Bantu farming project has been featured in numerous articles in the press. (https://somalibantumaine.org/somali-bantu-news/) SBCA promotes this USDA NIFA funded work on our web site, FaceBook page, listserv and other social media. SBCA's partnership with Agrarian Trust to establish Little Jubba Commons has led, not only to long term land access, but multiple media stories in a range of publications. SBCA and their Liberation Farms was awarded the US Domestic Food Sovereignty Prize in December 2020. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the 2021 growing season SBCA served 240 farmers, managing more than 35 acres of farm and grazing lands in production at sites in Auburn and Wales. In support of the farmers SBCA transitioned four high tunnels to Wales. Project staff provided soil amendments, irrigation equipment and pest management both in direct support to farmers and providing knowledge transfer so they could understand and integrate sustainable practices into their production. SBCA also coordinated seedling production, some beginning in leased, heated greenhouse space and transitioning all to our own hoop houses with cutting edge season extension practices. Farmers continued to develop and refine their skills in all areas of vegetable production including management of soil fertility, water conservation practices, and marketing. There was particular emphasis on harvest and processing of their African flint corn which is becoming a crop the community is known for and serves the cultural preferences of Maine's resettled African refugees and immigrants. As of December 1, 2021, sales increased 40 percent from the previous season. With a diverse portfolio of customers, our biggest buyer was Rosemont Market who purchased over $12,000 in produce. Maine Grain purchased over $8,500 of our flint corn crop which it processes into corn meal and features among its premium products. SBCA had many institutional buyers including Portland Public Schools who purchased tomatoes and the other ingredients (onions, beets, squash, greens) that make up their nutrient dense marinara sauce that they cook in the late summer for use all school year. Other 2021 customers include farmers market consumers, food pantries, and a CSA. SBCA maintains quickbooks & spreadsheets to track harvest numbers, farmer payments, and seedling production. We maintained a traditional iskashito model of cooperative farming on two production sites. We maintained our livestock project with a flock of goats and infrastructure in place for chickens. Perhaps, the greatest success of the project was when SBCA signed a 99 year renewable lease for a 104 acre farm in Wales, Maine about 20 minutes from downtown Lewiston where the majority of the community's farmers live. This is an amazing achievement requiring extensive technical assistance and expertise from legal and land preservation experts to support the creation of a land trust and transfer control to this farming community. This property will be managed under the Little Jubba Central Maine Agrarian Commons.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:This community-led project has resulted in benefits for African farmers resettled in greater Lewiston, Maine. This audience is nearly all Somali Bantu, who are socially disadvantaged by being Black, muslim and refugee. Additionally, their access to resources for living and farming have been limited. Those directly participating in this project are skilled farmers who aspire to sustainable agricultural operations both to feed themselves and their community and to generate income. When the project began in 2016, 65 farmers had plots. As we close out this Community Food Project, 212 farmers produced food in the 2020 growing season. Considering the Bantu population in this area is approximately 3,500 and the average family size, we estimate, at least, 2,000 Bantu community members benefitted from the food produced at the two farms managed by this project. This does not include the hundreds of customers who benefitted from purchasing fresh local food the Bantu farmers made available at six different farmers markets during the project. It also does not include the hundreds of students at St. Joseph College and Bates College who were nourished by and learned about local food grown by the project participants. African Flint Corn has emerged as the signature crop of the Bantu farmers. It has grown as a product in demand as we partner with two businesses, Maine Grains and Tortilleria Pachanga who feature the corn in value-added products. Another target audience is hundreds of customers who favor local products that support socially disadvantaged farmers. This season's market corn is still being dried and processed, but we expect, at least, five tons to enter the market through these businesses. Additionally, the children enrolled in Portland Public Schools, their families and their teachers benefitted from the nearly eight tons (15,887 pounds) of fresh local produce purchased from the Bantu farmers and served to these students. While this whole school community benefited from improved learning outcomes due to this effort, the 3,777 students who qualify for free and reduced price meals due to their family incomes particularly benefitted. These students, from pre-Kindergarten to high school, range in age from 4-19. Many of these low income families are from the multilingualstudent population. The district has over 2,400 students who come from homes whereabout 60 different languages are spoken. These students represent a multitude of ethnic groups in about 36% of total enrollment. Changes/Problems:Access to new farmland with a 99 year rolling lease creates vast new opportunities for our community of farmers. We look forward to the transion to this new farm and the ability to plan for and build our community's farming future. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Somali Bantu farmers and project staff received technical assistance from USDA professionals including staff from Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency along with University of Maine Cooperative Extension(CDI). Topic areas included irrigation/water conservation, soil fertility/management, and tractor operation/maintenance. We also received TA and training from Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Cooperative Development Institute and Maine Grain Alliance. Additional training was through partner projects including World Farmers, Cultivating Community, and New Roots Farms. We convened the land access initiative with partners Agrarian Commons, CDI, Land for Good, Maine Farmland Trust, American Farmland Trust, and Land in Common. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SBCA presented this project at the 2017 Community Food Systems Conference, Slow Money Maine and at the Universities Fighting World Hunger Conference. The Bantu farming project has been featured in numerous articles in the press. SBCA promotes this USDA NIFA funded work on our web site, FaceBook page, listserv and other social media. SBCA's partnership with Agrarian Trust to establish Little Jubba Commons has led, not only to long term land access, but multiple media stories in orange of publications. As the winner of the US Domestic Food Sovereignty Prize, SBCA and their Liberation Farms will garner additional media attention in the coming year. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?With consistent Farm Production and Markets Managers in place, we expect our community to maintain its steady increases in food production and market access. While we will maintain our support for the community of 200+ farmers, much time will be invested in preparing the soil and infrastructure at our new farm in Wales for the 2022 season.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the 2020 growing season SBCA served 212 farmers, managing 30 acres of farmland in production at sites in Lewiston and Auburn. In support of the farmers SBCA maintained two hoop houses in Lewiston, built a new hoop house at Whiting Farm in Auburn. Project staff provided soil amendments, irrigation equipment and pest management both in direct support to farmers and providing knowledge transfer so they could understand and integrate sustainable practices into their production. SBCA also coordinated seedling production, some beginning in leased, heated greenhouse space and transitioning all to our own hoop houses with cutting edge season extension practices. As of November 1, 2020, sales were almost triple that of the previous season, totaling $34,109 to date. With a diverse portfolio of customers, our biggest market was Portland Public Schools who spent over $12,000 for tomatoes and the other ingredients (onions, beets, squash, greens) that make up their nutrient dense marinara sauce that they cook in the late summer for use all school year. Other 2020 customers include farmers market consumers, food pantries, and grocers. Sales to this date in 2019 were $12,959, when the farm was without an Operations Manager. In 2018, sales compare at $21,657. We expect an additional $5,000 plus in sales this season of our flint corn harvest and winter storage crops. SBCA maintains quickbooks & spreadsheets to track harvest numbers, farmer payments, and seedling production. We maintained a traditional iskashito model of cooperative farming on two production sites. We maintained our livestock project and added more goats. Perhaps, the greatest success this season was when SBCA signed a 99 year renewable lease for a 104 acre farm in Wales, Maine about 20 minutes from downtown Lewiston where the majority of the community's farmers live. This is an amazing achievement requiring extensive technical assistance and expertise from legal and land preservation experts to support the creation of a land trust and transfer control to this farming community.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience: The number of Somali Bantu farmers increased from 140 to 156 during this period resulting in at least 1,800 Bantu community members eating locally grown food including culturally appropriate flint corn, molokhia and other vegetables. More than 2,400 pantry clients received fresh produce supplied by this project's farmers. More than 5,000 Somali people with food access challenges had the opportunity to benefitfrom local food grown, distributed and counted through this project. While the Lewiston community experiences some of the highest poverty rates in the nation, the Somali Bantu, as a Black and predominantly Muslim community, face the additional oppression of institutional racism and religious discrimination. This further marginalizes the community from equitably accessing resources to address food insecurity and its root cause--poverty. For example, food insecurity rates for Black Mainers born in the US to US-born parents is a disproportionately high 27.6%. This doubles to 51.6% for Black Mainers who are 1st or 2nd generation immigrants. Changes/Problems:Was unable to fill Farm Production Manager position funded by this grant during the 2019 season. Hired farmer with excellent qualifications intothe position for the 2020 season. Produced more flint corn than farmers could immediately market. Developing processing strategies and marketing out lets to bring more of this product to market. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?SBCA provides classroom and field-based training delivered by staff and partners. General topics covered during this reporting periodinclude: Crop farming and basic livestock practices; Innovative farmland transfer strategies; Entrepreneurship and business training; Financial and risk management training; Natural resource management and planning; Diversification and marketing strategies; Mentoring; Resources and referral to technical assistance experts including USDA NRCS and Cooperative Extension; Farm safety and awareness; Language appropriate training: Season extension Cooperative development Soil fertility How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SBCA promotes its work on its web site and FaceBook Page. SBCA presents its work at local, state and regional and national meetings and conferences including the US Food Sovereignty Alliance Conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Support additional enterprisestart ups by Somali Bantu producers Promote culturally relevant iskashito model of cooperative farm enterprises Support market access for producers at farmers markets and institutional markets Provide and coordinate training as requested by farmers to further skill development Support beneficial changes in farm operations by all farmers Expandlivestock operations Increase overall sales andmarket outlets Maintain network of supporters to access land in a sustainable manner
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Eight enterprisestart ups by Somali Bantu producers Six cooperative farm enterprisesinvolving 12 beginning refugee farmers were in operation Thirty two farmers generated income by sales at either farmers markets or to institutions Forty seven farmers demonstrate significant skill development by participating in training Ninety three beginning farmers made beneficial changes in farm operations Three beginning Bantu farmers established livestock operations Network formed to develop and implement land access strategy for Bantu farmers
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