Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is Navajo beginning farmers and ranchers who have never grown a crop or operate farm to those who have farmed for less than ten years. Several of these farmers are also military veterans. At the end of three years we anticipate 60 beginning farmers to learn new skills, increase their knowledge of farm practices, and have the necessary tools to make informed decisions of their farm operation. In Year One - the funding allowed for the opportunity for 21 farmers and ranchers who have receive consistent training in the various areas. 15 participants will attend individual sessions and attend organized workshops. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Regenerative agricultural best practices have been documented and are available on TLE's shared drive. Many of these practices are being taught and used at TLE and at other farms in the area, but a workshop progression has been impractical during Covid shifted. We offered the following series of regenerative ag workshops: 1. 4/15/21: Best Practices Farm Tour at Ch'ishie Farms and Beaver Farm, near Leupp (9 participants) 2. 4/20 to 21/21: Building Healthy Soils, Cameron Old Farm (23 participants) 3. 5/6/21: Growing Starts & Planting Seedlings, Cameron Old Farm (17 participants) 4. 5/27/21: Drip Irrigation, Cameron Old Farm (14 participants) 5. 6/29/21: Garlic Harvesting & Braiding for Market, Ashokala Gardens, Snowflake, AZ (10 participants) 6. 7/23-24/21: Microgreens: Hoop House to Market in 30 Days, Cameron Old Farm and Coppermine, AZ (19 participants) In addition, a USDA RBDG project allowed us to provide an additional 5 online entrepreneurship workshops in an Agricultural Recordkeeping Series. As of the project end date, 3 workshops were completed with a total of 56 growers participating. 1. 12/17/20: Beginning Recordkeeping for Small Farm Enterprises (17 participants) 2. 4/8/21: Reducing Taxes through the Schedule C (19 participants) 3. 8/5/21: How to Set the Price for what you grow and sell (20 participants) Project management and coordination has been ongoing with IDRS contractors coordinating regular NIFA team calls; the LGO Director, extension and training staff; and TLE leadership when needed. The calls help the team coordinate activities, share progress, address challenges, and lay out plans through the year. On-site operational policies and procedures for grower interns and invited guest growers working at the Sihasin Demonstration Garden and Incubator are in place and continually evolving. The Tsaile Wheatfield Water User Group activities for training farmers and ranchers include: o May 20, 2021 Conservation Planning o May 27, 2021 Sustainability Plan o June 10, 2021 Record Keeping and Schedule F o June 17, 2021 GAP/Food Safety o July 8, 2021 Soil & Irrigation 1 & 2 o July 15, 2021 Resource Work session - USDA programs o July 22, 2021 Weed & Pest Management o July 29, 2021 Farm Safety o August 12, 2021 Work session ? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared via, web site and social media. Additionally, invitation to presentation during events across the Navajo Nation were conducted. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
IDRS contractors, TLE staff, and advisors fine-tuned the site irrigation plan and completed the on-site system as well as the 7,300-foot Tolani Lake Livestock and Water Users Association (TLLWUA) agricultural waterline extension project. Although TLLWUA has been unable to provide water through the system due to a pump malfunction we have completed installation of the waterline and expect it to be fully functional once the TLLWUA system is up and running. TLE located a low-tech produce washing station design and contracted with a local grower to construct the system at the TLE demonstration site. The permanent wood framed produce washing station was constructed along the west wall of the TLE building for demonstration and operations at TLE's Sihasin Garden and Incubator site. We updated the parts list to reflect current costs and design changes (attached). A variation of the design has already been replicated at a regional farm. Tolani Lake Enterprises developed a new, sustainable water source from a reliable well near Leupp, Arizona by extending a waterline from the Tolani Lake Livestock and Water Users Association waterline to the western boundary of their business site. This project allowed TLE to design and install a demonstration drip irrigation system to distribute irrigation water across the 3-acre demonstration garden. The design is based on filling the 4 storage tanks at the uphill edge of the site and distributing the filtered, but untreated water to their various growing areas. Integrated into the design is a pressure pump to increase effectiveness of water delivery. Limitations related to the remote and scattered locations of participating producers and restrictions from COVID-19 shifted the training program from a workshop-based model to a one-on-one technical assistance model where LGO staff conduct circuit trips to visit producers on-site or do phone consultations if site visits are not possible or invited. The training matrix remains a goal, but is not the working model, thus evaluation of a progression of workshops doesn't make sense. The LGO evaluation process should be sufficient to measure producer satisfaction with training.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is Navajo beginning farmers and ranchers who range from having never grown a crop or operating a farm to farming less than ten years. Several of these farmers are also military veterans. At the end of three years we anticipate 60 beginning farmers to learn new skills, increase their knowledge of farm practices, and have the necessary tools to make informed decisions of their farm operation. In Year One - the funding allowed for the opportunity for 21 farmers and ranchers who have receive consistent training in the various areas. Another 15 participants attend individual sessions throughout the year to attend the workshops. We anticipate the 10 become new beginning farmer and rancher recruits for the next funding year. ? Changes/Problems:The only problem we forsee is the challenges face with offering virtual workshops to farmers and ranchers. Many farmes and ranchers do not have access to reliable internet or computers, making this a difficult delivery. However, we anticipate continuing to offer the workshop virtually and one on one follow up with individual producers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?With each partners a number of trainings and workshops were implemented for farmers and ranchers to gain professional development to enhance their farm and ranch operation. The following is a listing of workshop that were offered up to the shut down date. 10/9/2019 - Dine Livestock day 10/18/2019 - Livestock Artificial Insemination workshop 11/22/2019 - Livestock day 11/25/2019 - Orientation for participants 12/20/2019 - Conservation Planning workshop 1/11/2020 - Business Planning 1/16/2020 - Soils Workshop 1/20/2020 - Schedule F Tax preparation workshop 2/7/2020 - Marketing 3/5/2020 - Soils and Irrigation Workshop How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to the communities through workshops and recruitment of new participants. The events of training and outcome are shared during community meetings and conferences such as the First American Land Grant Consortium. Students and staff are able to share the experiences and accomplishments through presentations, flyers, and social media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?TLE staff has notes and documentation of farm tours, but we have not gathered and reviewed these materials for gaps.The TWDWUA staff are working dilegently to prepare and offer virtual workshops for farmers.Curricula, lesson plans, and training resources have been requested from team members, but everyone is stretched thin. No curricula have been provided to IDRS at this time. Limitations related to the remote and scattered locations of participating producers and restrictions from COVID-19 have shifted the training program from a workshop-based model to a one-on-one technical assistance model where LGO staff conduct circuit trips to visit producers on-site or do phone consultations if site visits are not possible or invited. The training matrix remains a goal, but is not the working model, thus evaluation of a progression of workshops doesn't make sense. The LGO evaluation process should be sufficient to measure producer satisfaction with training. At the start of the project, the team identified Workforce Development funding as a potential sustainability strategy for recruiting and retaining producers in an incubator program. To date, local offices have not been able to provide reliable funded internship positions, raising this development work to the Navajo Nation level. The team would need to secure a commitment from the tribal Workforce Development Office for this deliverable to be meaningful.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This program is year 2 of a 3-year project with Dine' College and Tolani Lake Enterprise (TLE) and the Tsaile Wheatfield Dineh Water User Association (TWDWUA) to provide workshops to farmers at various tier level training along with providing technical assistance to enhancing farmer and rancher best management practices and skills. The partnership between the Dine College and the TLE to develop a market farm incubator site and--infrastructure, site plan, incubator training development & documentation, cohort recruitment, training, mentoring, planting, tending, harvesting and marketing produce. IDRS Contractual services include project management, documentation, and reporting (SN); site and infrastructure planning, design, and installation (JS); workshop integration/curriculum development and documentation (SN); and assistance with mentoring and evaluation (SN). Dine' College is developing and delivering the curriculum and staffing the incubator with a half-time coordinator/trainer/market developer. Project period 9/1/2019 - 8/31/2020 Dine College and the Tsaile Wheatfield Water User Association to revitalize farming to improve the access to local foods. The fiscal year started with several workshop however end up cancelling 5 workshops due to the Navajo Nation shutdown to deal with the COVID 19 pandemic. Recruitment of new participants and workshops were developed and implemented up until the shutdown. Over the course of the first project year, the vision for our training program and incubator evolved from a more conventional farm training program to regenerative agricultural practices that is a more culturally compatible and environmentally sustainable approach to farming in our region. As we reported at the end of the last project year, this resulted in delays related to completion of the incubator site plan, water system design and installation, and development of incubator policies and procedures. The onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, shifted team priorities again. This time to address essential services, food deliveries, and focused capacity building for local producers through mini-grants and specialized technical assistance delivered by phone and working as possible under tribal closures, curfews, and travel restrictions to maintain the Sihasin Demonstration Garden and Incubator Site. It is important to note that government closures have only been lifted since August 17, 2020. All of this combined resulted in delays in completing most of the deliverables, with billing for services delayed proportionally. Due to the Pandemic there are incomplete deliverables: IDRS contractors created hard copy and digital site plans (attached) for the existing TLE site. We worked with TLE grower staff to identify and fix a leak in the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) water supply to the site; site and level all 6 water storage tanks; and develop a master water delivery system for supplying drip irrigation to all existing growing areas with options to expand in the future. In addition, IDRS contractors worked with the Tolani Lake Livestock and Water Users Association (TLLWUA) to locate a new ag waterline extension--the first on this system to serve a farm--and identify the pathway to obtaining tribal approval for the 7,300 foot extension. We have developed materials lists for the TLE water system and the waterline extension. IDRS contractors secured a donation of 7,500 feet of 2-inch waterline for the waterline extension from Navajo Nation valued at $8,000. We drafted crop selection and rotation guidelines and soil enhancement materials lists and plan that we shared with TLE staff mid-winter. We conducted periodic site visits over the past year to assist the TLE grower staff. IDRS contractors will convene a focused work session in the first quarter of year 3 with TLE staff to review the draft plans, finalize recommendations for crop selection and rotation and soil enhancement to operationalize the plans, and make a working calendar for grower support in year 3. IDRS contractors worked with TLE, TLLWUA, and representatives from NTUA and other utility service providers to obtain construction guidelines and stake, GPS, and map the waterline alignment (attached). We identified a consultant to complete cultural and archaeological clearances and are coordinating with TLLWUA and First Nations Development Institute to fund the clearances. We have identified a construction supervisor and laborers, and will complete biological clearances. Construction depends on tribal approval, estimated in October/November 2020. The LGO has photographed a low-cost portable off-grid produce washing station that we will replicate at the TLE site as a demonstration model for growers with remote fields that have a high risk of theft or vandalism. We will develop a building plan and materials list for a permanent structure that can be easily replicated by growers where permanent structures are an option. If funding allows, we will build a permanent wood framed produce washing station as an expansion on the west wall of the TLE building for demonstration and operations at TLE's Sihasin Garden and Training Incubator site. Regenerative agricultural best practices have been documented and are available on TLE's shared drive. Many of these practices are being taught and used at TLE and at other farms in the area, but a workshop progression has not yet been developed. We will convene an orientation session and print hard copies for loose leaf notebooks for TLE grower staff to reference through the growing season. Project management and coordination has been ongoing with IDRS coordinating regular NIFA team calls with IDRS contractors; the LGO Director, extension and training staff; and TLE leadership when needed (9/4, 10/2, 11/6, 11/26, 12/16, 3/11, 2/5, 3/11, 4/9, 5/5, 6/2, 7/7, 8/4). The calls helped the team coordinate activities, share progress, address challenges, and lay out plans through the year.
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is Navajo beginning farmers who range from having never grown a crop or operating a farm to farming less than ten years. Several of these farmers are also military veterans. At the end of three years we anticipate 60 beginning farmers to learn new skills, increase their knowledge of farm practices, and have the necessary tools to make informed decisions of their farm operation. In Year One - the funding allowed for the opportunity for 21 farmers and ranchers who have recieve consistent training in the various areas. Another 15 participants attend individual sessions throughout the year to attend the workshops. We anticipate the 15 become new beginning farmer and rancher recruits for the next funding year. Changes/Problems:Over the course of the project year, the vision for our training program and incubator evolved from a more conventional farm training program to regenerative agricultural practices that is a more culturally compatible and environmentally sustainable approach to farming in our region. This resulted in a shift from our original incubator location that delayed completion of the site plan, infrastructure design and installation, and development of incubator policies and procedures. These activities are underway but will be complete in the first quarter of the second year. ?A Tier 0 Training has been developed for the Tolani Lake (Southwestern Navajo) region. Tier 0 are identified as new growers. The training will incorporate - Garden Planning I (What to grow?, How Much?, Keeping track), Garden Planning II (Crop Rotation, Companion Planting, Cover Crops), Soils and Irrigation, Weed and Pest Management. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The staff of Tolani Lake Enterprise and the Tsaile Wheatfield Water User Association were involved in nearly all of the training offered in their respective regions. Additionally, the Marketing Coordinators at both sites had participated in several trainings and workshops through year one. The Tolani Lake Marketing Coordinator attended the Food Safety and Modernization Act Training held in Flagstaff, AZ. The Marketing Coordinator and Farm Manager of the Tsaile Wheatfield Water User Association attended a week long lettuce greens workshop held by the University of Arizona. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The ongoing results of events, workshops, and activities developed throughout year one has consistently been shared with communities throughout the Navajo Nation during other events and programs held outside of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Grant. Examples: The project was shared to the participants of the Navajo Farmer and Rancher Congress which involves farmers from all over the Navajo Nation. Additionally, as the Dine College Land Grant team conduct workshops and seminars to communities on the Navajo Nation the beginnning Farmers and Rancher Grant is shared with them in hopes of creating more strategic programming that can be made available to other farmers and ranchers who may not reside near the region. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Implement year two trainings while continuously recruiting new farmers and ranchers to participate in the program. Continue to identify new markets to sell locally grown produce. Encourage farmers and ranchers to access United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service programs and the Farm Service Agency. The Tier Three trainings will be designed and implemented.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal One: Train beginning farmers to grow and produce a harvest that will be sold to local and alternative markets. In Year One - the funding allowed for the opportunity for 21 farmers and ranchers who have received consistent training in the various areas. Another 15 participants attend individual sessions throughout the year to attend the workshops. We anticipate the 15 become new beginning farmer and rancher recruits for the next funding year.In total, 51 participants have received some training to improve a current practice. Recruiting Tolani Lake: A cohort for Tier I Training in our area proved to be a significant challenge. The half-time training and market coordinator had difficulty recruiting a committed cohort for the Tier I workshop series because the experienced growers in this area already had gardens and fields and were fully committed to their own growing spaces. Thus, the coordinator pivoted and created a 'Tier 0' training series that she delivered to TLE's grower interns and workforce development trainees. All workshops were open to community members and in total engaged a total of 20 unique participants over the year who will be invited to participate as a Tier I cohort for the second program year. Benita Litson, LGO Director, shared recommendations and templates for recruitment including an engagement agreement that has proven effective with the Tsaile growers. Tsaile Wheatfield: Recruiting for the Cohort two has been a challenge and as a result farmers from neighboring communities have begun to participate in the program. A total of 7 new farmers participated in Tier One training. Uniquely, all of Cohort One participants made and effort to attend all of Tier One training and used it as a refresher course. Outcomes: 1) In the Tsaile, Crystal and Red Lake area all 16 producer produce a crop this year. The Tier One participants five produce a hay crop three produced both hay and vegetables. The Tier Two participants Three produced a hay crop Six produced both hay and vegetable crop Combine, after the 1st business planning training 9 of the producers, mix cohorts began what is known now as the Chuska Farmers. This group was able to grow vegetables in a 30 by 60 feet greenhouse and sold the product for the purpose of covering another greenhouse donated to them by Mesa Community College. The produce they grew were Lettuce and Spinach Greens, Herb (Cilantro, Parsley, and Basil), Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Jalapeno Chili Peppers, snow peas, onions, and carrots. 2) In Tolani Lake - a group of 15 producers were introduced to the program and will most likely become Tier One training participants. Six of these participants began growing vegetable for the first time and nine of the participants have had some experience growing a crop. 3) A total of nine farmers market were conducted with a total of seven farmers selling their produce. The farmers markets were alternated at three sites, Chinle, Tsaile and Dine College Tsaile Campus. The following were dates of the events: Tsaile Dine College 3-6pm Thursday, August 15, 2019 Tsaile Junction 10 am - 1pm Saturday, August 17, 2019 Chinle 3-6pm Friday, August 23, 2019 Tsaile Dine College 3-6pm Thursday, August 29, 2019 Tsaile Junction 10 am - 1pm Saturday, August 31, 2019 Chinle 3-6pm Friday, September 6, 2019 Tsaile Dine College 3-6pm Thursday, September 12, 2019 Tsaile Junction 10 am - 1pm Saturday, September 14, 2019 Chinle 3-6pm Friday, September 20, 2019 4) The Navajo Nation Office of the President has push his initiative to buy local and has purchased produce from the farmers so he can share during the Navajo Nation fairs across the Navajo Nation. We have identified some challenges in regards too accepting funding such as a credit or debit card and the need to include this in future trainings. Goal Two: Develop the foundation to sustainably support community-based agriculture within the collaborative organizations' respective communities. In year one, two part time marketing coordinators were hired; One as a Dine College staff working in the Tolani Lake region as a partner to the Tolani Lake Enterprise. Another is hired within the Tsaile Wheatfield Water User Association Organization. These two coordinators assist with implementing and ensuring that the planned workshop topic areas are conducted within their target communities. Goal Three: Increase the capacity of the collaborative organizations' staff to receive the necessary skills to support the farmers in their communities. The staff from each of the collaborative organization has participated in nearly all of the workshops listed below. Addition workshops that partners attended were the University of Arizona Lettuce Production training, Bringing experts in to train them on staggered planting and plant selection. Goal Four: Over the three years, develop and implement a four-tier training module in the following areas: Business Planning, Farm Planning, Food Safety Planning, and Farm Management. The following trainings have been developed and implemented throughout year one. Tolani Lake Tsaile Wheatfield Tier One Tsaile Wheatfield Tier Two Soil Determination - February 20, 2019 Conservation Planning - November 9, 2019 December 21, 2018 - Record Keeping and Schedule F Record Keeping and schedule F - February 25, 2019 December 21, 2018 - Record Keeping and Schedule F Business Planning - January 21, 2019 Food and Farming in the Southwest - March 11-14, 2019 March 8, 2019 - Soils and Irrigation Season Extension - Farm Planning, scheduling, staggered planting and harvesting - March 22-23, 2019 Conservation Planning - August 5-6, 2019 Weed and Pest Management - April 5 Business Workshop - April 26, 2019 USDA Resource Day - August 29, 2019 GAP/ Food safety and tour - May 3, 2019 Farm Work Day - May 5, 2019 Farm Work Day - May 5, 2019 Navajo Farmer and Rancher Congress - July 10-14, 2019 Navajo Farmer and Rancher Congress - July 10-14, 2019 FARM tours - July 16-17, 2019
Publications
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