Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The below were targeted audiences located throughout Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. Primary audiences mostly came fromWarren, Youngstown, Niles, Hubbard, Austintown, and Howland though there were scattered beneficiariesacross both counties. • Urban Communities • Urban Farms • Rural Communities • Rural Farms • Rural and Urban Community Gardens • Trumbull County Growers • General Public Changes/Problems:The only activity that is not sustainably complete at the close of the grant is Activity/Objective 4 - creation of four farm business courses. These four courses are in production currently and under development by Ohio State University Extension. They will be released upon completion through the same methods we presented and released the 8 week series. Overall the largest challenge during this project was COVID. As with everyone else we were forced to modify nearly everything in some way - going virtual, delaying, and adjusting timelines. We found virutal attendance at the onset of the pandemic to be high but as time went on virtual attendance plummeted across all of our programming. After assessing that we pivoted to one-on-one assistance as often as possible as we found that our community was more receptive to that strategy. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An 8 week educational series for Fruit and Vegetable Growers was presented live and a recording is available in Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership's YouTube Channel. One on one training was offered in a variety of ways including direct on-site support for community gardeners and through a range of classes TNP offers outside of this funding source. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Programs and Opportunities were promoted in a range of ways including social media, email newsletters, newspapers, and television (the latter two through press releases). Through the Facebook platform, TNP reached over 2,000 people with post engagements about the project during this reporting period. Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership distributed 150 print flyers throughout the community. Physical flyers were left at local laundromats, grocery stores, farm equipment stores, and other locations within the community focusing on urban communities, communities struggling with poverty, and spaces where growers traditionally gather. Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership and programming partners also distributed the flyer through their networks digitally. Press releases were sent out to traditional media - newspaper and video as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
GOAL 1: EXPAND FARM BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE OF GROWING AND BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE AGRIBUSINESS. Activity/Objective 3: 8 Week Series for Fruit and Vegetable Growers An 8-week class series was held in Spring of 2021 and included the following workshop topics, Garden Planning for Succession, Season Extension, Safe Pesticide Use, Food Safety/GAPs, Soils and Soil Amendments, Small Fruits, and Tree Fruits/Grapes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these workshops took place online within Zoom in a digital space. The digital space was helpful to allow speakers to present to the group from various Ohio State University Extensions offices within the state. Data for this activity was collected through Facebook Metrics, Eventbrite Metrics, Zoom quizzes, a QR code link for registration to paper flyers. A survey was also administered to the participants. There were 46 total participants for the workshops. 34 Participants completed the survey administered directly after the workshop. 39.4% of survey participants reported living in Trumbull County, 42.4% were located in Mahoning County, and the rest were in counties outside the Mahoning Valley. The distribution of workshop participant locations can be attributed to the online nature of the workshops and the online outreach for the workshops. 4 participants are currently growing direct to consumers, with 1 participant interested in starting a farm business. Three of the participants that completed the survey are also created value-added products with their farm business. We had hoped to catch more people interested in commercial production with this workshop series, but as the topics covered were beneficial for all growers, we had many home gardeners. 79.4% of the survey participants strongly agreed that the workshop provided valuable information for their farm or garden, and 23.5% agreed that it provided valuable information. Zoom quizzes were administered to workshop participants before and after the workshops. Outcome 1: Planning and development of workshops with project partners. The project has completed the planning and development of the 8 Week Series for Fruit and Vegetable Growers. Outcome 2: 85% of workshop participants will learn as reported and evaluated pre-course/workshop and post-course/workshop examinations. Before the workshops, on average, participants answered 81.57% of questions correctly, and after the workshops, they answered 97.15% of the questions correctly. Due to the limitations of Zoom and to ensure all participants completed the surveys, we were unable to attach quiz results to individual participants. The way the surveys are administered will change in 2022, with future programming moving back to an in-person format. An unanticipated outcome of this specific activity/objective was learning about our local growers' technical support needs through direct conversation and the completed online survey that was administered at the end of the workshop series. Other training needs include pruning, perennials, growing different types of produce that is not common, permaculture, herbs, greenhouses, and high tunnels, navigating legal and regulatory requirements for producing and processing different foods, crop rotation, and beekeeping, just to name a few. GOAL 2: CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN SHARE SEEDS AND PLANT KNOWLEDGE. Activity/Objective 1: Create and place seed exchange catalogs throughout Trumbull County, Ohio. Outcome 1: Three seed exchange catalogs have been installed: Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, Warren, Ohio (Urban); Trumbull County Soil and Water Conservation District, Cortland, Ohio (Rural); and McGuffey Center, Youngstown, Ohio (Urban). This outcome was delayed for installation until the summer of 2022 due to the pandemic. The three locations selected for the catalogs were not openly accessible to the public until 2022. Once reopened to the public the supplies were ordered and installed. We are currently establishing a baseline of usage and a database of catalog participants for evaluation purposes. ' GOAL 3: INCREASE ACCESS TO LOCAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY GARDENERS AND BACKYARD GROWERS. Activity/Objective 2: Soil Health and Fertility Program including workshops and soil nutrient tests The Trumbull Soil and Water Conservation District engaged with the public in 2022 on composting methods and soil tests that Penn State University will administer for home and community gardeners. Two attempts were made to host in-person workshops with only one registration. We adjusted course and switched to offering one on one technical support at the TSWCD offices, hosted a session at the Brookfield Library, and set up a table at the Warren Farmers Market. Through those methods 25 residents were served. Both TSWCD and TNP are continuing to offer these services, compost kits, and soil tests to the public. Activity/Objective 5: Provide planning and technical support to at least 25 community gardens in Trumbull County. Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership provided technical support to the following community gardening projects during the project. They include Paradise Gardens, Warren Grown Community Farm, Garfield Community Gardens, Roosevelt Community Garden, Cortland Community Garden (New), Laird Community Garden, Porter Street Community Garden, Freyarwynd Gardens, Summit Academy School Garden, Inspiring Minds Youth Garden, Children's Pollinator Garden, Willard Community Space, Our Place, Community Gathering Space, Urban Community Victory Garden, and the Warren Community Prayer Garden. Technical support included garden planning, community engagement planning, resource planning. Two new community gardens were launched in 2022. Over 200 community members participated in at least one of these garden spaces in 2022. TNP also created a new partnership in 2022 with Central State University's Beginning Farmer Program. This USDA award allowed us to offer free education to community gardeners within the Mahoning Valley. Over 30 different individuals participated in one or more free technical learning sessions. GOAL 4: CONNECT MORE FARMERS TO LOCAL PROCESSING RESOURCES FOR PROCESS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT? Activity/Objective 6: Connect six producers that sell to local markets in the Mahoning Valley to resources at Commonwealth Kitchen Incubator to produce products to extend the shelf life of their farm products. Resources were provided to support eight producers selling in the Mahoning Valley. The funding allowed for a range of small and emerging producer businesses to have time in the kitchen incubator and offset some of the cost burden for them in 2022. As with many other elements of this applicant the majority of this collaboration and support with Commonwealth was unable to begin until 2022 because of the pandemic but was further delayed by the unexpected death of the director of the incubator. That said, a baseline of data is being collected this year for those 8 program participants and they will be tracked for evaluation of this pilot endeavor.
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for the project is listed below: Urban Communities Urban Farms Rural Communities Rural Farms Rural and Urban Community Gardens Trumbull County Growers General Public Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Programs and Opportunities were promoted in three primary ways. These include social media, printed media, and lastly television media. Through the Facebook platform, TNP reached 1,687 people with 162 post engagements about the project during this reporting period.Trumbull Neighborhood Partnershipdistributed 150 print flyers throughout the community. Using a combination of bit.ly links and QR codes, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership tracks how many people physically engage with the information on a flyer, and from 150 flyers distributed and posted in the community 9 people scanned the QR code which linked to the event registration page. Physical flyers were left at local laundromats, grocery stores, farm equipment stores, and other locations within the community focusing on urban communities, communities struggling with poverty, and spaces where growers traditionally gather.Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership and programming partners also distributed the flyer through their networks digitally. Included are links to outreach efforts that have occurred through the local print and television media in an effort to reach more people and let them know about the opportunities available.Warren organization hosts last city, community garden cleanup of 2021andWorkshop offers chance to learn about homesteading and backyard farming What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Over the current project period, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership (TNP), Trumbull County Soil and Water Conservation District (TSWCD), and The Ohio State University Trumbull County Agricultural Extension (OSU) have hosted a digital 8-week series for growers with 46 participants to enhance their skills and knowledge about growing. The project has also provided technical support for 14 established community garden projects in Trumbull County, two community leaders hoping to begin community gardening projects, two community governments that want to start new community gardening projects, and a new community garden was started in Cortland, Ohio. These collective efforts strengthen the network of growers and producers that can potentially expand their growing operations into commercial spaces, which is critical to keeping local food plentiful and affordable for all residents in Trumbull County and surrounding communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, store shelves were bare, and sometimes the fruits and vegetables we could buy in stores were not of the best quality due to transit challenges and it has shown us how valuable are local producers truly are. GOAL 1 Activity 3: 8 Week Series for Fruit and Vegetable Growers An 8-week digital class series was held in Spring of 2021 in cooperation with OSU and TSWCD. Data for this activity was collected through Facebook Metrics, Eventbrite Metrics, Zoom quizzes, a QR code link for registration to paper flyers. A survey was also administered to the participants. There were 46 total participants for the workshops. 34 Participants completed the survey administered directly after the workshop. 39.4% of survey participants reported living in Trumbull County, 42.4% were located in Mahoning County, and the rest were in counties outside the Mahoning Valley. 4 participants are currently growing direct to consumers, with 1 participant interested in starting a farm business. Three of the participants that completed the survey are also created value-added products with their farm business. We had hoped to catch more people interested in commercial production with this workshop series, but as the topics covered were beneficial for all growers, we had many home gardeners. 79.4% of the survey participants strongly agreed that the workshop provided valuable information for their farm or garden, and 23.5% agreed that it provided valuable information. Zoom quizzes were administered to workshop participants before and after the workshops. Due to the limitations of Zoom and to ensure all participants completed the surveys, we were unable to attach quiz results to individual participants. Outcome 1: Planning and development of workshops with project partners. The project has completed the planning and development of the 8 Week Series for Fruit and Vegetable Growers. Outcome 2: 85% of workshop participants will learn as reported and evaluated pre-course/workshop and post-course/workshop examinations. Before the workshops, on average, participants answered 81.57% of questions correctly, and after the workshops, they answered 97.15% of the questions correctly. Activity 4: Four Farm Business Courses Planning has begun for the 2022 Farm Business Courses with OSU. No data has been collected at the time of this report for this activity. No data has been collected at the time of this report for this activity. Key outcomes for this activity will be available in 2022 after the workshops occur. GOAL 2 Activity 1: Create and place seed exchange catalogs throughout Trumbull County, Ohio. Locations have been identified for 2/3 of the seed catalogs. However, sourcing the proper furniture for this activity has been a challenge due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. No data has been collected at the time of this report for this activity. There is no data summary at the time of this report. The project team has also navigated the challenging issue of disease control. It will focus on creating a plan to mitigate the impacts of plant disease that can potentially be spread through improper seed harvesting. The project team has spent time researching other seed exchange models. GOAL 3 Activity 2: Soil Health and Fertility Program including workshops and soil nutrient tests Plans have been made with TCSWCD to hold workshops in 2022 on composting methods and soil tests that Penn State University will administer for home and community gardeners. No data has been collected at the time of this report for this activity. There is no data summary at the time of this report. Key outcomes for this activity will be available in 2022 after the workshops occur. Activity 5: Provide planning and technical support to at least 25 community gardens in Trumbull County. TNP provided technical support and outreach to community gardens that are active and groups that want to start community gardens. TNP has also worked to increase access to resources online and has expanded those efforts in 2021 as to reach more residents. This has resulted in resident leaders that have reached out for support in their community gardening efforts, and while they have not launched yet, that support is ongoing. Data is collected through various applications for support, email correspondence between community leaders and TNP staff. In 2021 TNP has supported 15 active community gardens projects and four potential community garden projects. Two cities and two communities have also reached out for support to potentially start and lead community garden projects.Of the gardening projects that are currently active, 73% of the spaces are growing food and have dedicated space for pollinator species, while the remaining gardens focus primarily on pollinator habitat. All of the currently active community garden projects listed above are located within the city of Warren, which is the county's urban center. Hence, pollinator habitat is also crucial for our produce yields. Outcome 1: Increase community garden participation by 25% over established baselines through outreach planning and increased growing knowledge. This data will be collected for report out in January of 2022. Outcome 2: Provide technical support to over 25 community gardens in Trumbull County. At this time, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership has provided technical support to 19 community garden projects in Trumbull County. While there is a heavy concentration of gardens within the city of Warren, we hope to expand those efforts into greater Trumbull County in 2022. GOAL 4: Activity 6: Connect six producers that sell to local markets in the Mahoning Valley to resources at Commonwealth Kitchen Incubator to produce products to extend the shelf life of their farm products. To promote opportunities with Commonwealth Kitchen Incubator and different equipment available at the incubator, TNP held a Facebook Live Event. While the event did not lead to any conversions directly - there is currently very little availability for businesses to use the incubator due to current demand. Data collected in 2021 pertained to the Facebook Live event and is gathered through Facebook's Business Platform. While 534 people have been reached since the event on May 18, 2021, there has been a 0% conversion rate regarding farmers creating products in the incubator. Key outcomes for this activity will be available in 2022 after more outreach and advertising efforts occur.
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