Recipient Organization
CENTRAL LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE
1118 3RD ST
ALEXANDRIA,LA 713018345
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Objectives & Collaborators: The OPSF farmer training program, led by an NGO/CBO and inpartnership with Extension, Louisiana Department of Agriculture, and established farms acrossthe state will provide expert producer training in basic livestock and crop farming practices,entrepreneurship, business skills, land access, financial practices (inc. benchmarking), riskassessment, diversification/marketing strategies, food safety, record keeping, and correctiveactions. OPSF will specifically address the distinct cultural and climate realities unique to therural deep south project area.Outcomes: The OPSF program will generate strong regional interest and an average of 50-100program applications per year. Participants will gain new knowledge and improved skills(relating to the objectives) for increased agricultural and business literacy. The OPSF programwill graduate 25 participants per year, 20 of whom will start or expand farming operations. Atleast five graduates will be referred to the BAS program for advanced business coaching everyyear. This program pipeline with strong ties to Extension research, expert staff, regulatoryagency relationships, and national experts, will lead to improved revenue and increased incomesfor participants and more locally sourced food available within the regional food system.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The Opening Pathways to Scalable Farming in the Rural, Deep South proposal incorporates data from workshop evaluations, interviews, and includes data from the 2019 & 2020 Technical Assistance Survey. In total, more than 50 beginning farmers, almost a dozen established farm-based businesses, and more than ten collaborating agencies, have provided guidance for the development of this program. With our region's beginning farmers having stated the need for comprehensive training beyond our introductory workshops, this proposal has been designed to meet this need. Our collaborative network reaches a broad sector of the agricultural community and the project's diverse and comprehensive approach will provide services to farmers at every stage of their first ten years, through the following:? Field Days: equipment trials and demonstrations, farm tours, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities to enhance understanding of diverse production and management systems.? Classroom workshops: Covering specific topics such as the start-up & scale-up phases, fiscal management, recordkeeping, employee management, best practices for business sustainability, production systems, crop planning, post-harvest handling, food safety, niche market development, and increasing product diversity.? Technical Assistance/Business Coaching: personalized assistance with any aspect of farm sciences, land and resource access, farm/business management, food safety, scaling up, financial systems, etc. Coordinating closely with statewide and regional partners to access existing resources.? Growing Guide toolkit: developing a culturally appropriate, weekly crop planning guide linked to income expectations for our subtropical climate and available markets (rural). Scalable for start-up and rapid scale-up based on available time/labor/land and market access. Synthesizing existing resources (specifically extension research and services) that are specific to rural Louisiana and tailored for entrepreneurs to quickly establish revenue generating crops and business plans that are linked to revenue goals that are based on actual regional market data.? Increasing connectivity with regional & statewide networks: collaboration with Louisiana Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Louisiana chapter National Young Farmers Coalition, Produce Safety Alliance, LSU AgCenter, Farmers Market Task Force, Central 5 Louisiana Food Policy Council, Louisiana Food Fellows, Louisiana USDA ( RD, FSA, NRCS, FSA), and more.This new program will graduate 25 new and emerging BFRs across a ten-parish region annually. Among these participants, 20 will either create new or expand existing farming and ranching businesses annually. In addition, 5 graduates will enter the BAS program annually. Overall, this three-year program will lead to at least 60 new/expanded farm and ranch-based businesses in the region, with each business having direct access to entrepreneurship coaching and continued training. This program targets entrepreneurial thinking individuals who would like to explore scalable food production businesses.Goal One: More Farmers.Objectives: Create multiple, widely accessible points of entry into local food production and sales for farmers.Outputs: Up to 50 participants in the annual training program, with 20 graduates establishing new part-time or full-time farm businesses in central Louisiana annually.Outcomes: Sustainable farms through improved income streamsGoal Two: Scalable enterprise development.Objectives: Provide advanced entrepreneurial guidance to new and beginning farmers across region Outputs: Up to five graduates with new/expanded farm businesses in central Louisiana formally participating in BAS (growth orientated business development and coaching services for scaling up) and receiving one-on-one technical assistance from Louisiana CentralOutcomes: Increased opportunities for mid-market agriculture production businesses exporting source identified food at wholesale out of the region.Goal Three: Increased household incomesObjectives: Provide a pathway for participants to increase their monthly income at least $400/month through farm product sales.Outputs: Improved access to new markets, specifically an opportunity to participate in the Alexandria Farmers Market as a pilot for identifying new market opportunities, but also relationships with wholesale buyers and distribution networks statewide.Outcomes: Increased household incomes for program graduates with the goal of an increase in $400/month in income from farm salesWhile each of the stated goals and objectives are focused on the farmers of central Louisiana, this program can be replicated across the state of Louisiana and the mid-South region, where a subtropical climate, and an underserved population makes starting and sustaining a successful farming business challenging. In addition to the training, this project will lead to the development and distribution of a unique resource directly addressing the challenges facing beginning farmers of the rural deep south. The Crop Planning and Growing Business Toolkit will be developed by 6 Louisiana Central staff over the first twelve to eighteen months, being a resource for farmers/entrepreneurs located in subtropical climates, beyond the central Louisiana target region, to assist them in increasing opportunities for start-up and scale-up operations in rural markets.
Project Methods
Just as with all projects that Louisiana Central approaches, we will take a systems-level approach to fulfilling each of the stated objectives of:Creating more farmersDeveloping scalable enterprise developmentIncreasing household incomes for participantsBased on our previous experience, we firmly believe that the formula for hosting a successful beginning farmer training program in central Louisiana and meeting the project objectives is the following:Formal classroom-style workshopsHands-on field-based experiential learningOne on one technical assistance for on-farm implementationLeveraging this formula, we have developed a series of both in-person and on-farm workshops that address specific challenges and opportunities in our region. Each of the workshops outlined below will work together to meet these primary objectives. In summary, these activities include both classroom and on-farm training, led by regional and national experts and solidified by our existing partnerships. Classroom workshop topics include (but not limited to):Intro to Successful FarmingWhole Farm PlanningFarm Sciences (soils, water, safety)Business Planning & Access to CapitalCrop Planning & Selection for Year-Round ProductionMarketing & Outreach/StorytellingEach in-classroom workshop is detailed below, highlighting the objectives:Workshop TopicWorkshop LeadLearning objectivesCurriculumIntroduction to Successful FarmingBahia Nightengale, Louisiana CentralIntroduce workshop syllabus and course requirements (attendance, participation, etc.)Develop shared languageRural Food Business Toolkit, Center for Rural Affairs, https://www.cfra.org/publ ications/rural-food- business-toolkit?among participantsExplore focus of farming for income generationWhole Farm PlanningPartner farmerLearn the start-up story of a successful small farmExplore lessons learned Discuss best practicesValue of record keeping from day oneBuilding a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses; Developed by the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) and published by Sustainable Agriculture Research and EducationFarm SciencesLSU AgCenter LA Dept. of Ag Farmer educatorsSeed selection/ sourcing Seed starting Transplants Soil Health BSAAO FSMAGAP NOPWater Quality Water ManagementCurrent ResearchUSDA and FDA Regulatory GuidanceBusiness PlanningBusiness Acceleration SystemsBasic understanding of business operations, including: Cash flowBookkeeping Records TaxesCost of Goods Sold ProfitFearless Farm Finances, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education ServiceCrop and Market PlanningFarmer educatorsIntroduce market farming concepts and planning, including:Labor Records Seasonality ValueCrop planning Customer serviceUSDA New Farmers resource: https://newfarmers.usda.g ov/Identification of marketsMarketingExperienced marketing consultantDifferentiating between marketing, advertising, and outreachGain new skills in social media for research, outreach, advertising, and marketingExplore resources to develop and implement a marketing strategyNew Farmer Toolbox: Marketing, North Carolina State University Center for Environmental Farming Systems (developed by Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Grant)In addition to the above workshop topics, on-farm field days will be integral to the annual program. A minimum of three field days will be hosted annually at partner farms across the region. These immersive field day experiences will include topics such as:ToolsSoilsIrrigation/Water ManagementWeed Control/IPMLaborRisk Assessment & Corrective ActionsFollowing the workshop series, farmers demonstrating an active interest in developing a scalable enterprise will be invited to formally join the BAS program. Typically, each entrepreneur participates in the BAS program for at least six months, however our most successful entrepreneurs stay in the program for as long as they continue growing their business (BAS is an ecosystem approach that starts at pre-emergent start-ups and goes to multi-million revenue generating business).Entrepreneurial training will be coordinated by Ms. Nightengale, while leveraging the experience of our region's existing entrepreneurs who are already consultants. The program has proven successful in the past and this proposal will allow it to grow to meet the current and future demands of more farmers in our region.OPFSD will graduate 25 new and emerging BFRs across a ten-parish region annually. Among these 75 participants, 20 will either create new or expand existing farming and ranching businesses annually. In addition, 5 graduates will enter the BAS program annually. Overall, this three-year program will lead to at least 60 new/expanded farm and ranch-based businesses in the region, with each business having direct access to entrepreneurship coaching and continued training.OUTCOMETARGET NUMBER(over 3-year grant period)HOW MEASUREDNumber of new farm start ups30Startup farm in operation.Number of new* and start up farmers that graduate from the OPFSD.75Completing all requirements of the OPFSD.Number of new* farmers and start up farmers that enter BAS.15Applications for BAS and starting BASNumber of new* farmers and start up farmers that write a business plan.60Written business plan submitted and reviewed by project staff.Number of new* farmers and start up farmers that write a marketing plan.60Written marketing plan submitted and reviewed by project staff.Increase household income of graduates of at least $400 a month.60Accounting records that evidence increase in income.Evaluation instruments in the Farm Business Health Assessment site.Number of new* farmers and start up farmers that submit loan/credit applications.5Loan and/or credit applications submitted with technical assistance from staff.*New farmer defined as farmer who has been farming for 10 years or less.Baseline Data: Each participant will complete a participatory evaluation using a self-assessment with Likert Scale questions to gauge the attitude, experience, knowledge, practices, and interests of each participant at the start of the program and respond to requested demographic information.The baseline will assess the current level of understanding in production, marketing, business management, finances and legal/regulatory arenas. While the special emphasis audiences selected for the OPSFDS program are socially disadvantaged and limited resource producer status other demographic data will be captured such as veteran, farmworker status and others.At the end of each workshop, participants will complete a formative evaluation to evaluate learning that has taken place. Evaluations will be tallied and summarized then reviewed by project staff.Possible opportunities for change based on evaluation results will be identified, discussed and implemented. A summative evaluation will be administered at the conclusion of the course.For course participants enrolling in BAS, additional evaluative measures will be administered. BAS uses an in-person evaluation to place program participants in the category of skill level within three primary areas of the ecosystem: Emerging, Expanding, or Advanced. As skills are gained and implemented the participants move through the skill levels to the next with coaching and workshops. Data on business expansion and revenue generated is gathered with de-identified metrics and reported out twice a year.All evaluation data will be entered in the Results Verification System.