Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience is beginning farmers seeking to farm in conditions common in the Four Corners States (high elevation, short growing season, arid, irrigation dependent). The Spring Farmer Training Immersion (SFTI) kicked off this year to continue training beyond the FIT program and for other beginning farmers. The course was rebranded as Farm Planning. Twenty-five participants attended at least one of the 20 sessions held over a 10-week period. Course topics covered visioning, marketing, crop planning, branding, high-elevation production practices, government resources, land access, business law and record keeping, cooperatives, soil science and health, and financial management. During this reporting period, we received 24 Farmer in Training (FIT) applications with 17 of them ultimately committing to the program, with all of them completing the program. They did paid work with us from 5/14/24 to 8/31/24 with an average total of 152 hours. Employment will continue through 10/04/24 to finish season for an additional 60 hours available. FITs earned minimum wage ($15/hour) which is our minimum wage for State hourly employees. They received a week of paid orientation to form their team which included tours, team-building, and a corn planting workshop,. They farmed 3.5 acres with the Field Assistants, Production Manager and Harvest Managers by working 12 hours a week. They attended six Summer Short Courses (4 hours per week * 18 weeks), participated in 8 Field Trips and the Farmer Training Convergence. Of these participants, 5 identify as BIPOC farmers (all Indigenous). Four incubator farmers participated in the Incubator Program, which includes the Spring Farmer Training Immersion, 1 day of orientation with the FITs, and optional attendance at community events (blue corn planting/harvest). One of these farmers identifies as BIPOC. One was returning for her second season on .25 acres, two were previous FIT participants in their first year and one outside individual applied to the program. Two Field Assistants (FA) spent their second year farming at the Old Fort. They did 30-35 hours of paid work per week from 4/15/24 to 8/31/24 (employment will continue through 10/31/24 to finish season). Their primary responsibilities were to work with the FITs, attend local farmers markets and assist the Production and Harvest managers. One of the FA identified as a BIPOC farmer. The Harvest Managers worked full time from 3/15/24 through 8/31/24 (employment will continue through 11/30/24 to finish season) in the ½ acre Education Garden with two high tunnels and many succession crops. They worked weekly with FITs and FA. The Production Manager worked full time from 9/1/2023 through 8/31/24 (permanent position) in both the the 3.0 acre FIT field and the .5 acre Education Garden.He worked weekly with FITs and FA, and mentored incubator farmers. 8 local farmers hosted Field Trips to their farms and108 people attended the Farmer Training Convergence held Aug 30-31 in Hesperus, CO. Changes/Problems:In terms of subawards, as previously mentioned one subaward partner had internal organizational challenges that caused them to not be able to meet their obligations and we reallocated most of the funding to other subawardees. The remaining awardees were able to utilize the extra funds to build their farmer training programs and send more representation to the annual Convergence. We rebranded the SFTI course as Farm Planning to better explain the intention of the course. The 2024 course was the most engaged group we have had so far. While we had 17 participants in the program in 2024, their worked hours ranged from 111 to 283 during the course of the entire season. In an effort to serve more aspiring farmers, we didn't interview the applicants in 2024. This range of hours made it very challenging for the staff to deliver a consistent experience for all participants. Of the four incubator farmers, one applicant was outside our program and did not have very much high elevation growing experience. As a result, she joined the FIT program for the first 8 weeks. After that, she attended all of the classes and field trips but did not do paid work. She completed a very successful season. Our BIPOC participants continue to receive living stipends from private and/or federal funding. It increased the number of these applicants and made the program possible for them. However, we have determined that all of our participants could have benefited from these $2,500 stipends given the high cost of living and increasing transportation costs. We will continue to pursue other funding to backfill this need. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided the following training opportunities during this reporting period: 26 unique individuals attended the SFTI course with 8 participants attending 8 or more sessions. 17 Farmers in Training received an average of 150 hours of mentorship from either Program Coordinator, Production Manager or Harvest Managers 2 Field Assistants received 50 hours of mentorship from Program Coordinator and Production Manager 17 Farmers in Training participated in 6 Summer Short Courses (75 hours of class time) 8 other community members participated in at least one Summer Short Course. 17 FITS attended three Indigenous foods workshops (corn and three sisters plantings (irrigated and dryland) and cooking with blue corn) during growing season. 38 beginning farmers attended two-day Farmer Training Convergence This project provided the following professional development opportunities during this reporting period: Quarterly meetings of the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers (average attendance 14) At a quarterly partner meeting, a presentation on Mentor Training was attended by an additional 5 participants 2 Field Assistants, 3 professional staff and 10 community members attended at least one Indigenous food workshops 28 professionals involved in farmer training attended the two-day Farmer Training Convergence How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information related to the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers and the Old Fort Farmer Training Program was distributed through periodic newsletters (5 from Old Fort, with additional mentions in partner organization newsletter, workshops and events), Instagram (@oldfortfarmers), Facebook (www.facebook.com/oldfortathesperus), websites (www.fortlewis.edu/oldfort), and Old Fort listservs. Our 7 partners often shared our newsletters and social media posts with their audiences 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?
In the high-elevation desert region, beginning farmers face a variety of challenges, including short growing seasons, drought, and unpredictable weather patterns. Our project focuses on working with other farmer-support organizations in CO, WY and NM to refine existing farmer training programs, highlight techniques for high-desert conditions, and strengthen and build the Four Corners Training Network (FCTN) to support farmers. In Y1, we pivoted our farmer training program to increase classroom education for community members and Farmers-in-Training (FITs) who also spend 250 hours doing hands-on learning in the field. Based on participant feedback, including 17 FITs, 2 field assistants, 4 incubator farmers, and 45 participants who took the farming courses, the information is relevant for increasing small-farm viability, and, for the FITs, complementary to in-field education. We held a Farmer Training Convergence that brought together 108 people in the farmer training community to discuss challenges and share successes/opportunities. As we close out this grant, our the impacts include strengthening farmer training opportunities relevant to high-elevation farming; making it easier for aspiring and beginning farmers to navigate education/resources in their first years and creating a community of practice among farmer support organizations that weaves farm viability into local communities. Additionally, a focus will be to provide more support in the year immediately following the FIT Program. OBJ1:Strengthen FCTN in collaboration with regional partners, including expanding the Old Fort's FIT program. Major activities Conducted regular partner meetings and follow-up meetings Continued utilizing partner activity tracking sheet Recruited 17 FITs through Instagram posts, email, presentations, newsletters, promotion and application materials, interviews, national farm job board postings and a presentation at AgriSummit and the Western Colorado Soil Health, Food and Farm Forum. Four incubator farmers accessed land at the Old Fort on 5/8 acres Held Farmer Training Convergence (FTC) bringing regional partners, FITs and colleagues together. Delivered the SFTI class series Additional partner participants included but were not limited to: 5 apprentices, 11 second year farmers, 16 land seekers and landowners connected and 37 mentors and farmer trainees. Data collected Partner activities and hours; Numbers of people reached; Numbers of total participants; FTC feedback Summary Four partner meetings strengthened the FCTN and FIT recruitment efforts reached at least at least 3716 people. The Convergence facilitated the sharing of techniques, approaches and tools among FCTN partners and inspired them to take new actions to support beginning farmers by connecting with new partners. Key outcomes Increased FIT participants from 15 to 17; Offered 3 high school student a six-weekFIT experience 4 incubator farmers 4 seasonal staff continued training while taking on more responsibility 108 participants at FTC 92.6 % of FTC attendees agreed it helped them understand what opportunities exist for beginning farmers. OBJ2:Impart knowledge to beginning farmers that will enable them to be successful vegetable farmers in growing conditions across the Mountain West, including providing second-year placements and access to beginning and advanced training through SSCsand the SFTI. Major activities 2024 FIT Program ran May-Oct included farm/field work and classroom instruction Ten workshops Field trips to 8regional farms Seven 6-week SSCs SFTI-Feb through April. FTC - August 30-31 Data collected: We collected qualitative and quantitative data on objectives, outcomes and experiences. FIT Pre/Post Skills Assessments--in-depth self-rating on 113 knowledge and skill points on soils, plants, weed/pest management, harvest/post-harvest, equipment use, farm/business management, marketing, irrigation, season extension, regenerative farming, and land access. 10 SFTI Surveys FIT Pre & Post Season Surveys 5 SSC Surveys FTC Survey; Summary The SFTI kicked off this year to continue training beyond the FIT program and for other beginning farmers. Twenty-six participants, including 2 FITS from 2023, attended at least one of the 20sessions held over a 10-week period. Course topics covered visioning, marketing, crop planning, branding, high-elevation production practices, government resources, land access, business law and record keeping, cooperatives, soil science and health, and financial management. Key Outcomes noted by participants 90% gained confidence in how soil testing can help their farm 73% plan to incorporate some soil testing. 100% increased knowledge in branding and creating a marketing strategy; and will incorporate business planning practices; how to set and achieve farm and business goals; production practices related to crop AND farm business planning; related to high-elevation crop production AND plan to incorporate new production practices; in land access and confidence in pursuing land needs; and are more comfortable accessing state and federal conservation and loan programs The 2024 Farmer Training Team included 2 part-time directors, 1 production and 2 harvest managers, 2field assistants and 8 local farmers. Together they delivered more than 270 hours of training and work experience and achieved Obj 2 as measured by the following. Skills Assessments: The average pre-season self-rating across all areas was 2.0 where 1=not familiar and 5=full competency. The average postseason rating was 3.6 a 180% increase in FIT skills and knowledge. On average, FITs advanced from somewhat familiar to intermediate/advanced knowledge on a wide variety of farming topics. Summer Short Courses: During seven six-week SSCs, survey respondents (avg n=8.4) reported: -100% increased understanding of soil types, knowledge of crop & farm planning and marketing, ability to describe different growing requirements of different plant families, plant observation skills, steps for saving seeds, the importance of PPE; and increased confidence in connecting farm implements. -86-90% increased understanding of basic business considerations to start a farm business, the diversity of ecological farming practices, different irrigation practices and plan to incorporate new production practices. FIT Pre and Post Season Perception Surveys captured FITs overall experience across all activities: 92% plan to continue farming 77% plan to pursue a career farming 62% plan to start a farm business (>200% increase over 2022 FITS) 100% agree the program helped prepare them to start farming & increased knowledge of considerations for operating a farm 92% increased ability to synthesize information and experiences related to farming and food systems, knowledge of basic farm skills, and future farming success 70-100% gained significant knowledge in planting and direct seeding, weed management, harvesting, food safety, farm business planning and land access. Comments about the most valuable part of the program relate to hands-on experiences; connecting with regional farmers, visiting multiple farming operations of different scales, time spent in the field, incorporating Indigenous ag practices and knowledge and perspective (mentioned often), learning about land access resources, USDA loan info, National Young Farmers' Coalition, agrovoltaics, local cooperatives, and pollinators. Participants also appreciated the diverse set of farm tasks and guest lectures/field trips notably significant in providing context and real-world examples. OBJ3: Increase the number of new independent farms in the surrounding area and in communities with similar growing conditions. In 2024, 4 incubator farms formed LLCs and participated in the Old Fort Incubator Program Old Fort, and 3 farmers from Feeding Laramie (WY), 2 farmers from New Mexico and 1 farmers from Fort Collins (Front range of Colorado) participated in the SFTI.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience is beginning farmers seeking to farm in conditions common in the Four Corners States (high elevation, short growing season, arid, irrigation dependent). The Spring Farmer Training Immersion (SFTI) kicked off this year to continue training beyond the FIT program and for other beginning farmers. Twenty-eight participants, including four FITS from the previous year, attended at least one of the 19 sessions held over a 10-week period. Course topics covered visioning, marketing, crop planning, branding, high-elevation production practices, government resources, land access, business law and record keeping, cooperatives, soil science and health, and financial management. During this reporting period, we received 24 Farmer in Training (FIT) applications with 15 of them ultimately committing to start the program, and 12 of them finishing the program. They did paid work with us from 5/16/23 to 8/31/23 with an average total of 147 hours Employment will continue through 10/31/23 to finish season for an additional 96 hours available. FITs earned minimum wage ($15/hour) which is our minimum wage for State hourly employees. They received a week of paid orientation to form their team which included tours, value affirmation exercises, team-building, a corn planting workshop, an Indigenous blessing, and a beading workshop. They farmed 2.25 acres with the Field Assistants, Production Manager and Education Garden Manager by working 12 hours a week. They attended six Summer Short Courses (4 hours per week * 21 weeks), participated in 8 Field Trips and the Farmer Training Convergence. Of these participants, 5 identify as BIPOC farmers (all Indigenous). Four incubator farmers participated in the Incubator Program, which includes the Spring Farmer Training Immersion, 1 day of orientation with the FITs, and optional attendance at community events (blue corn planting/harvest). One of these farmers identifies as BIPOC. Three Field Assistants (FA) spent their second year farming at the Old Fort. They did 30-35 hours of paid work per week from 5/1/23 to 8/31/23 (employment will continue through 10/31/23 to finish season). Their primary responsibilities were to work with the FITs, attend local farmers markets and assist the Production and Education Garden managers. The Education Garden Manager worked full time from 3/15/23 through 8/31/23 (employment will continue through 10/31/23 to finish season) in the ½ acre Education Garden with two high tunnels and many succession crops. Shee worked weekly with FITs and FA. The Production Manager worked full time from 1/1/2023 through 8/31/23 (permanent position) in the 1.75 acre FIT field. He worked weekly with FITs and FA, and mentored incubator farmers. Eight community members attended the at least one of the SSC. 8 local farmers hosted Field Trips to 7 different farms, and one additional farmer presented in a Convergence workshop after cancelling a field trip due to a hailstorm the day before. 10 presenters (7 of them Indigenous) gave guest lectures in the SSCs or presented as part of special events within the program 55 people attended the Farmer Training Convergence held Aug 18-19 in Hesperus, CO. Of those attendees, 26% were BIPOC, 63% were women and 63% had been farming 10 years or less. Of these participants, 6identify as BIPOC farmers. Three Field Assistants (FA) spent their second year farming at the Old Fort. They did 30 hours of paid work per week from 4/15/23to 8/31/23(employment will continue through 10/31/23to finish season). Their primary responsibilities were to work with the FITs, attend local farmers markets and assist the Production and Education Garden managers. One of the FA identifiesas BIPOC farmers. The new Education Garden Manager returned to farming at the Old Fort after working as a FIT in 2019. Sheworked full time from 2/1/23through 8/31/22 (employment will continue through 10/31/23to finish season) in the ½ acre Education Garden with two high tunnels and many succession crops. Sheworked weekly with FITs and FA and identifies as a BIPOC farmer. The Production Manager worked full time from 2/1/23through 8/31/23(employment will continue through 10/31/23to finish season) in the 1.75 acre FIT field. He worked weekly with FITs and FA. Changes/Problems:In terms of subawards, one subaward partner had internal organizational challenges that caused them to not be able to meet their obligations and we reallocated most of the funding to other subawardees, and plan to work on a reallocation of the remaining funds. The other partner organizations are under contract and fulfilling obligations. We have noticed that when we have quarterly partner meetings, they are well attended when we have meaningful topics, but sparsely attended when the meetings focus on sharing updates and administrative questions. The Convergence is well attended by partner organizations. We received 24 applications for the FIT program but by the time the season began in May, we had 15. Twelve of those farmers completed the program. Four incubator farmers, who had completed the FIT Program in 2023, started the growing season with us. Only the farmer with previous growing experience was really able to succeed with her plot. We continue to work on building second-year opportunities as we see that folks need more experience before beginning to farm independently. Our BIPOC participants received living stipends from private and/or federal funding. It increased the number of these applicants and made the program possible for them. However, we have determined that all of our participants could have benefited from these $2,500 stipends given the high cost of living and increasing transportation costs. We will continue to pursue other funding to backfill this need. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided the following training opportunities during this reporting period 28 unique individuals attended the SFTI course with 8 participants attending 8 or more sessions. 15 (beginning of season) and 12 (completed program) Farmers in Training received 150 hours of mentorship from either Program Coordinator, Production Manager or Education Garden Manager 2 Field Assistants received 50 hours of mentorship from Program Coordinator and Production Manager 12-15 Farmers in Training participated in 6 Summer Short Courses (75 hours of class time) 8 other community members participated in at least one Summer Short Course. 12 FITS attended three indigenous foods workshops (corn and three sisters plantings (irrigated and dryland) and cooking with blue corn) during growing season. 29 beginning farmers attended two-day Farmer Training Convergence This project provided the following professional development opportunities during this reporting period: Quarterly meetings of the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers (average attendance 14) At a quarterly partner meeting, a presentation on Mentor Training was attended by an additional 5 participants 3 Field Assistants, 3 professional staff and 10 community members attended at least one Indigenous food workshops 32 professionals involved in farmer training attended the two-day Farmer Training Convergence How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information related to the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers and the Old Fort Farmer Training Program was distributed through periodic newsletters (5 from Old Fort, with additional mentions in partner organization newsletters), Instagram (@oldfortfarmers), Facebook (www.facebook.com/oldfortathesperus), websites (www.fortlewis.edu/oldfort), and Old Fort listservs. Our 7 partners often shared our newsletters and social media posts with their audiences as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our goal is to expand the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers, offering an immersive experience to beginning and aspiring farmers seeking to establish businesses at high elevations or in dry climates/short seasons by providing skills, knowledge connections and continuing education that will lead to business viability and success. Three objectives will guide us in pursuing this goal: 1) establish a training network that supports aspiring and beginning farmers, 2) train beginning vegetable farmers to be successful at high elevations, and 3) increase the number of new independent farm businesses. Objective 1: Strengthen the FCTN in collaboration with regional partners, including expanding the Old Fort's FIT program. Quarterly meetings for core members with invitation to new partners for meetings of general interest Make plans with partners to continue network activities after the grant period Continue to find additional funding sources to make the FIT Program sustainable Objective 2: Impart knowledge to beginning farmers that will enable them to be successful vegetable farmers in growing conditions across the Mountain West, including providing second-year placements and access to beginning and advanced training through Summer Short Courses (SSCs) and the Spring Farmer Training Immersion (SFTI). Pursue additional funding to provide living stipends for all participants Work on better support and mentoring for FIT graduates who continue to farm Objective 3: Increase the number of new independent farms in the surrounding area and in communities with similar growing conditions. Offer opportunities for FIT graduates to continue as incubator farmers
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the high-elevation desert region, beginning farmers face a variety of challenges, including short growing seasons, drought, and unpredictable weather patterns. Our project focuses on working with other farmer-support organizations in CO, WY and NM to refine existing farmer training programs, highlight techniques for high-desert conditions, and strengthen and build the Four Corners Training Network (FCTN) to support farmers. In Y1, we pivoted our farmer training program to increase classroom education for community members and Farmers-in-Training (FITs) who also spend 250 hours doing hands-on learning in the field. Based on participant feedback, including 15 FITs, 3 field assistants, 4 incubator farmers, and 36 participants who took the farming courses, the information is relevant for increasing small-farm viability, and, for the FITs, complementary to in-field education. We held a Farmer Training Convergence that brought together 56 people in the farmer training community to discuss challenges and share successes/opportunities. As we continue, the impacts include strengthening farmer training opportunities relevant to high-elevation farming; making it easier for aspiring and beginning farmers to navigate education/resources in their first years and creating a community of practice among farmer support organizations that weaves farm viability into local communities. Additionally, a focus will be to provide more support in the year immediately following the FIT Program. OBJ1:Strengthen FCTN in collaboration with regional partners, including expanding the Old Fort's FIT program. Major activities Conducted regular partner meetings andfollow-up meetings with individual partners Continued utilizing partner activity tracking sheet With partners, participated in a train-the-trainer for mentor training delivered by Women Food and Ag Network Recruited 15 FITs through Instagram posts, email, presentations, newsletters, promotion and application materials, interviews, national farm job board postings and a presentation at AgriSummit and the Western Colorado Soil Health, Food and Farm Forum. Four incubator farmers accessed land at the Old Fort Held Farmer Training Convergence (FTC) bringing regional partners, FITs and colleagues together. Delivered the SFTIclass series Data collected Partner activities and hours;Numbers of people reached;Numbers of total participants;FTC feedback Summary Four partner meetings strengthened the FCTN and FIT recruitment efforts reached at least 3,287 people. The Convergence facilitated the sharing of techniques, approaches and tools among FCTN partners and inspired them to take new actions to support beginning farmers byonnecting with new partners;diversifying funding;restructuringprogram to have paid work time for students and implement some newly learned planting strategies addo further research on the other training programs. Key outcomes Increased FIT participants from 12 to to 15 4 incubator farmers 3 field assistants continued training while taking on more responsibility 55 participants at FTC 95% of FTCattendees agreed ithelped them understand what opportunities exist for beginning farmers. OBJ2:Impart knowledge to beginning farmers that will enable them to be successful vegetable farmers in growing conditions across the Mountain West, including providing second-year placements and access to beginning and advanced training through Summer Short Courses (SSCs) and the SFTI. Major activities 2023 FIT Program ran May-Octwith weekly farm/field work and classroom instruction Ten workshops Field trips to eight regional farms Seven 6-week Summer Short Courses SFTIfrom Febthrough April. FTC took place August 18-19 Data collected:We collected qualitative and quantitative data on objectives, outcomes and experiences. FIT Pre/Post Skills Assessments--in-depth self-rating on 113 knowledge and skill points on soils, plants, weed/pest management, harvest/post-harvest, equipment use, farm/business management, marketing, irrigation, season extension, regenerative farming, and land access. 11 SFTISurveys FIT Pre & Post Season Surveys SSCSurveys;FTCSurvey;Most Significant Change survey of 2022 FIT Program Graduates Summary The SFTI kicked off this year to continue training beyond the FIT program and for other beginning farmers. Twenty-eight participants, including 4 FITS from 2022, attended at least one of the 19 sessions held over a 10-week period. Course topics covered visioning, marketing, crop planning, branding, high-elevation production practices, government resources, land access, business law and record keeping, cooperatives, soil science and health, and financial management. Key Outcomes noted by participants 90% gained confidence in how soil testing can help their farm 73% plan to incorporate some soil testing in their farm 100% increased knowledge in branding and creating a marketing strategy or plan; and will incorporate business planning practices;how to set and achieve farm and business goals;production practices related to crop AND farm business planning;elated to high-elevation crop production AND plan to incorporate new production practices;in land access and confidence in pursuing land needs; and aremore comfortable accessing state and federal conservation and loan programs ?The 2023 Farmer Training Team included 2 FT directors, a FT production mgr, a FT education garden mgr, three PT field assistants and 8 local farmers. Together they delivered more than 270 hours of training and work experience per FIT and achieved Obj2 as measured by the following. Skills Assessments:The average pre-season self-rating across all areas was 1.79 where 1=not familiar and 5=full competency. The average postseason rating was 3.20 a 178% improvement in FIT skills and knowledge. On average, FITs advanced to intermediate competency on a wide variety of farming topics. Summer Short Courses:During seven six-week SSCs, survey respondents (avg n=11.3) reported: -100% increased understanding in the diversity of ecological farming practices; how growing requirements differ for various crop families and how to apply different growing techniques accordingly; how to identify soil moisture and irrigation needs; foundational sustainable agriculture practices and major policy issues in agriculture. -93% increased understanding of basic business considerations to start a farm business; soil types and soil management practices and plan to incorporate new production practices. -89% increased their confidence in developing a marketing plan. FIT Pre and Post Season Perception Surveyscaptured FITs overall experience across all activities: 91% plan to continue farming 73% plan to pursue a career farming 27% plan to start a farm business 100% agree the program helped prepare them to start farming; will improve their farming success; increased knowledge of basic farming skills, considerations for operating a farm and ability to synthesize information and experiences related to farming and food systems. 90-100% gained significant knowledge in planting and direct seeding, weed management, harvesting, food safety, farm business planning and land access. Comments about the most valuable part of the program relate to hands-on experiences; indoor and outdoor learning; the diverse set of farm tasks that participants could take part in; and the value of Indigenous presenters and workshops being integrated into the schedule and curriculum. Guest lectures/field trips were notably significant in providing context, real-world examples, inspiration and indigenous cultural context and history. OBJ3: Increase the number of new independent farms in the surrounding area and in communities with similar growing conditions. ?In 2023, four incubator farms formed LLCs and participated in the Incubator Program at the Old Fort, and four incubator farmers from Central Wyoming Community College participated in the SFTI.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience is beginning farmers seeking to farm in conditions common in the Four Corners States (high elevation, short growing season, arid, irrigation dependent). During this reporting period, we received 22 Farmer in Training (FIT) applications with 12 of them deciding to spend the summer at the Old Fort for one of their first experiences farming. They did paid work with us from 5/17/22 to 8/31/22 with an average total of 192 hours so far. Employment will continue through 10/31/22 to finish season for an additional 72 hours. FITs earned minimum wage ($12.56/hour) through June 30th and $15/hour beginning July 1. They received a week of paid orientation to form their team which included mini weave looming and non-violent communication workshops. They cooperatively farmed 2.25 acres with the Field Assistants, Production Manager and Education Garden Manager by working 12 hours a week. They attended six Summer Short Courses (4 hours per week * 21 weeks), participated in 8 Field Trips and the Farmer Training Convergence.Of these participants, 4 identify as BIPOC farmers. Three Field Assistants (FA) spent their second year farming at the Old Fort. They did 20-30 hours of paid work per week from 4/15/22 to 8/31/22 (employment will continue through 10/31/22 to finish season). Their primary responsibilities were to work with the FITs, attend local farmers markets and assist the Production and Education Garden managers. Two of the FA identify as BIPOC farmers. The Education Garden Manager spent his third-year farming at the Old Fort. He worked full time from 2/1/22 through 8/31/22 (employment will continue through 10/31/22 to finish season) in the ½ acre Education Garden with two high tunnels and many succession crops. He worked weekly with FITs and FA. The Production Manager worked full time from 2/1/22 through 8/31/22 (employment will continue through 10/31/22 to finish season) in the 1.75 acre FIT field. He worked weekly with FITs and FA. Seven local farmers attended the at least one of the SSC. 14 local farmers hosted 7 Field Trips to 8 different farms. Twelve local farmers helped teach the SSC (Session 1 FS-3; Intro-3; Session 2- 6) 56 people attended the Farmer Training Convergence held Aug 19-20th in Hesperus, CO. Of those attendees, 27% were BIPOC, 68% were women and 43% identified as beginning farmers. Changes/Problems:With 7 subawards to get under contract, it took several months to get everything submitted. Unfortunately, one awardee was unable to complete the financial audit in Year 1 so we were unable to get them under contract. These issues caused a decrease in the amount of funds spent by the subawardees in Y1. We will roll the remaining funds to Y2 with plans for them to use all of them. Growing Season 2022 was a major expansion of the program from 5 Farmers in Training to 12 plus the addition of Field Assistants and a Production Manager. We received 22 applications for the FIT program but by the time the season began in May, we had 12. In May, 2022 the State of CO announced that the minimum wage would increase to $15/hour for State Agencies on 7/1/22. This affected all of our FITs by increasing their wages from $12.56 to $15. This increase will affect our FIT budget by $644.16 (plus fringe) per person enrolled in the program per year (12 hours/wk * 22 weeks). Additionally, the cascading effect of the increase on our budget include $2493 with fringe for the .50 Production Coordinator position and $2133 with fringe for each Field Assistant in Y2. Our BIPOC participants received living stipends from private and/or federal funding. It increased the number of these applicants and made the program possible for them. However, we have determined that all of our participants could have benefited from these $2,500 stipends given the high cost of living, odd schedule and increasing transportation costs. We will pursue other funding to backfill this need. Another challenge that we encountered this year was one of inconsistent attendance, for a variety of reasons depending on the participant. While we had an attendance policy, we did not have an enforcement mechanism for attendance or timely arrival and will change this in future years. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided the following training opportunities during this reporting period 12 Farmers in Training received 150 hours of mentorship from either Program Coordinator, Production Manager, Education Garden Manager or 3 Field Assistants 3 Field Assistants received 50 hours of mentorship from Program Coordinator and Production Manager 12 Farmers in Training participated in 4 Summer Short Courses (56 hours of class time) 7 local farmers participated in at least one Summer Short Course. 12 FITS attended three indigenous foods workshops (corn and three sisters plantings (irrigated and dryland) and cooking with blue corn) during growing season. 24 beginning farmers attended two-day Farmer Training Convergence This project provided the following professional development opportunities during this reporting period: Quarterly meetings of the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers (average attendance 14) 3 Field Assistants, 3 professional staff and 10 community members attended at least one indigenous food workshops 32 professionals involved in farmer training attended the two-day Farmer Training Convergence How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information related to the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers and the Old Fort Farmer Training Program was distributed through periodic newsletters (6 from Old Fort,),Instagram (#oldfortfarmers), Facebook (www.facebook.com/oldfortathesperus), websites (www.fortlewis.edu/oldfort), and Old Fort listservs. Our 7 partners often shared our newsletters andsocial media posts with their audiencesas well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our goal is to expand the Four Corners Training Network for High Desert Farmers, offering an immersive experience to beginning and aspiring farmers seeking to establish businesses at high elevations or in dry climates/short seasons by providing skills, knowledge connections and continuing education that will lead to business viability and success. Three objectives will guide us in pursuing this goal: 1) establish a training network that supports aspiring and beginning farmers, 2) train beginning vegetable farmers to be successful at high elevations, and 3) increase the number of new independent farm businesses. Objective 1: Strengthen the FCTN in collaboration with regional partners, including expanding the Old Fort's FIT program. Train the Trainer for Mentors Quarterly meetings for Core members with invitation to new partners for general meetings Objective 2: Impart knowledge to beginning farmers that will enable them to be successful vegetable farmers in growing conditions across the Mountain West, including providing second-year placements and access to beginning and advanced training through Summer Short Courses (SSCs) and the Spring Farmer Training Immersion (SFTI). Pursue additional funding to provide living stipends for all participants Objective 3: Increase the number of new independent farms in the surrounding area and in communities with similar growing conditions.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the high-elevation desert region, beginning farmers face a variety of challenges, including short growing seasons, drought, high solar radiation and unpredictable weather patterns. Our project focuses on working with other farmer-support organizations in CO, WY and NM to refine existing farmer training programs, highlight techniques forhigh-desert conditions, and strengthen and build the Four Corners Training Network (FCTN) to support farmers. In Y1, we pivoted our farmer training program to increase classroom education for community members and Farmers-in-Training (FITs) who also spend 250 hours doing hands-on learning in the field. Based on participant feedback, including 12 FITs and 9 community members who took the farming courses, the information is relevant for increasing small-farm viability, and, for the FITs, complementary to in-field education. We held a Farmer Training Convergence that brought together 56 people in the farmer training community to discuss challenges and share successes/opportunities. As we continue, the impacts include strengthening farmer training opportunities relevant to high-elevation farming; making it easier for aspiring and beginning farmers to navigate education/resources in their first years and creating a community of practice among farmer support organizations that weaves farm viability into local communities. OBJ1:Strengthen FCTN in collaboration with regional partners, including expanding the Old Fort's FIT program. Major activities - Conducted quarterly partner meetings - Conducted follow-up meetings with individual partners - Created partner agreements/activity tracking sheet - Recruited 12 FITs through instagram posts, email, newsletters, promotion and application materials, interviews, national farm job board postings and a presentation at AgriSummit. - Held Farmer Training Convergence bringing regional partners, FITs and colleagues together. ?Data collected - Partner activities and hours - Numbers of people reached - Numbers of total participants - Farmer Training Convergence feedback Summary Four partner meetings strengthened the FCTN and FIT recruitment efforts reached at least 3,287 people. The Convergence facilitated the sharing of techniques, approaches and tools among FCTN partners and inspired them to take new actions to support beginning farmers in the following ways: - Re-evaluate the financial business model of our program....our program is too reliant on grant funding; we need to start making money throughour training program to ensure its longevity (x2) - Share with La Plata Food Equity Coalition and Family Center to see if there is interest to further support existing initiatives: 1) towards food access/nutritional density; 2) equitable compensation to farmers; 3) season extension; and 4) expanded farm opportunities with healthy school meals and state ballot initiative - Explore hosting incubator plot, I have a better appreciation of appropriate size of a market garden. - Consider different models/goals to refine programming - Renewed hope in the future of farming in the Southwest - Amazing resources for beginning farmers that I had no idea about!(x3) - Valuable to hear from more experienced farmers and those who have a similar level of experience - Thinking about applying to the FIT program(x2) - Experienced farmer panel illuminated what farming is like; don't just jump into it - I will encourage our younger native generation to apply to the FIT - Knowing the Old Fort is supportive of working with Native Americans - Marketing support for incubators and planning for more interns - Develop a training/apprenticeship/incubator program Key outcomes - Increased FIT participants 240% from 5 (2021) to 12 (2022). - Attracted 56 participants to the Convergence-20 more than desired result. - 90% of Convergence attendees agreed the Convergence helped them understand what opportunities exist for beginning farmers. PI Elicia Whittlesey reports, "I hadn't anticipated the buzz in the room and evident excitement from everyone in being on the land together and connecting with each other". OBJ2:Impart knowledge to beginning farmers that will enable them to be successful vegetable farmers in growing conditions across the Mountain West, including providing second-year placements and access to beginning and advanced training through Summer Short Courses (SSCs) and the Spring Farmer Training Immersion. Major activities - 2022 FIT Program ran May-October with weekly farm/field work and classroom instruction - Ten workshops on topics ranging from seed-saving to agricultural cooperatives - Eight field trips to regional farms - Six 7-week Summer Short Courses: Farm and Food Safety;Introduction to Market Farming;Seed to Seed: Plants forFarmers;Growing Specialty Crops at Elevation;Introduction to Farm Business Planning; Ecological Farming - Farmer Training Convergence Data collected We collected qualitative and quantitative data on objectives, outcomes and experiences. - FIT Pre and Post Season Skills Assessments--in-depth self-rating on 113 knowledge and skill points on soils, plants, weed/pest management, harvest/post-harvest, equipment use, farm/business management, marketing, irrigation, season extension, regenerative farming, and land access. Data guides staff/instructors to develop/prioritize educational materials. FITs revisit the assessment for a program evaluation. - FIT Pre & Post Season Perception Surveys - FIT Demographic Surveys - Summer Short Course Surveys - Farmer Training Convergence Survey Summary The 2022 Farmer Training Team included 2 FT directors, a FT production mgr, a FT education garden mgr, three PT field assistants and 14 local farmers. Together they delivered more than 270 hours of training and work experience per FIT and achieved Objective 2 as measured by the following. Skills Assessments: The average pre-season self-rating across all areas was1.79where 1=not familiar and 5=full competency. The average post-season rating was3.61: doublethe pre-season rating. On average, FITs advanced to intermediate competency on an extensive array of topics. Summer Short Courses: During 6 seven-week SSCs, 100% of trainees increased knowledge, understanding and confidence in: farm/food safety principles/practices, ecological farming theory/practices, farm business planning, seed farming, plant biology, marketing, irrigation, soils and growing crops at elevation. Students benefitted from interacting with diverse instructors. Post-season surveys captured FITs overall experience across all activities. - 88% plan to continue farming - 70% plan to pursue a career farming - 50% plan to start a farm business - 100% agree the program helped prepare them to start farming, will improve their farming success, improved their ability to analyze different agricultural practices and plan to incorporate new production practices if/when they start farming. - 100% perceive access to land as a significant barrier to farming AND agree their confidence in pursuing land is increased. - 100% know what resources are available to help farmers access land, but only 50% agree there are adequate resources available for farmland access. Participants' changed how they think about farming as follows: how policy influences farming, how diverse farms can be, the long-term thinking and planning required for successful farms, the practicalities and lifestyle factors that influence successful farming, how individual farms fit into the big picture of our food system and how physically demanding farming is. Guest lectures/field trips were notably significant in providing context, real-world examples, inspiration and indigenous cultural context and history. OBJ3:Increase the number of new independent farms in the surrounding area and in communities with similar growing conditions. Our activities will support this objective in future years, and we will report on this objective during our second year of programming.
Publications
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