Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:This project serves predominantly low-income women, queer, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) urban farmers and consumers. ? Changes/Problems: Agroecology Commons decided to postpone the Bay Area Farmer-to-Farmer Training program until 2024. During this postponement, one of our key focuses was identifying new strategies to enhance the effectiveness of our training program. We aimed to provide participants with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills by developing a robust curriculum that nurtured diverse skills required for sustainable farming. This curriculum included soil building, vegetable cultivation, herbal medicine, beekeeping, tractor safety, crop planning, animal stewardship, seed saving, and cooperative organizing. Additionally, we dedicated significant time to investing in our relationships with farm partners to better understand the needs and realities of the farming community, especially in the face of constantly changing economic and climate landscapes. We also engaged in meaningful discussions with past graduates of the Bay Area Farmer-to-Farmer Training (BAFFT) program who had transitioned into apprenticeships through the farmer mobilization program. These conversations allowed us to gain valuable insights and feedback from these graduates, enabling us to identify gaps in our curriculum and better support participants as they moved from BAFFT to the mobilization program. In preparation for the BAFFT in 2024, we hosted a series of farmer-to-farmer skillshares to offer more bite-sized learning experiences for our network and continue with relationship-building between farmers in our network. We recently had the pleasure of hosting a farmer-to-farmer Skillshare event at Three Feathers Farm in Morgan Hill. It was a remarkable gathering that brought together numerous dedicated land stewards, fostering a strong sense of collective land stewardship and providing an opportunity to share valuable skills and knowledge. The Skillshare covered a diverse range of themes, including seeds, planting, irrigation, and building, inspiring participants to connect and bond over their shared passion for sustainable farming practices. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Agroecology Commons has created a multi-dimensional learning environment that facilitates the exchange of agricultural knowledge and nurtures the well-being and resilience of the farming community. This approach aligns closely with the ethos of Campesino-a-Campesino, where the emphasis is on communal learning, sustainable practices, and the empowerment of farmers through shared experiences and mutual support. Our farmer-to-farmer skillshares are practical and interactive, focusing on real-world agricultural skills and community learning. At Three Feathers Farm, they hosted a skillshare on using seeders, transplanting, and crop planning, providing hands-on experience in essential farming techniques. Additionally, the Sustainable Systems Research Foundation (SSRF) conducted a session on building a hoop house. The program's diversity was further highlighted through a collaboration with Urban Tilth youth and the Goat Collective. Participants learned about goat stewardship, including milking and cheesemaking, with engaging activities like milking goats and making fresh cheese flavored with garden herbs. At Raised Roots Farm, the skillshare topics expanded to include mental and physical preparation for farming, social permaculture, community organizing for systemic change, and celebrating ancestral traditions. These sessions emphasized the importance of personal well-being and community involvement in sustainable farming. Complementing these skillshares, three field days provided farmers with direct, hands-on experience at our cooperative incubator farm. Participants helped to prep our shed for the cooperative farm tool lending library, build mushroom compost, and tend to our native hedgerows. In November, the community joined us to plant native pollinator plants for our hedgerows. Moreover, AC hosted a two-day Cooperative Organizing Skillshare that covered cooperative business models and community organizing strategies for socially and financially sustainable farms and food webs. Workshops provided a structured and supportive learning environment, where farmers have the opportunity to delve into new agricultural concepts and techniques. Recognizing that farming is as much a mental and emotional endeavor as it is a physical one, AC hosted two Farmer Wellness Days to focus on farmer well-being, addressing stress management and mental health and reinforcing the idea that the sustainability of farming practices is inextricably linked to the well-being of those who steward the land. In the coming six months, AC will finalize the schedule for skillshares at the incubator farm and various partner sites. We will create programming agendas and develop tailored curriculum. During this timeframe, AC plans to host a minimum of seven skillshares. In collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley Agroecology Lab, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), Agroecology Commons hosted two soil workshops, covering no-till farming methods, perennialization, fermentation processes, seed saving techniques, and on-site composting practices, among others. We also hosted a "Soil as teacher: preparing the ground for agroecology" workshop. Around 75 folks gathered at the University of Santa Cruz's Center for Agroecology's Hay Barn to explore the topic of "soil as teacher". Cole Rainey from UC Berkeley's Agroecology Lab hosted a panel discussion in which Hope Barajas from Entangled Stewardship shared their wisdom about Korean natural farming and ferments, Ab from the People's Programs spoke about soil health, revolution, and crop rotations, Traver Riggins from the Gill Tract Farm shared about the importance of listening to the soil as guidance from the land and our ancestors, Aaron from Kern Family Farm highlighted their on-farm composting practices, and Brooke and Alexa from Agroecology Commons spoke about cover cropping practices and benefits. Throughout the day we explored the themes of how soil teaches us how to decompose current systems in service to more life-giving ones, and how our land stewardship is transforming soil biology, increasing resilience, and promoting the "health" of our landscape. In the afternoon we spent time on the farm, observing different soil management practices and soil health indicators. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we have several strategic objectives aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of our programs and expanding our outreach. One of our primary goals is to successfully launch the 2024 Bay Area Farmer-to-Farmer Training (BAFFT) program. We are aiming to enroll 40 new participants, providing them with a comprehensive suite of educational resources and support to foster their development as agroecological farmers. In conjunction with the BAFFT program launch, we are excited to implement new online modules designed to provide flexible, accessible learning opportunities. These modules will cover essential topics such as sustainable farming practices, cooperative business models, and food system ethics, tailored to meet the diverse needs of our participants. Another key component of our plan is organizing a business training workshop. This workshop will focus on equipping participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully manage and grow their farming enterprises within a cooperative framework. Emphasis will be placed on practical, actionable strategies that can be directly applied to their operations. In an effort to enhance community engagement and collaborative learning, we are also in the process of organizing market and field day activities. These events will be conducted in partnership with local organizations such as Cooperation Richmond, Feed Black Futures, and Mandela Grocery Cooperative. These activities are designed to provide hands-on learning experiences and to foster a network of support among local farmers, consumers, and food system advocates. To bolster our planning efforts and ensure the alignment of our activities with the needs and values of our community, we are hosting a farmer and values-aligned networking event on February 29, 2024. This event will not only serve as a platform for community building and knowledge sharing but also as a critical tool for collecting baseline data. The insights gained from this event will inform and refine the strategic planning of our upcoming events and initiatives, ensuring they are effectively tailored to advance our collective goals in sustainable agriculture and community empowerment. During the next reporting period, we have several strategic objectives aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of our programs and expanding our outreach. One of our primary goals is to successfully launch the 2024 Bay Area Farmer-to-Farmer Training (BAFFT) program. We are aiming to enroll 40 new participants, providing them with a comprehensive suite of educational resources and support to foster their development as agroecological farmers. In conjunction with the BAFFT program launch, we are excited to implement new online modules designed to provide flexible, accessible learning opportunities. These modules will cover essential topics such as sustainable farming practices, cooperative business models, and food system ethics, tailored to meet the diverse needs of our participants. Another key component of our plan is organizing a business training workshop. This workshop will focus on equipping participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully manage and grow their farming enterprises within a cooperative framework. Emphasis will be placed on practical, actionable strategies that can be directly applied to their operations. In an effort to enhance community engagement and collaborative learning, we are also in the process of organizing market and field day activities. These events will be conducted in partnership with local organizations such as Cooperation Richmond, Feed Black Futures, and Mandela Grocery Cooperative. These activities are designed to provide hands-on learning experiences and to foster a network of support among local farmers, consumers, and food system advocates. To bolster our planning efforts and ensure the alignment of our activities with the needs and values of our community, we are hosting a farmer and values-aligned networking event on February 29, 2024. This event will not only serve as a platform for community building and knowledge sharing but also as a critical tool for collecting baseline data. The insights gained from this event will inform and refine the strategic planning of our upcoming events and initiatives, ensuring they are effectively tailored to advance our collective goals in sustainable agriculture and community empowerment.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
After months of extensive planning, fundraising, and coordination, we are thrilled to announce that the 2023 farm apprenticeships officially commenced and are almost complete! We have a total of 12 apprentices who are being mentored by nine experienced and knowledgeable farmers in the Bay Area. The participating farms include Soul Flower Farm, Kula Nursery, Raised Roots, Feral Heart Farm, Scott Family Farm, The Goat Wild Collective, Red H Farm, Cultural Roots Nursery, and Berkeley Basket CSA. This collaboration resulted in the creation of 12 individualized learning plans for apprentices across these diverse farms. Alexa and Brooke, members of our team, have been traveling extensively throughout the region, from Fresno to Sebastopol to Winters, visiting the apprentices currently engaged in paid on-farm apprenticeships. Throughout Q3, we conducted site visits to our various farm host/mentor sites. It was great to see how impactful knowledge-sharing practices have been. Apprentices Karly and Wang?i have been learning an abundance of skills as they move through their apprenticeship with the Goat Wild Collective. The motivation for the goat collective is to deepen in kinship and relationships of reciprocity with animals that provide nourishment to community and ecosystems. Relationships with goats, community, goat milk, cheese, meat, love, care, snuggles, hardship, healing, and ice cream are all products of the Goat Collective. Goat Wild Collective members are passionate about mutual care, local food sovereignty, and multi-species kinship. They believe all animals, humans and others, deserve a life where they can thrive, and a death that honors their sentient and embodied experience. They believe humans deserve to know where their food comes from, and to be able to eat food produced in ways that align with their values, rather than contradict them. Karly and Wang?i shared with us some of the incredible skills they have been learning including how to milk goats, sheer sheep, butcher, and make a variety of delicious goat cheeses! Victoria and Corey have been learning about nursery production, growing for seed, as well as farmer market sales as they work alongside the gifted farmer and mentor, Li Schmid from Cultural Roots Nursery. Corey has been growing out seeds that she gathered on a recent trip home to Okinawa and Victoria has been growing to support both Cultural Roots Nursery and her recently launched project called Seeds to Skillet which supports youth in Sacramento to connect with their ancestral food practices and grow their own food. Maya Blow and apprentice, Mimi, a graduate of BAFFT 2022 hosted us at Soul Flower Farm. We spent a sweet morning together focused on a natural building project, refinishing the land's cob oven. Mimi shared with us an array of new skills they have been learning from Maya including natural building, tending to plants, prepping beds, and medicine making. At Raised Roots Farm, Jamil's proudly straight and efficient rows were full of garlic, tulsi, heirloom wheat, numerous delicious pepper varieties, and much more! BAFFT graduate and apprentice, Kevin, shared about many incredible farming practices he has been learning alongside his mentor Jamil. We loved hearing about how impactful it has been for him to learn from Jamil, from holding a shovel properly, to the skillful way of preparing a bed, to going home and chopping sweet potatoes for dinner like a champion and more. It is an honor to work with such skilled farmers who are deeply committed to training aspiring land stewards. We had an apprenticeship visit with Kanoa, Lidia, and Tushar at Feral Heart Farm. We experienced reprieve from the hot sun and harvested black eyed peas for seed under cloud cover before the forecasted rainfall. Tushar and Lidia were sharing their experiences rearranging their lives to be able to be there learning with Kanoa who has been farming that land for the past eleven years. It is an honor to witness agrarian skills generously being transferred in all directions. Lastly, we visited Omar, an apprentice at Catalan Family Farms. Upon entering the farm, Omar rolled up driving the tractor, one of the new skills he has learned from María and her family. As we stood in the shade under the chiles, Omar shared about his abuela's salsa recipes and his desire to start cultivating more ancestral crops. This vision has been inspired by his experiences on María's farm. María is the first farm worker, turned farm owner in California, now running a 15- acre mixed vegetable farm in Hollister. When she is not farming, María is busy fighting for migrant workers' rights and the development of an equitable food system. Over the next few months, AC will develop and implement evaluation methods for the apprentices to ensure continuous improvement and assessment of the program's effectiveness. Looking ahead, Agroecology Commons is focusing on refining its apprenticeship matchmaking strategy for future cohorts. This strategy refinement is based on feedback and insights gained from past experiences, aiming to enhance the effectiveness and relevance of the apprenticeship placements. ? We've made significant progress in developing our cooperative incubator farm. Firstly, Ac has hired a Cooperative Incubator Farm Manager, Lazzlo! They are currently developing an Incubator Farm manual, intake process, and crop plan. In 2023, we completed key infrastructure projects, including a new wash station and extended irrigation spigots. The wash station is equipped with a greywater system feeding our native hedgerow plants. We've also planted hundreds of native pollinator plants, thanks to a donation from the Xerces Society and the help of volunteers. In partnership with Wild Earth Art, we are installing new lockers, a wash station, a compost toilet, a systematic compost pile, and a shade structure. With more infrastructure underway, we're gearing up to launch the incubator farm in the coming six months.
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Progress 09/15/21 to 09/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:In this reporting period, we focused on training and moving resources to 86 BIMPOC (Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, and People of Color) as well as Queer, Trans, Femme people. In the past year, our program has served these 86 beginning farmers through two cohorts of the Bay Area Farmer-to-Farmer Training (BAFFT) and one cohort of our Farmer Mobilization program. BAFFT fills a critical niche in beginning farmer training programs by mobilizing a diverse demographic. We believe a diversity of farmers are crucial for long-term food security, food sovereignty, and sustainable community development. Our program has served residents ranging from Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Napa, Marin, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Alameda, Fresno, Santa Clara, and Sacramento counties. Participants represent a diverse range of ages (~19- +60) as well as cultural, racial, economic backgrounds. This project also works with a diverse group of experienced farmer educators whose farms demonstrate an array of farming techniques, acreage, and unique cultural crops. Agroecology Commons' Bay Area Farmer to Farmer Training (BAFFT), is an in-person/on-farm and virtual training intensive prioritizing participation from Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, People of Color (QTBIMPOC) beginning farmers in partnership and collaboration with a diverse network of regional farmer educators. BAFFT's farmer educators are also farmers themselves who are defined as socially disadvantaged, and who are committed to passing on their knowledge to beginning farmers. BAFFT incorporates a range of farming topics including: soil fertility, seed stewardship, crop planning, small-farm production, community-based and cooperative marketing, food sovereignty, food safety, and value-added processing. Our training promotes critical educational programming that teaches technical hands-on farming skills, as well as theories, practices, and applicable history pertaining to socially disadvantaged farmers. To get a visual glimpse of the inspiring and diverse learning experiences offered by BAFFT's on-farm days, check out our photo album from our 2022 cohort here! Participants in BAFFT over an eight-week period spend every Saturday on different farms in an experiential learning environment, where they acquire technical skills related to farming. Every Wednesday we gather virtually to cover theoretical content, which allows us to bring in an array of guest speakers from around the country and the globe. Participants also have access to 120 hours of supplemental course content on our digital learning platform hosted through Farmer Campus by Mighty Networks. On our virtual platform, participants have access to videos, articles, podcasts, and fact sheets to support their learning. Below is a list of BAFFT's modules that we have covered throughout the duration of the course: Module 1: Introduction to Agroecology, Animal Stewardship, Goat Milking and Cheesemaking Module 2: Indigenous Foodways and Seed Sovereignty Module 3: Integrated Pest Management & Tractor Use/Safety Module 4: Agroecological Principles and Resilience Module 5: Herbal Medicine and Beekeeping Module 6: Holistic Soil Stewardship Module 7: Farming in Climate Chaos and Mutual Aid Module 8: Black Agrarianism, Land Access and Agency Module 9: Seed Stewardship, Ancestral Foodways, Vermicompost, and Plant Propagation Module 10: Global Social Movements for Agroecology and Food Sovereignty Module 11: Dismantling Racism within the Food System and Intergenerational Learning Module 12: Cottage Food laws, Business Planning, Land Policy and Justice Module 13: Urban Rooftop Farming, Farmers Markets, and Cooperative Organizing Module 14: Land-Based Healing, Queer Ecologies, and Movement Building Module 15: Preparing Your Mind and Body for Farming, Value Added Products, and Community Celebration Following BAFFT participants have the opportunity to deepen their learning and experiential skills by participating in our Farmer Mobilization program. The Farmer Mobilization proceeds after BAFFT programming and embodies its values and visions by providing graduates with opportunities to viscerally experience farming with mentorship, catalyze a farming business, and deepen practices as land stewards. Currently, there are two pathways in which participants can apply to participate in the Farmer Mobilization: Paid on-farm apprenticeships with experienced farmers in the BAFFT network and through seed grants that supports an existing or budding agroecological business with advisorship support. Through this part of our program we provide opportunities that support beginning farmers through real-life relationships with place, people, soil, and plants. Agroecology Common's on-farm apprenticeship program between experienced and beginning farmers who are QTBIMPOC and gender marginalized justly compensates the farm mentor, and apprentice. This apprenticeship and mentorship program honors the important legacies of sharing ancestral agrarian traditions and practices. We recognize the problematic role that unpaid internships have in exploiting labor--making beginning farming opportunities available to only a select few with certain class privileges. Through our program, we erode these entry barriers by building a learning network between aspiring farmers and active land stewards where each person is paid and honored for their time and commitments. Apprentices learn a wide range of skills including, but not limited to, crop planning, irrigation, composting, integrated pest management, bed preparation, farm design, marketing, farm machinery, and value-added processing. Changes/Problems:There were no significant deviations from our project goals, however we have decided to partner with UC Berkeley Agroecology Lab instead of Merritt College to support our strategies for curriculum development support and outreach. We are pleased to report the unexpected outcome of a graduate network and ongoing cohort collabroation. On their own initiative, the beginning farmer network of BAFFT graduates have started a WhatsApp group where they share: updates on their agroecological endeavors, questions about farming, seeds and materials, resources for funding, invitations to events and gatherings. It has evolved into a vibrant and self-directed community built on relationships of care and trust. Also, three graduates of BAFFT have been hired by their mentors or apprenticeship hosts as part or full time staff. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Bay Area Farmer to Farmer Training and Farmer Mobilization programs provide myriad opportunities for training and professional development. Participants receive training in each of the 15 learning modules of BAFFT listed above. Following BAFFT, ten graduates received opportunities for one-on-one mentorship and on-farm apprenticeships matched with their professional development goals. Three graduates have been hired by their mentors or apprenticeship hosts as part or full time staff. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Initial results of training program and agroecological apprenticeships and projects have been reported to Agroecology Commons' community network. Ongoing reporting occurs on a quarterly basis through AC's seasonal newsletter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Over the next reporting period, Agroecology Commons will launch the second cohort of the Farmer Mobilization which will support 10 graduates with seed grants and paid agroecological apprenticeships. Beginning in 2023 we will review and refine our experiential and online curriculum and pedagogy. Later in 2023, we will launch the third cohort of the Bay Area Farmer to Farmer Training for an additional 30-40 beginning and aspiring farmers.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective A. Basic livestock, forestry and crop farming practices Comprehensive vocational training, paid training, and interactive online coursework to advance education and experience with regenerative crop farming, livestock, agro-forestry was provided to 86 socially disadvantaged and limited-resource beginning farmers through BAFFT Multigenerational and peer-to-peer mentorship was provided to 10 farmers through the Farmer Mobilization program. Objective C. Entrepreneurship and business training Through BAFFT's cooperative business development and marketing module, 86 beginning farmers were equipped with innovative strategies to design and maintain a profitable new farming business through learning resources in our online curriculum. 75 beginning farmers participated in our in-person workshop on cooperative business development. Six farmers in the Farmer Mobilization program received additional business training in their apprenticeships and from their seed project mentors Objective E. Financial and risk management training 86 beginning farmers learned about how to access farm financing programs through grants.gov, FSA, and CAFarmlink. 86 beginning farmers gained access to templates for budget creation, financial planning, and cooperative business development. Three farmers in the Farmer Mobilization program received additional business training in their on farm apprenticeships and from their seed project mentors Objective F. Natural resource management and planning 86 beginning farmers learned agroecological farming skills on how to protect and regenerate on-farm natural resources: soil, water, air, energy, native plants and forests, wildlife, pollinators, beneficial insects and microbes. Eight beginning farmers received additional hands-on experience in natural resource management through their on farm apprenticeships and from their seed project mentors Objective G. Diversification and marketing strategies 86 beginning farmers received training in distribution and marketing models including food hub sales, CSAs, Farmers Markets, farm-stands, value-added processing, farm to restaurant sales, farm to grocery store sales, and herd sharing. Four beginning farmers received additional hands-on experience in farmers markets and CSA marketing through their on-farm apprenticeship programs Objective H. Curriculum development Agroecology Commons enhanced educational engagement with our beginning farmer participants via the development of our interactive online modules on farmercampus.com. Agroecology Commons improved experiential learning via the development of curriculum for eight on-farm field days with 86 farmers Objective I. Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships Agroecology Commons provided 10 socially disadvantaged beginning farmers with vocational training opportunities through four on-farm apprenticeships and 6 agroecological seed grant mentorships in our Farmer Mobilization program.
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