Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience: Agricultural producers in North Kohala, Waimea, and Hamakua regions of North Hawai'i Island Department of Hawaiian Home Land (DHHL) Native Hawaiian homesteaders in North Hawai'i Island. This includes 110 agricultural and 283 pastoral lessees as of 2022. Cooperative businesses across the Hawaiian islands with particular emphasis on Hawai'i Island Anyone interested in learning more about USDA grant opportunities and/or information about forming a cooperative business Changes/Problems:As TKC has helped launch more TA and training providers across the state, food producers and practitioners are now better supported by those who directly reside in their community and understand their unique context. As a result, TKC has been able to go deeper in our own rural, underserved communities of North Hawai'i. This re-centering is in alignment with Hawaiian ways of managing resources that are within smaller and localized bioregions. Our work in the field of cooperative development continues to be state-wide given the limited number of providers that have the content knowledge and experience to provide support. We feel it is important to focus on the entire cooperative ecosystem for the success of cooperative businesses. That said, TKC is also prioritizing opportunities to support and train other organizations interested in collaborating on cooperative development efforts that are closer to home on their particular islands. Throughout all our client work we remain committed to strengthening relationships with 'aina by returning ancestral knowledge and place-based research into daily practice as a community. One other major change has been due to staff transitioning in and out of TKC. Several key members of our staff who were providing client services have moved into other organizations. Fortunately they are still in the field of agriculture and food system initiatives so we continue to partner with them. We have hired a new Rural Economies Development Portfolio Manager in August 2024. Prior to joining us full time, she worked with TKC as a contractor to provide a regional landscape analysis and needs assessment to help us understand how to best strategically align our work with community needs and readiness. Her customized training and TA portfolio will include all rural, small farms, ranches and businesses in the region of North Hawai'i Island. This accounts for approximately 26 clients including 20 farms, 2 value-added producers, and 4 ag education or non-profit organizations. In addition, she will be working closely with our other key staff member who manages cooperative development and other collective economy efforts. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There have been numerous opportunities for training and professional development that have been provided by TKC staff through the support of this project. These include: With the Hawai'i 'Ulu Cooperative and the Hawai'i Mamaki Cooperative: Indigenizing bylaws (30 participants, one meeting) With the Farm to School Network and the Hawai'i Mamaki Cooperative: Sociocracy governance (8 participants, three full days) With 'awa agricultural producers from across Hawai'i Island: Discussing cooperatives and collective organizing appropriate for 'awa as a spiritually important plant (25 participants, one meeting) WIth the Purple Mai'a Foundation: Ongoing discussions about cooperatives - what they are, why they are important especially for the resilience of the local economy here in Hawai'i. Also the co-design and co-creation of a year-long professional development process to be able to educate about cooperatives. (5 participants, multiple meetings over six months) With the Hawai'i Mamaki Cooperative: Incorporation and co-creation of bylaws (4 participants, multiple meetings over one year) WIth the Hawai'i Agricultural Cooperative: Responsibilities of being a Board member within a cooperative - Board refresher (15 participants, one meeting) With Lima Hui gathering: Ongoing conversations about cooperative business and opportunities for cooperative organizing across Hawai'i in the energy sector (20+ participants) With food activists, ag TA providers, Hawaiian farmers: Ongoing strategic planning and organizing for better outreach of grants and capital applicable for Hawaiian farmers and producers of indigenous crops within the US Farm Bill (two meetings, 30 participants). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of our work has thus far been disseminated through two primary and ongoing publications by TKC: the bi-monthly Ag Bulletin (sent out the first and third week of each month to more than 2,000 subscribers) and the Leaflet (released monthly to more than 1,000 subscribers). There have been in-person outreach events over the year as well: Ag Day event with more than 100 farmers attending (at 'Imiloa in Hilo - February, 2024), Hawai'i Good Food Alliance meetings with other technical assistance providers and 20+ agricultural producers participating (4 over the course of the year, two day events once per quarter, US Farm Bill meetings (2 meetings over the course of the year with 30+ participants), outreach meetings in Waimea Nui Hawaiian Home Lands with 10+ local agricultural producers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Over the course of the next year, TKC will: Continue to build relationships with and educational opportunities for rural, small farms, ranches and businesses in the region of North Hawai'i Island. This accounts for approximately 26 clients including 20 farms, 2 value-added producers, and 4 ag education or non-profits focused on regenerative, place-based education and 'aina-centered practices. This will include responding to requests for site visits, training and TA on USDA programs. Further and deepen engagement with Native Hawaiian homesteaders in the Waimea Nui region of North Hawaii Island through strategic planning, training and grant readiness support. Increase awareness of and enrollment in applicable USDA programs. Build out the client database of Native Hawaiian producers and those utilizing traditional 'aina-centered and regenerative agricultural practices in the region of North Hawai'i Island to better understand the landscape and assess current and future needs. Review and evaluate existing programs along with upcoming RFPs for TA and funding to identify opportunities and potential funding to support our North Hawai'i Island producers and practitioners. Publicly release the cooperative development needs assessment report to cooperatives around the state and organize an online conversation to discuss results and collectively plan for any specific training workshops. Speak at two public events about solidarity/collective economy possibilities, including cooperative businesses, co-organized by TKC and Purple Mai'a Foundation to build further awareness of business structure and planning possibilities. Design, develop and disseminate 2 two-page cooperative training materials that are more contextually relevant to Hawai'i and can be handed out to current and future clients. These will include a general overview about what cooperatives are and how they are important for the resilience of our local economy and food system in Hawai?i. Design, develop and disseminate 2 two-page brief grant readiness guidance materials that can be handed out to current and future clients. These will include a mapping of the process of ?how to? become grant-ready for the range of agricultural producers that continue to contact us and inquire for close support along this process. Design and carry out specific training events with PMF that introduce community members to cooperative businesses and other collective economic efforts Design and carry out cooperative development training with the Hilo aquaculture collective Support the completion of the Hawai'i Mamaki Cooperative by-laws, coinciding policy documents, strategic outreach plan and business/marketing plan Work with at least 2 other cooperatives that want to offer training events to support them in their cooperative development curricular design.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1 Intro to USDA Programs: Total number of those introduced to USDA programs increased from 94 to 162. The target number to reach over the duration of the project is 500. TKC staff feel that we are still on target to reach this number, especially as we have added a new team member and we are better able to partner more closely with local community organizations, nonprofit organizations and key community members as part of our outreach efforts. The total number of those choosing to participate in USDA or other government programs increased from 75 to 130, well above the overall target of 50. Objective 2 Financial Literacy and Market Planning: There was less focus on this objective over the past year than in previous years. TKC staff focused on guidance to USDA grants and other access to capital generally and for specific support referred a number of clients to other partner nonprofit organizations that are now prioritizing grant writing support more closely. For cooperative development, rather than financial literacy and market planning, there was a greater focus on governance, refresher trainings on Board leadership and support in incorporation and by-laws creation. That said, there were 18 one to one meetings engaged in business planning and 5 focused on market planning and access over the course of the year. 13 of these meetings were with unique participants. TKC is on track to fulfill the quantitative targets of this objective. Objective 3 Access to Capital and Business Development : The total number of producers who are better equipped to plan, propose and submit applications to obtain working capital from USDA and beyond increased from 64 to 110. This total number has surpassed the overall target number of 100. Overall, TKC staff served an additional 61 unique participants, increasing the cumulative total of unique participants to 253 since the beginning of the project which has already far surpassed the overall target of 100 unique participants over the duration of the project. Over the previous year, TKC staff made important in-roads in the Kohala and Hamakua areas of Hawai'i Island with key native Hawaiian community leaders and community members in Hawaiian homestead areas, sharing stories about what is needed to enable a long-standing comprehensive community plan providing greater food security and food sovereignty. These conversations added greatly to the metrics for Outcome 3: Participants share stories of communal strengthening of their own health and well-being and that of soil, crops, water, forests etc.. Over the year, TKC staff continued to strengthen the cooperative business ecosystem across Hawai'i by providing a Board of Directors training workshop with a long established cooperative that provides agricultural land to be farmed in subdivided areas (thus keeping other land development efforts at bay), providing TA to a range of folks seeking more information about cooperatives, and by slowly building capacity with other organizations wishing to support emerging cooperatives within their entrepreneurial training efforts. In an additional effort to further strengthen the cooperative ecosystem across Hawai'i, the cooperative needs assessment report was finished and released during the second quarter (April - June) of 2024.
Publications
|
Progress 06/01/22 to 05/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience: Audience Emphasis Beginning producers Cooperatives Underserved agricultural producers Proposed Audience Emphasis Beginning producers Cooperatives Underserved agricultural producers Participants Served Record the total number of unique participants who participated in your program in the reporting period: 50 Enter the reporting period's actual number of participants who as a result of your program: Target Actual Started farming 50 23 Increased farm size or capacity 100 17 Increased farm profits 60 0 Target Actual Received USDA benefits 50 12 Applied for a USDA farm loan 30 2 Received a USDA farm loan 15 2 Other metrics: If you have other or additional metrics that your project is tracking, please indicate them here along with an actual number of participants who will meet this metric. Producer site visits and hosting events 100 (37 actual) Online training facilitated by TKC staff 30 (17 actual) In-person training events for cooperatives facilitated by TKC 20 (9 actual) Participants in cooperative training events 100 (27 actual) Business capitalization TA to cooperative members 20 (4 actual) Created efficient financial management process within cooperative 15 (3 actual) Incorporated as a cooperative business 5 (1 actual) Improvement of governance process within cooperative 10 (5 actual) TA for farm members on business capitalization 50 (37 actual) Submitted a USDA grant application 50 (32 actual) Received funding from a successful USDA grant application 25 (7 actual) Jobs created 20 (8 actual) Jobs saved 40 (16 actual) Changes/Problems: Describe any unexpected results of the project: There was a more significant need for grant readiness training than assumed across the community of agricultural producers. There are many younger folks who want to farm but need better immersion into the Hawaiian cultural context, to learn what they should be growing for the wellbeing of the land and soil - and community. In addition, there is an increasing interest in establishing cooperative businesses but that is coupled with a tremendous need for training and orientation. How would you improve this project if you were to do it again? There is a demonstrated need to prepare more materials and resources toward grant readiness, accessing capital, financial management skills generally, governance processes - all of which we can and will provide throughout the duration of this project through the development of material resources (documents and short videos) and training events (in-person and virtual). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Delivery Total Meetings: 8 Total Meeting Participants: 120 Total Meeting Participant Hours: 220.00 Total Webinars: 17 Total Webinar Participants: 445 Total Webinar Participant Hours: 445.00 Total Website Visits: 0 Total Online Course Participants: 20 Total One-to-one Meeting Entries: 13 Total One-to-one Meeting Participants: 570 Meetings Date City State # Attendees Meeting Length (hours) Topics 10/19/2022 Honolulu HI 25 2.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Land access and planning, Financial planning, Food security 10/20/2022 Waimea HI 10 2.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Market planning and access 10/21/2022 Waimea HI 10 2.00 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Cooperative development 10/26/2022 Hilo HI 15 2.00 Cooperative development 11/1/2022 Honolulu HI 30 2.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Food security 11/12/2022 Pahala HI 10 2.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Financial management skills, Market planning and access, Financial planning, Business planning, Tax planning 11/29/2022 Hilo HI 10 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital 5/11/2022 Kona HI 10 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital Webinars Date # Attendees Webinar Length (hours) Topics 4/21/2022 25 1.00 Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Risk management, Market planning and access, Food security, Conservation practices 4/28/2022 25 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Risk management, Market planning and access 5/5/2022 25 1.00 Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening 6/2/2022 25 1.00 Agricultural production skills, Forest planning and agro- forestry, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Market planning and access, Land access and planning, Food security, Conservation practices 6/9/2022 25 1.00 Rural development / Rural community strengthening 6/16/2022 25 1.00 Forest planning and agro-forestry, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Land access and planning, Food security, Conservation practices 4/7/2022 25 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Cooperative development, Financial planning, Business planning 4/8/2022 25 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Financial planning, Business planning 8/10/2022 50 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Cooperative development, Market planning and access, Financial planning, Business planning 7/18/2022 25 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Financial planning, Business planning 9/15/2022 25 1.00 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Market planning and access, Financial planning, Business planning 4/25/2022 25 1.00 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development 5/19/2022 25 1.00 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development 6/6/2022 25 1.00 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development 7/19/2022 25 1.00 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development 4/21/2022 20 1.00 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development, Market planning and access, Financial planning, Business planning 4/28/2022 25 1.00 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development, Market planning and access, Business planning One-to-one Meetings TimeFrame # Attendees Topics 10/5/2022 - 10/6/2022 12 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Logistics and supply chain issues February- September, 2022 20 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Financial management skills, Market planning and access, Financial planning March and October, 2022 15 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agricultural production skills, Forest planning and agro-forestry, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Market planning and access, Land access and planning, Financial planning October 13, 18, and 24, 2022 15 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Market planning and access, Land access and planning, Financial planning October 20-21, 2022 15 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agricultural production skills, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Food security December 2-4, 2022 200 Forest planning and agro-forestry, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development, Land access and planning, Food security December 5-6, 2022 200 Forest planning and agro-forestry, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Land access and planning, Food security, Conservation practices Ongoing (throughout 2021-2022) 8 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Financial management skills, Financial planning, Business planning, Tax planning Ongoing (since 2018) 8 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development Ongoing since 2021 12 Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development Ongoing since 2021 20 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Market planning and access, Food security Ongoing since 2021 20 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening Ongoing since 2020 25 Accessing USDA programs and services, Agriculture credit or access to capital, Rural development / Rural community strengthening, Cooperative development, Market planning and access, Land access and planning, Food security How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Promotional Materials Growing cooperatives together workshop series Last Uploaded: 8/26/2023 Agricultural Resources Bulletin (April 7, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (April 21, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (May 5, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (May 19, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (June 2, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (June 16, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (July 7, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (July 21, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (August 4, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (August 18, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (October 1, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (September 15, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (October 6, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (October 20, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (November 3, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (November 17, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (December 1, 2022) Agricultural Resources Bulletin (December 15, 2022) What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Steps Steps taken to help participants Communicate and provide outreach to respond to producer and practitioner requests for TA via new/repeat client intake, site visits & hostings, producer recruitment for TA, and promotion of USDA and other agricultural business programs. Collaborate with existing network of partners, TA providers, and industry associations. Publish semi-monthly e-newsletter for statewide distribution with information on USDA program deadlines Conduct new/repeat client intake Documentation of producer and practitioner site visits and hosting events and meetings Attend and present at relevant conferences, and public and private meetings Publish press releases and seek media coverage as necessary and as relevant Plan and deliver Hawai'i-based Cooperative and Capacity Development Training Series (four- part workshop series) Develop and deliver potential workshop topics: grant readiness, how to read a NOFO, logic models, narrative workshopping, Co-op 101, co-op member roles and responsibilities, creating cooperative by-laws, lending opportunities Provide One-on-One Hawai'i-based Technical Assistance to individual agricultural businesses and co-ops, with a focus on: New/existing producer and practitioner intake, needs assessment, and coaching; Cooperative development, marketing, coaching, and ideating; Building solidarity with indigenous co-ops in Hawai'i, continental United States and wider Pacific region; Creating (aina-based) feasibility studies and business plans; Building capital access readiness and financial literacy including topics such as managerial accounting, financial record-keeping, tax planning Increase number of new participants in USDA and other farm support programs, with focus on: Establishing farm records with FSA; Disaster recovery and risk management; Price support and farm programs; Loans with FSA and other lenders (e.g., American AgCredit); Market and enterprise development grants Create and distribute resource toolkits (e.g., USDA REAP), cooperative background papers, and micro-lesson videos (~2-5 min each) on Hawai'i co-ops, co-op and business development, capital access, and other popular topics Create and lead a cooperative hui from across Hawai?i Lead 3 one-off workshops in response to needs and requests from members of the cooperative hui Assist in the planning for and acquisition of working capital from USDA and other sources for agricultural and cooperative businesses: State and County governments; USDA and other federal agencies; Commercial and non-commercial lenders, (e.g.including Kiva, Feed the Hunger, CNHA); Philanthropy
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Outcomes: What Producers Learned, Achieved, Applied Outcome Topic Producer action Est # Act # When verified? How verified? 1. Producers will better understand USDA and other government programs and how and when to access them and chose to participate in them. Accessing USDA programs and services Understand 500 53 During Program; Prior to end of grant Quantitative data 2. Producers are better equipped to plan, propose and submit applications to obtain working capital. Agriculture credit or access to capital Develop 50 23 During Program; Immediately After Program; Prior to end of grant Quantitative data 3. Participants share stories of communal strengthening of their own health and well- being and that of soil, crops, water, forests etc. Rural development / Rural community strengthening Understand 10 3 During Program; Immediately After Program; Prior to end of grant Ethnographic fieldnotes Quantitative data Recorded conversations 4. Cooperative participants (new and desired) increase their knowledge and skills to build capacity for cooperative work and collective economies preserving cultural integrity Cooperative development Understand 70 21 Before Program; During Program; Immediately After Program; Prior to end of grant Ethnographic fieldnotes Quantitative data Recorded conversation 5. Cooperative and rural business participants are better equipped to create and advance their desired goals and objectives through efficient financial management Financial management skills Implement 80 12 Before Program; During Program; Immediately After Program; Prior to end of grant Quantitative data Fieldnotes 6. Participants report on improved viability of business in response to food security issues and community needs Food security Understand 100 8 During Program; Immediately After Program; Prior to end of grant Quantitative data Ethnographic fieldnotes Recorded conversation 7. Producers will chose to participate in Accessing USDA Develop 50 34 During Program; Quantitative USDA and other government programs programs and Immediately After data services Program; Prior to end of grant
Publications
|