Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience: In year two of the Grow Appalachia Climate Resilient Farming Program the project targeted new and beginning farmers, prioritizing those from the 37 Appalachian counties within Eastern Kentucky. The project also reached out to urban, minority, or previously underserved growers in Lexington and Louisville. Onboarding and Post-engagement surveys showed that the multiple program activities reached participants in 38 different counties across Kentucky. The majority of these participants were from the Eastern Kentucky region which sits at 182% above the national poverty rate and has a per capita income of less than $41,000 (which is approximately $10,000 less than the rest of the state, Census 2021). Participants were reached from Twenty-seven priority counties, and 11 counties outside of the priority areas. Farmers were reached in the following priority counties Bath, Bullitt, Clark, Estill, Floyd, Fayette, Fleming, Harlan, Greenup, Jackson, Jefferson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Madison, Pulaski, Owsley, Perry, Morgan, Menifee, Nicholas, Powell, Rockcastle, Rowan, Whitley, and Wolfe counties. Participants reached from non-priority counties were from; Anderson, Christian, Franklin, Hardin, Henry, Jessamine, Kenton, Meade, Mercer, Ohio and Shelby counties. Using onboarding survey data for the Beginning Farmer Education Series (BFES) component of the program, we can share that this project year served a majority of women-managed farms and farm start-ups. Of the original 31 participants surveyed for onboarding of the BFES, 68% were women or non-binary identified. The largest group (84%) of the participants reported having farmed for just 0-2 years. Furthermore, less than 10% reported 3-6 years' experience, 3% had 7-10 years and 3% reported farming more than 10 years. Of the full BFES onboarded group, 19% began the series with less than 2,000 sqft to farm 23% had 2,000 sqft to 1 acre, 16% had 1-2 acres, 10% reported 2-4 acres of production land, 19% had 4+ acres and 13% had not yet secured land to farm on. Eleven participants reported having sold farming products in the previous year, while 15 overall had sold farm products in the past, leaving the remaining 50% having not sold farm products in the past. When asked for their average farm sales per year, 23% of participants reported less than $600, 6.5% reported $1,000-$2,000 and 3% reported over $10,000. Fifty-eight percent of the participants left this question blank. Of the 31 participants who started the Beginning Farmer Education series, 14 individuals completed the end of post-education year survey, that is just less than 50% of participants. Across all the multiple engagement activities within the project, executed by the multiple partner organizations 326 individual educational and networking opportunities were delivered, in some cases this may have been the same person or farm benefiting from multiple activities available across the project. This depth of learning experience was intentional and encouraged by program leads. The following ethnicities and identities were reached: Asian Descent (2), Black/African American/Afro-Caribbean/African (22), Indigenous/Original People (1), Latinx/Hispanic (1), White/European Descent (88), Mixed-race / Multi-race (1), LGBTQ (3), Veteran (17) and unknown ethnicities (218). The unknown category comprised of participants who did not complete final evaluations, or chose not to answer the question. Priority Counties Participation:(county - number of participants from that county) Bath- 4Floyd -3 Fayette - 8Harlan- - 1Greenup - 3Jackson- 3Knott -1Lee- 2Leslie- 1Letcher- 7Madison -11 Jefferson - 7Pulaski - 2Owsley- 1Perry -1Rockcastle -2Whitley - 2Wolfe - 3Estil -l 2Bullitt - 1Clark - 1Fleming - 1KY- 7Morgan - 6Menifee -1Nicholas - 1Powell - 1Rowan - 1 Non-Priority Counties Participation: Hart County-2Christian- 1Franklin -1Anderson- 1Henry -1Jessamine- 1Kenton -1Meade -2Mercer -1Ohio-1Shelby- 2Hardin -1 Changes/Problems: In the 2025 program year we will modify our classroom experience. The feedback we received from participants and instructors noted in the 2024 program, is that there is a desire to do more learning on farms with a farmer. Participants were much more engaged when we had them outside interacting with the grower/manager. In 2025 we have adopted the delivery to include farm visits overlapped with classroom review and discussion. Our partners involved in delivering classes have agreed to identify a farm they work with who has a system within the partner's scope of education. For example: Our business planning organizational partner will identify a farm that they have developed a business plan with, and learn how the farm has used that business plan to change or modify how the business operates and whether or not it has been successful. Then connect with the class to discuss lessons learned with the participants and follow that with the practice of writing their business plan (a portion in the field learning environment and homework) We have also decided to take classes on the road. In 2024 classroom sessions were delivered primarily in Berea KY, so participants had to travel to Berea with as much as 4 hrs round trip of travel. In response to this burden on participants we have identified 3 regions of our service area. Classroom components (including the farm visits) will be delivered individually in each of the 3 regions. This should considerably decrease travel time and increase engagement throughout the program year. Additionally, we expect to see an increase in peer-to-peer network development from localized cohorts and connect with existing farms in their region. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Grow Appalachia provided professional Development scholarships to 262 Beginning Farmers in KY. This included: 45 scholarships to the Organic Association of Kentucky. 21 Scholarships to the Eastern Kentucky Farmers Conference, 40 Scholarships to the Peoples Summit "Weaving the Food Web". 37 scholarships to the Black Soil "State of the Soil conference" 43 Scholarships to Organic Association of Kentucky on-farm field days. 15 Scholarships to Kentucky Local Food summit 61 Scholarships to Grow Appalachia Crop Mob Field days OAK conference: The Organic Association of Kentucky's annual farming conference, now in its 13th year, includes a growing audience of hundreds of Kentuckians and neighbors active in community food systems: farming, research, nonprofit professionals, federal and state agency partners, allied service providers and conscious consumers working collectively to build a local, resilient and healthy food system. OAK was proud to host #OAK2024 at Kentucky State University (HBCU) (KSU)'s Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort, Kentucky. The synergy of diverse voices, messages, and approaches combined with the place-based connection with Kentucky farms, soil, and communities provided a rich foundation for conversation and growth. The primary focus of the OAK Conference programming is to highlight on farm production systems, techniques, and practices. East Kentucky Farmer Conference The East Kentucky Farmer Conference brings farmers together from across Eastern Kentucky communities in central Appalachia. Technical Service Providers, farmers, and support organizations come together to share educational sessions that cover a wide variety of content that addresses the many areas of a farm family's experience. This is also an opportunity for farmers to connect with other farmers and discuss the successes and challenges of farming life. Black Soil KY State of the Soil Conference This conference is an opportunity to hear from industry professionals to learn more about how we can create an equitable and intersectional food system. Speakers shared their skills, experience, and passion for moving our food system on a local, national, and global scale forward. Organic Association of Kentucky On-farm Field Days These events are a chance to meet other farmers and agricultural professionals on working farms to see organic systems in action! Farmers can share successes and challenges with peers and connect with useful resource providers. OAK's Farmer Education Events are on-farm and virtual learning opportunities offered monthly for farmers, ag professionals and local food system advocates. Kentucky Local Foods Summit Grow Appalachia staff were provided scholarships to participate in the Kentucky Local Food Summit. The summit provided educational sessions that support Technical Service Providers and food security organizations. This event included peer-to-peer learning opportunities and networking events. Grow Appalachia staff participated in many conferences as attendees and presenters. Staff used this opportunity to hone their skills and expand the network of technical service providers that can be shared with growers in the program. Farming operations are almost always in flux and staff need to continue learning and expanding peer relationships and research-based information to serve a diverse group of farming perspective. ? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Grow Appalachia disseminates program activities through three primary avenues 1. Annual report : Each year Grow Appalachia develops an end-of-year report that details the activities associated with the Grow Appalachia program. In the 2024 annual report, we will share the accomplishments and appropriate data for the Beginning Farmer Development Program. These annual reports will be disseminated to our funders, appropriate Berea College administrative committee members, a network of non-profit partners, and the general public. 2. Website: Grow Appalachia maintains a website that is housed as part of the more extensive Berea College network. Information on the website details the programs and associated activities for the projects Grow Appalachia delivers. Grow Appalachia Beginning Farmer Educational Series page where interested individuals can learn more about the program and its impact on the region of focus, Central Appalachia. The Beginning Farmer page is also the location for interested farmers to apply for the program at the start of each fiscal year. The information and data on the website are updated regularly. 3. Social Media: Grow Appalachia maintains a large following on many social media platforms. These include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others. This is where interested individuals can see the most active and live data for the programs we deliver. We use these platforms to educate, invite, and inform the community on how and when to participate in our programs. This is likely the most efficient and broad-reaching tool for disseminating information about Grow Appalachia's programs in general,? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? 2025 will be the last program year of the Climate Resilient Farming Project. During this period Grow Appalachia will deliver 12 classes which will include up to 12 on-farm learning opportunities that coincide with class topic areas. Grow Appalachia will support continued professional development to Beginning Farmers through field days, workshops, and partnerships with conference organizers. Grow Appalachia will ensure participants will be presented with information that will help them make Climate Smart decisions in their operations. Grow Appalachia will place beginning farmer mentees on regional mentor farms to experience the day-to-day challenges of operating a successful farm.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Provide a training and curriculum program to 60 limited resource and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers to facilitate the following outcomes and outputs. Recruited 29 participants, 12 completed the full series. Delivered 12 education workshops including topics of 'Business planning, marketing, production planning, pest management, livestock management, stress on the farm, protected agriculture, agroforestry and an online Organic Transition webinar from OAK. Connected participants to network resource provider staff and opportunities for relationship and resource building. Objective 2: Oversee an internship program for 36 limited resource and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers to experience hands-on model farm operation. Placed 8 intern farmers across 4 successful small Kentucky farms. Delivered 665 hours of on-farm mentored education experiences and paid for 613 hours of on-farm mentee education on specialty crop and livestock farm operations. Objective 3: Facilitate (12 overall) two Peer-to-Peer 'crop mob' farm action days and two Field Day networking sessions per year. Each session enables 15 limited resource and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers to build relationships among a diverse group of successful farmers and farm models. Delivered two on farm peer-to-peer networking and learning events, one on Deer Fencing at Katie Startzman's farm, Madison Co, KY (12 participants), and one on Broom Corn harvesting at Lazy Eight Stock Farm, Garrard Co, KY. (49 participants). Delivered two field days in partnership with OAK at Foxfire Farm, Casey Co, KY (15 participants) on Innovating Generational Farming Practices with Ecological Approaches and System Efficiencies - and Building a Small-Scale Family Farm One Year at a Time - Wolf Gap Gardens Field Day, Madison Co, KY (28 participants). Objective 4: Provide logistics and funding to support limited resource and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers' professional development by attending regional sustainable agriculture conferences and pre-conference seminars. Grow Appalachia provided professional Development scholarships to 262 Beginning Farmers in KY. See question 4 for a breakdown of these numbers. During the second program year of the CRFP, the following outcomes were accomplished via the Beginning Farmer Education Series (BFES), the mentorship program, on-farm learning events and the professional development opportunities: 1) Increased income, efficiencies, and conservation practices of beginning farmers; Seventy-seven percent of BFES program graduates from Yr 2 who are currently farming made improvements to their growing systems (1.1) Exactly 50% percent of BFES program graduates from Yr 2 started new farm enterprises (1.1) Around 79% percent of BFES program graduates implemented new production techniques that support the preservation of natural resources, and 21.4% said they 'may' implement them (1.1) Of all of the year 2 graduates of the BFES, 71% percent predicted they will increase their farm income in the following year of farming (1.1) Eight beginning farmer interns developed hands-on field experience leading to an increased awareness of labor practices required to be successful, and 71% adopted new production practices (1.2) Of all the BFES graduates, 100% increased their awareness of conservation programs (2.2) 2) Improved the Climate Resiliency of beginning farmers Thirty-six percent of BFES graduates implemented conservation practices through USDA NRCS (3.2) One hundred percent of beginning farmers BFES graduates who completed the end survey shared that they understood the planning of production systems, implementing natural resource practices, developing new business tactics, and working toward a climate-resilient farm When asked 'How effective are you at using the following factors/considerations to manage your crops and increase your production over multiple growing skills and techniques?' 86% of the BFES Graduates reported increased knowledge in pest and disease management, 79% irrigation practices and 93% season extension practices. Interestingly there was a 21% decrease in effective assessment in the 'harvesting' category. It could be speculated that this is due to an increase in awareness of skills and techniques that they are lacking. One hundred percent of BFES graduates stated that they understand a breadth of conservation practices and their impact on farm resources, the soil health bank, and secondary ecosystem benefits (2.1) Of Yr 2 BFES graduates 92.9% adopted new conservation practices that improve the quality of on-farm water, soil, and animal health, and 79% percent of program participants adopted climate-smart conservation practices, implementing USDA NRCS conservation system designs (2.2) 3) Increase the peer networks and resource opportunities for beginning farmers 262 program experiences for beginning farmers to access professional development opportunities, including exposure to peer-based learning and networking (3.3) As a result of peer learning field days, 90% of the attendees stated that they would adopt new techniques (3.1) Of all the BFES graduates, 100% shared that they had increased awareness of farm financing opportunities Results from the indicators that were designed by the BFES participants as part of the participatory evaluation strategy showed that 100% of the graduates 'somewhat', or 'strongly' agreed with the statements 'I feel like I am part of a supportive network' and 'I feel more confident about the resources that are available to me to support my farming'. Facilitated one in-person Annual Program Review Partner Meeting gith KY ag organizations OAK, CFA, KCARD, Ky Horticulture Council and Seedleaf to review the process evaluation results to explore how to make improvements to the project for year 3 for the benefit of new and beginning farmers in the region.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Grow Appalachia's proposed Climate Resilient Farming Project is working with 60 beginning farmers in 38 counties throughout Kentucky, prioritizing 37 Appalachian counties within Eastern Kentucky. Of the 38 counties that this project serves, 15 counties have poverty rates higher than 30 percent, including Harlan with over 40 percent. The remaining 12 counties have poverty rates higher than 20 percent.i Grow Appalachia's CRFP is a direct response to the region's declining health and economic indicators. Grow Appalachia's CRFP will work with 100 percent historically underserved and socially disadvantaged farms from Kentucky. The 2023 cohort consisted of participants from Owlsley, Madison, Knox, Letcher, Wolfe, Fayette, Rowan and Estil Counties. Of these 13 participants for the 2023 BFES, 84% of the participants had 0-2 years of farming experience, and the remaining 16% had 3-6 years of farming experience. 23% reported that they were not engaged in any farming activities at that time. The cohort identified their ethnicities as 15% Latino/a, Hispanic and or Spanish, 15% identified as White LGBTQ+, and the remaining 70% identified as White. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Professional Development Scholarships were available for those who identified as 'Beginning farmers. In 2023, GA supported the 2-day?Backyard Chicken Intensive training for farmers in the Lexington, KY area. Fifteen (15) registrants were provided scholarships to attend the event at Slak Market Farm LLC.??In this intensive training beginning farmers experienced and learned a broad range of skills including Egg collection & handling, Retail sale handling, Wing Clipping, Chicken tractor rotation, Medical, Feed and Bedding Care. We are awaiting the host event's feedback. Crop Mob events were held at Susan Miller's Farm on July 11th, and Brian Chadwell's Farm on September 12th. The two crop mob events welcomed 27 participants in total. Due to an internal error, feedback has only been received from Susan Miller's event. Of those who gave their feedback, 100% said that they "learned new production techniques" and 80% said that they "would try new techniques with their food growing". When asked how these experiences could be improved one participant answered, "Help us get these going locally, teach us how crop mobs build community and learning experiences. ... I learned lots... Very impressed with the [GA] staff, so knowledgeable and patient!!" Field Days were held in partnership with OAK. 'Keeping our balance: diversified farming with steep hills and off-farm jobs' at Hollow Springs Farm on July 6th, 2023, and 'Restoring the family farm with organic production' at Coleman Crest Farm on July 25th, 2023. In total 83 participants attended the two events, and 66 completed evaluations. Of those who completed the evaluations, 98% said they "would implement something they learned on their own farm, or in their work". How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Grow Appalachia disseminates program activities through three primary avenues 1. Annual report: Each year Grow Appalachia develops an end-of-year report that details the activities associated with the Grow Appalachia program. In the 2023 annual report, we will share the accomplishments and appropriate data for the Beginning Farmer Development Program. These annual reports will be disseminated to our funders, appropriate Berea College administrative committee members, a network of non-profit partners, and the general public. 2. Website: Grow Appalachia maintains a website that is housed as part of the more extensive Berea College network. Information on the website details the programs and associated activities for the projects Grow Appalachia delivers. Grow Appalachia Beginning Farmer Educational Series page where interested individuals can learn more about the program and its impact on the region of focus, Central Appalachia. The Beginning Farmer page is also the location for interested farmers to apply for the program at the start of each fiscal year. The information and data on the website are updated regularly. 3. Social Media: Grow Appalachia maintains a large following on many social media platforms. These include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others. This is where interested individuals can see the most active and live data for the programs we deliver. We use these platforms to educate, invite, and inform the community on how and when to participate in our programs. This is likely the most efficient and broad-reaching tool for disseminating information about Grow Appalachia's programs in general, What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?"Our results from the post-education survey showed that 44% of the participants who completed the survey, did not complete the education series. When asked why, nearly all participants explained that they got too busy with summer farming activities, and one said it was due to inefficient internet access which made it impossible to complete the online modules. Referencing the Talent LMS software, there was a significant drop off in the module completion rates as the year continued. As explained within the post-data feedback, this was mostly due to farmers being too busy in the summer months. Module one was completed and passed by all participants, however, only 2 students went on to complete all the modules and quizzes. This data offers us important learning which will enable us to improve delivery for the next round which will host a significantly larger learning cohort'. A few key changes: Start the classroom sessions in January - This change will have classes ending mid-summer when farmer's are the busiest. Increase the number of in-person classes to fit the learning style of most individuals. Identify individuals who may have trouble with a virtual course load and encourage in-person learning. MENTORS were also asked for feedback on potential improvements for the program in the next program year. Their responses were: (paraphrased for clarity) An earlier start to the internship program year to allow mentees time to learn about the early farm planning, bed preparations, and seed starting process. It would be beneficial for the interns to have more time to learn the business planning side of farming. Recommended that the internship continue to the end of September to align with the farm CSA enterprise. It would be helpful to know when each subject is presented in the classroom sessions to reinforce those concepts on the farm.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Increase Viability of Beginning Farmers in Eastern Kentucky Grow Appalachia's (GA) proposed Climate Resilient Farming Project has begun working with the first cohort of 60 total beginning farmers in 38 counties throughout Eastern Kentucky. These 38 counties all have poverty rates higher than 20%, and 3 counties have over 50% (Census). GA's CRFP is a direct response to the region's declining health and economic indicators, and climate change predictions and will work with 100 percent historically underserved and socially disadvantaged farms. The 2023 Beginning Farmer Education Series (BFES) cohort consisted of participants from Owsley, Madison, Knox, Letcher, Wolfe, Fayette, Rowan, and Estill Counties. Of these 13 approved applicants, 84% of the participants had 0-2 years of farming experience, and 16% had 3-6 years. Twenty-three percent reported that they were not engaged in any farming activities at that time. The cohort identified their ethnicities as 15% Latino/a, Hispanic and or Spanish, 15% identified as LGBTQ+, and the remaining 70% identified as White. Nine of the cohort completed the end-of-program survey. Sixty-six percent of those participants started a new farm enterprise this year, while another 44% said they might. Eighty-eight percent of the participants made improvements to their food growing systems, and 78% anticipated an increase in total sales for the upcoming season. Using Participatory Evaluation Techniques BFES cohort discussed the question 'How will I know if this program has been successful?' and refined answers into agree/disagree statements, which were used within the end-of-year survey as additional indicators for program success. To measure learning, most courses included a completion quiz. Due to a couple of hitches, quizzes were not available for all modules. Over seven test quizzes, students scored an average of 67% (pass rate was above 55%). In total, participants completed 2 months, 4 days, and 5 hours of engaged online training time. The Talent LMS platform offered 56 videos, 26 documents to read, and 7 end-of-module quizzes to complete. The educational elements ran from May through August and were Mental Health on The Farm, Business Planning, Production Planning, Food Safety, Protected Ag (no quiz), Marketing and Comms (no quiz), Resource Development (no quiz), plus optional 'Organic transition session' (no quiz), and access to Previously Recorded Virtual Meetings. Internship Experience The 2023 Internship program placed 7 of the targeted 12 interns on 1 of 3, scale-appropriate mentor farms. These farms were located in Clay, Madison, and Fayette Counties in Kentucky. Upon completion of the internship, mentors and mentees were surveyed. Mentors were asked "What are the top 3 pieces of advice you would give future mentees?", advice included "take time during the season to decide what would work well for you in your future farming situation, don't be afraid to be curious and ask questions, and finally be willing to try anything". All 7 mentees completed a survey, and Seventy-one percent of them said they completed the full internship program of 128 hrs. For those who didn't complete, they explained why, such as they "started a new job", another "didn't record hours but I was there the full growing season".This feedback along with a quote from another intern who said"I did not receive clear expectations from the farm" Has provided important considerations for improvements in the next program year. One hundred percent of respondents expressed that they gained adequate hands-on experience throughout the mentorship program. Goal 2: Improve Climate Resiliency of Beginning Farmers in Eastern Kentucky Using the post-BFES survey, we found that 100% of respondents have or will "implement new production practices that support the preservation of natural resources". Also, 100% have or now intend to adopt new climate-smart conservation practices for their farms such as cover cropping, high tunnel installation, micro or drip irrigation, and rainwater collection. One hundred percent also have or will adopt conservation practices that will improve the quality of on-farm water, soil, and animal health and have increased their awareness of conservation programs. Using the participatory evaluation statements, we found that 100% agreed with the statement "I can put all the pieces together, and now understand a farm as a working system" and 88% "I feel more confident when faced with farm related Acronyms" Goal 3: Increase Peer Networks and Resource Opportunities for Beginning Farmers in Eastern Kentucky As a result of the BFES, 88% of the respondents have, or now intend to initiate an application for financial or technical assistance from resources highlighted by the program. Also, 100% have increased awareness of farm financing opportunities and felt more confident about the resources that are available to them. One participant noted: "I feel so fortunate to have been part of this program. I have recommended it to so many people. Everyone involved was so informative and supportive." Measuring the success of the BFES project with the participatory evaluation statements, 78% of the respondents agreed with the statements, "I can see my growth via good record-keeping" and "As a result of the BFES, I feel like I am part of a network". One participant shared: "The meetings with other newer farmers across the region was super helpful and rewarding!" Peer network development was also evident at the Crop Mob event day at Susan Miller's event where one participant reported "It was well organized, plenty of help, great information. The downside (but I view it as the best thing that happened) was that we really wanted to socialize which led to not getting the work completed done. Overall it was a really great day!" Mentors also reported enduring connection with their mentees: "After the mentorship ended my mentee brought her husband and they worked with me for a week together. It was nice to hear more about their farm inspirations with the two of them discussing it and hearing his questions about my farm too".
Publications
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