BFRDP Projects

Area 1: Create a national peer network that develops, provides, and facilitates access to, training, education, internships, mentorships, jobs, financial and market opportunities for beginning farmer veterans (70% of project effort). We will combine new small scale livestock production and business planning materials with existing core tools previously created through Risk Management Agency grants known as the One Page Business/Financial Plan, One Page Monthly Cash Flow Budget, and One Page Risk Management Plan. These tools will be adapted to explain small scale pork and pastured poultry production business, small scale honeybee, grass fed beef, lamb, goat and vegetable business models. 

Area 2: Provide twenty seven workshops focused on small scale livestock and vegetable production supported by on-going case management services for attendees. (30% of project effort). We will incorporate the new training materials into twenty seven workshops (at least twenty two of which will be on-farm and hosted by FVC beginning farmer veterans) that target these farmer veterans and their specific livestock, provide regional training platforms for them to gather and learn from each other, and assist them in refining their own financial, production, risk management and business plans. Additionally, all workshop attendees will receive on-going comprehensive, individualized capacity development assistance using a case management model in which individual needs, assessments, and development plans, guide the provision of subsequent services, training, referrals and linkages to resources. 

Six of the twenty seven workshops will be specifically focused on developing, supporting and educating women farmer veterans on the production, financial and risk management components of small scale livestock/vegetable operations. Additional emphasis will be placed on developing, integrating and utilizing local networking and supportive resources for women such as the FVC Veteran Peer Farmer Network.

As the numbers of beginning farm and ranch women has increased there has been a corresponding increase in programs providing education and technical assistance to them. While these programs have developed tools and curricula for addressing the learning needs of beginning farmers there remain many areas of the country where women farmers are still chronically underserved. In addition, while many tools, assessments and curricula are available there is no central repository for these materials. Nor is there a typology, or catalog, that can be used to determine which materials would be most useful given the needs of a specific target audience.

The goal of this project is to assemble a national learning network to evaluate existing curricula and materials targeting beginning farm and ranch women of all ages, ethnicity, and agricultural production interests. Content teams will identify information gaps; develop corresponding learning modules, and train peers and colleagues in their delivery and evaluation. Our project focuses on subjects of special importance to beginning farm and ranch women: legal issues; business scale and profitability; farm safety, mechanization and ergonomics; land access, transfer and stewardship; and management. A virtual learning network will provide educators and agricultural technical assistance providers with evidence-based information regarding women’s learning preferences, peer-reviewed training materials, evaluation tools, and mentoring from colleagues experienced in working with women farmers and ranchers.
We will partner with the BFRDP Clearinghouse and the eXtension Women in Ag Learning Network to determine the most effective way to house the typology of available materials.  

Access to land is one of the biggest challenges for beginning farmers in New England. The long-term goal of this project is for more New England beginning farmers to successfully access land to farm in order to start or expand their farm business. Land For Good, its partners and a broad range of collaborators will enable over 2,000 beginning farmers to access land or achieve more secure tenure. Our goals are: beginning farmers are better prepared to access land to farm; more farms are transferred by exiting farmers to beginning farmers; beginning farmers find and evaluate farm properties and connect with landowners; professionals and beginning farmers have new information about innovative access approaches and methods; and stronger programs help beginning farmers access land and improve the conditions for farmland access in New England.

Coordinated teams and task forces will produce curricula and conduct educational activities such as workshops, a multi-session Succession School, and leasing clinics. LFG will “coach” farm seekers and transitioning farmers. We will improve farm link programs and increase their use. We will produce new tools including an online “build-a-lease” and model legal language for farmland-related transactions. We will promote transfers between farmers without identified successors and beginning farmers. Experts will investigate innovative and best practices, including alternative land financing and affordable farmer housing. We will build capacity in each New England state to better serve and support beginning and transitioning farmers around land access and transfer. A national conference in 2017 will share learnings and build land access and transfer programs to help beginning farmers access land in all regions.

Our project is developed by and for beginning farmers across the state. Instead of duplicating the efforts of great organizations that are already building beginner farmer training programs, this project enriches and aligns beginning farmer training programs via common core trainings and one-on-one technical assistance customized to meet the needs of beginning farmers in Connecticut.

Core trainings for beginning farmers will emphasize: business planning, financial management and record keeping; farmland access; overcoming marketing uncertainties; and small scale production of vegetables and fruit. Programs will be offered in person, with online tutorials developed for many of the modules, including farm business planning, soil health, safe and effective use of pesticides, and marketing for success. One-on-one experts will be available for farmers that need assistance in vegetable production and pest management, farmland evaluation and conservation, and financial record-keeping.

Our partners are: Common Ground High School in New Haven, the Community Farm of Simsbury, the Green Village Initiative in Bridgeport, Killingly Agriculture Education Program, KNOX in Hartford, and WRCC-GROW Windham. Training resources will also be used to support UConn's Listo Para Inciar (or Ready-to-Start) training program, which delivers a hands-on, cohort based model of beginner farming training for Spanish-speaking urban market gardeners. 

Other key partners in the project are the New CT Farmer Alliance and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of CT. “With this investment supported through the USDA, our alliance will further increase accessibility between agricultural support services, and CT’s budding community of agricultural entrepreneurs.”said Betsy Robson, NCTFA Coordinator (a statewide network of over 200 farmers).

The long term goal of our project is for every beginning farmer in Connecticut who wishes to produce and sell food – regardless of scale, experience, or language barriers – to have access to fundamental training to start or continue farming profitably.

Based in Fairfax County, Virginia, but pulling from expertise and farms across Northern and Central Virginia and the National Capital Region, Arcadia's Veteran Farmer Program (VFP) brings together regional nonprofits, agricultural organizations, veterans, and experienced farmers - including veterans who have made a successful transition to farming - to provide a practical farmer training and development program that launches veterans into new careers in agriculture.

Arcadia's program is distinguished by its lifecycle support of new veteran farmers. It works to increase the number of veterans beginning new careers in agriculture and the likelihood of their success by providing them with farming skills; business development and management training; ongoing technical support; assistance with finding and accessing land; and then market support, including an optional, wholesale contract with Arcadia. The VFP provides continued support as our new farmers launch their careers, through ongoing mentorships from, and networking with, the business, agriculture, and veteran communities.

The VFP increases the number of veterans beginning new careers in agriculture and increases the likelihood of their success. The VFP is very effective and can be replicated in other regions. Through this grant, the VFP will train 51 military veterans with the goal of producing 25 new farmers operating businesses throughout the project period.

The purpose of this Educational Enhancement Team project is to develop new resources to help beginning farmers and ranchers improve the financial and business management aspects of their operations, as well as better-equip educators to guide them through this process. This project will:

• Develop and improve delivery of farm financial and business management tools and programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers better understand and manage the financial aspects of their businesses
• Improve the ability of organizations to deliver farm financial and business management training to beginning farmers and ranchers
• Evaluate ways to improve the Farm Answers clearinghouse to make it even more valuable to beginning farmers and ranchers

This project will fulfill the two goals of EET projects. It will identify gaps in farm financial and business management tools and programs and address ways to make Farm Answers more valuable to beginning farmers. It will also develop curriculum and deliver train-the-trainer workshops to better equip BFRDP projects to help beginning farmers in farm financial and business management.

The partnership of the Center for Farm Financial Management, the Midwest Organic and Sustainability Education Service (MOSES), the Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA), and SCORE brings together a broad spectrum and wealth of experiences and expertise. This partnership will allow the project to gain input from many different perspectives including numerous farmers and ranchers, organizations that work with them, and other individuals and organizations with experience in farm financial management and general business management.

The project applicants represent a regional coalition joined across the Tennessee and Virginia border in a region called the “Heart of Appalachia”. Our coalition represents a 20-year track record of building the local food economy from farm to fork, across all economic classes, across all ages. Through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program we seek to holistically improve start-up opportunities for a diversity of beginning farmers and ranchers to establish and sustain viable agricultural operations and communities. Developing beginning farmers will simultaneously address workforce development, nutrition, natural resource conservation, and economic development, in a region where one in 5 citizens lives at or below the federal poverty line. In response to feedback from beginning farmers served by our organizations, our four objectives are to:

1. Enhance the regional coalition and coordination of services for beginning farmers;
2. Implement local and regional educational trainings with a focus on whole farm planning and preparing beginning farmers for specific local marketing opportunities;
3. Establish a mentorship network of trained mentor farmers to provide educational and on-the-job opportunities to beginning farmers; and
4. Foster a network of sustainable peer-to-peer support for beginning farmers through Learning Circles.

While available to all beginning farmer learners, each objective gives special consideration to the needs of socially disadvantaged, limited resource, military veteran, prisoners re-entering the workforce, and young farmers. These groups are key stakeholders for outreach as identified by the coalition's’ partners.

The project will be implemented in the following counties:
TN:  Carter(SF), Greene (SF), Hancock (SF), Hawkins, Johnson (SF), Sullivan, Washington, and Unicoi (SF)
VA:  Lee (SF), Russell (SF), Scott (SF), Smyth (SF), Tazewell (SF), Washington (SF), Wise (S)F, and Wythe (SF)
SF - Indicates StrikeForce Counties

Organic seed production represents a lucrative and growing specialty agricultural market. The specialized skill set required to produce high-quality organic seed serves as a barrier to entry into this market. This project is training beginning farmers in organic seed production through seed intensive workshops and written manuals, and by creating internship opportunities on established organic seed operations. The primary objectives of the project are to increase the number of beginning farmers growing organic seed
and improve practices to increase profitability, decrease financial risk, and improve conservation practices. The target audience is beginning farmers interested in diversifying their existing vegetable and grain operations, new farmers entering into farming interested in producing organic seed, farm interns, and agricultural students planning to enter the field of farming or work on existing farming operations. This project also targets Latino farmers. Project activities include delivering 60 scholarships for beginning Latino and non-Latino farmers, and 20 conference travel stipends for Latino/Hispanic farmers to attend the Organic Seed Growers Conference and Organicology Conference; simultaneous Spanish translator at conference intensives and workshops; post-event Spanish translations of intensives and workshops; support structured seed internships on seed farms through curriculum and facilitated internship placement, Spanish translation of seed production guides, and delivery of 6 monthly webinars on seed production. The long-term goals of this project are to a) increase the number of beginning farmers who grow organic seed, and to b) improve beginning seed producers’ practices to increase their profitability, decrease their financial risk, and improve their conservation practices. 

The project, “Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship: A National Program for Training New Dairy Farmers,” is a renewal Standard Grant that will build on work previously supported by USDA-NIFA’s Beginning Farmers and Rancher Development Program through a 2010 Development Grant “GrassWorks Apprenticeship Program: A Pilot Project for Training Beginning Farmers” and a 2011 Standard Grant “GrassWorks Apprenticeship Program: Career Paths for Beginning Farmers.” The current project will establish Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) as a national program directly under the United States Department of Labor-Office of Apprenticeship, strengthen DGA in Wisconsin by providing additional services to participants, and support the development of DGA in Missouri as a template for state-by-state expansion.

The target audience for this project consists of current dairy farmers seeking to transition out of farming or grow their operation by investing in the next generation and aspiring dairy farmers who are seeking a pathway to independent farm ownership. Among aspiring dairy farmers are young people, students, women, veterans, hired hands, herdsmen, farm managers, and farm workers. Barriers for aspiring dairy farmers include a lack of a) skills and experience in sustainable methods; b) opportunity to farm full-time, as dairy production requires, while learning; c) training in financial management and business planning; d) familiarity with agricultural infrastructure; and e) access to capital, land, and cattle.

The first formal Apprenticeship for farming in the nation, DGA directly addresses barriers to commodity-scale dairy farming by combining on-farm employment and training with paid related instruction and providing support for aspiring farmers to transition into independent dairy farm ownership. DGA is a comprehensive program that places particular emphasis on the following priority topics: Basic livestock practices and crop [pasture] farming practices; Innovative farm land transfers strategies; Entrepreneurship and business training; Financial risk management training; Natural resource management training; Curriculum development; and Mentoring, apprenticeship, and internships.    

For the past 25 years, the Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) has helped to develop beginning farmers. During that time, SFA has learned a great deal about what makes for success in beginning farming operations. As we review the past 25 years of work in new farmer development, we see 2 closely connected disturbing trends in agriculture today: 1) many beginning farmers lack the support, skills and savvy to successfully launch and sustain farm businesses for more than 5 years; and 2) as a result, there is a constant cycle of new farmers entering the market but never realizing their full potential. This trend is leading to
fragmented rural communities and over-worked and underpaid farmers who rarely overcome the mechanical solidarity issues and have a successful rural life.

"Deep Roots: Thoughtful, Comprehensive, Community-Based Beginning Farmer Training" takes a proven beginning farmer training model, increases its appeal and functionality by adding an online component and places beginning farmer training in the context of a 25 year old Farmer-to-Farmer Network.

Deep Roots is designed for individuals who want to work in sustainable farming as independent producers. Typically, sustainable agriculture programs attract nontraditional audiences including women, older students, underrepresented minorities and new American populations. These programs are also suitable for individuals with a conventional farming background who want to transition toward sustainability as well as for individuals who want to farm but have no family background or directexperience in the field.

The aim of this project is to respond to a great need and opportunity to address the urgent problem in the U.S. agricultural system, specifically, that of ageing population of farmers and ranchers. The long term goal of this project is to recruit and enhance the sustainability of new and beginning farmers and ranchers in Texas by helping them develop successful farm and
ranch operations through the use of "A Model Farm Concept". These goals will be accomplished through the following objectives:

(1) Establish model farms at the university research farm and in targeted counties to serve as training sites

(2)Provide scale-appropriate instructional and experiential training and production, business management and marketing

(3)Develop effective partnerships between BFRs and USDA, State agencies, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and other successful farmers to create mentoring opportunities and facilitate information sharing on programs and services available to them

(4) Develop a BFR database to facilitate targeted information dissemination and outreach. This project is a joint effort between the Agricultural and Natural Resource (AGNR) unit of our Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) and two prominent Community Based Organizations (CBOs) working closely together. Finally, overall the project will engage approximately 7,000
limited resource farmers in the counties that we serve here in Texas. This will attract 300 new start-up and 800 plus new and beginning farmers will benefited.

The Navajo Nation sits in the heart of the Four Corners area of the Colorado Plateau covering the corners of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The land is a mixture of alpine forests with high plateaus, mesas, mountains and arid deserts with an estimated land base of 27,673 square miles. The socio-economic conditions are emphasized by limited employment opportunities; 40.1% of families live well below the poverty level; and the diagnosis of diabetes correlates with the demise of their traditional values. These factors indicate a need for agricultural programs to revitalize a way of life of self-sufficiency, resourcefulness, prosperity, and cultural identity. Agriculture and livestock ownership are timeless symbols of the Dine’ philosophy.

The proposed project will help establish the foundation to sustainably support agricultural programs and activities by concentrating efforts in two regional agricultural hubs, Tsaile-Wheatfields Dineh Water User in central Navajo Nation and Tolani Lake Enterprise in western Navajo Nation. The proposed project will: train 60 beginning farmers to produce a harvest that will be sold to local and alternative markets; increase the capacity of collaborative organizations staff to receive the necessary skills to support farmers within their communities; and over three years, develop and implement a four-tiered training module in the following areas: business planning, farm planning, food safety planning, and farm management.

“Developing the next generation farmers and food security within the Navajo Nation food desert” project provides education through the management, planning, and conservation of natural resources for the inheritance of future generations.

The viability of new farm enterprises are especially tenable. A report by the USDA ERS notes that the businesses of new and beginning farmers have lower survival rates than more established operators. Direct markets offer new and beginning farmers unique and expanding opportunities to begin and to sustain successful farm businesses. National marketing research shows that consumer distrust in “big food” companies and institutions, increased awareness of the social and environmental impacts of the food system, and the increased prevalence of food-related health issues are changing the U.S. food landscape. Consumers believe their choices matter; they are looking for food that is authentic, transparent, and that connects them closely to the sources. Local food has increasingly come to represent transparency and trust in the minds of consumers, and more people want to spend their food dollars with local farmers.

The long-term goal of this project is to enhance the viability of new and beginning farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC) by providing them with knowledge, skills, and resources needed to start and/or grow successful farm operations focused on direct market opportunities. In WNC, expanding markets for local food provide significant opportunities for new and beginning farmers. In order to survive beyond start-up, farms must have effective marketing and appropriate production to build customer bases. In local food markets, where the public is looking for transparency, authenticity, and meaningful connections, direct sales offer unique opportunities. The activities of this project will build the direct marketing success of new and beginning farmers and enable them to implement marketing and production strategies that build farm visibility, demand for their products, and the long-term viability of their farm business. In keeping with BFRDP priorities, training and assistance topics will cover diversification and marketing strategies, entrepreneurship and business training, and financial and risk management training.

The long-term goal of Empowering New Forest Owners in the Northwest is to promote innovative markets and forest management strategies that improve the health of forest ecosystems while increasing economic prosperity and resilience for new forestland owners in the Pacific Northwest. More than a century of managing industrial tree plantations for single species, even-aged timber has altered the forest landscape of western Washington and Oregon. As companies divest their timber holdings closest to the metropolitan regions, much of this forestland has been purchased by new owners. There is a misconception that leaving these heavily altered forests alone is the best way to restore them. Instead, these forests need active management to restore ecological health and sustain rural economies.

The Northwest Natural Resource Group and partners believe that targeted workshops, individual landowner site visits, and improved market opportunities will increase the sustainability of new forest owners. Ecologically-based forest management and local markets are central to this project. This production method increases resilience through longer harvest rotations, species diversity, and structural diversity. And markets that recognize these benefits provide landowners with incentives to steward their land.

Three supporting objectives drive project activities:

1. Train beginning landowners in forest and financial management techniques,
2. Enable landowners to undertake initial management actions through site visits and cost-share enrollment, and
3. Develop economic opportunities and durable local markets that enable sustained stewardship.

The ultimate outcome will be new forest owners who are empowered to actively and sustainably manage for long-term forest health and resilience.

As interest in new farmer training continues to grow across the country, and more new farmer training projects launch every year, it is imperative that we better understand how to design the most effective and successful new farmer training programs, as well as demonstrate the impacts federal investment have on growing the next generation of farmers. 

Since the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) was first created in 2008, over $100 million has been invested to support over 200 new farmer training projects impacting farmers in every state across the country.  And while each project is required to track and report outcomes and impacts, to date, no national-level analysis has ever been completed of BFRDP as a whole.  Our project seeks to conduct the first ever comprehensive evaluation of BFRDP funded projects by analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from project reports, conducting additional evaluation activities as needed, and assessing the long-term impacts of completed projects for which data has not yet been collected.  With this project, we seek to better understand both the short and long-term outcomes and impacts of BFRDP as a whole, and to better understand the factors that lead to more successful new farmer training projects.

The overall goal of the proposed Farm Management Educational Program (FMEP) is to recruit, train and equip 300 new, beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) with the tools and resources necessary to generate and implement a feasible farm plan, becoming sustainable in vegetable and meat goat production. The objectives are to provide educational training and hands-on demonstration in basic crop and livestock production; financial management and risks mitigation; market diversification and risks mitigation; food safety and biosecurity; and programs and services of the current farm bill. 

In year one, 300 participants will learn the fundamentals of farming. In year two, approximately 50% of the participants from year 1 will develop farm plans for their prospective enterprises. In year three, participants with developed plans will have an opportunity to implement them, utilizing accessible resources. The outputs for this project include farm management tools necessary for viability. The outcomes will enhance the capacity of new farmers and ranchers to implement a realistic farm plan, market a quality product, explore the many beneficial opportunities in the farm bill, and have a more productive workforce.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) include: Alliance of Sustainable Farms, Mid-South Progressive Agriculture Group, Mileston Cooperative Association, Mississippi Meat Goat Producers Cooperative, and National Center for Appropriate Technology. Twenty-five percent (25%) of total federal funds requested will be allocated to these NGOs.  100% of the budget will be allocated to assisting new, beginning farmers and ranchers (including retired and disabled military veterans); socially-disadvantage producers who are African-American and women.

The proposed project will utilize the business incubator model for agricultural production and marketing demonstrations targeting new and beginning farmers. The incubator will be an intensive, hands-on approach working with a small group of new and beginning farmers to establish core business plans and practices that will enable them to facilitate successful Farm to School business ventures. Holmes County Food Hub will provide the technical training and support in enterprise production, marketing and business development in coordination with various resource providers including local extension and USDA agencies. This training and assistance in market development, value-added production and distribution will enable participants to obtain "real-word, hands-on experiences.

The Farm to School Academy Demonstration/Training Site will be also used to demonstrate and evaluate various alternative enterprises, production management practices and markets development models. A five to twenty acre production site will be established to demonstrate select economically viable and sustainable crop enterprises for the Farm to School market. Workshops and field days will be conducted to demonstrate the viability of viability of Farm to School market opportunities. On-site enterprise production and market demonstrations will be complemented with business management seminars and market demonstrations will be complemented with business management seminars and workshops related to those enterprises and markets. The training activities are designed to enhance capacity in agricultural entrepreneurship.

The long-term goal of this three year Collaborative project is to increase the agricultural production capacity of beginning, immigrant, and refugee farmers via farmer-to-farmer mentoring, training and technical assistance on all aspects of crop production and marketing  necessary to operate successful sustainable farming enterprises, increase farm ownership rates, and promote environmental stewardship. The target audience for this project is the over 250+ beginning, immigrant, and refugee farmers who farm at the Flats Mentor Farm in Lancaster MA.

The re-submission of this STANDARD three-year collaborative project proposal will partner with these institutions: UMass Extension. Growing Places, Nashoba Regional High School, the Lancaster Ag Commission, the Lancaster Community Center, and Rural Coalition to achieve the following objectives: 1) Provide technical assistance to beginning farmers according to their level of capacity in the three phases of the Flats Mentoring Program; 2) Develop food safety certification program; 3) Cultivate innovative marketing strategies; 4) Provide tools and develop skills on financial and risk management; 5) Expand the Farmer-to-Farmer Flats Mentoring model to include a pre-Phase #1 assessment component and embrace the energy of our youth at the high school to assist farmers at the farmers markets. 6) Increase beginning farmer participation in USDA programs.  

World Farmers (WF) will allocate 26% of the budget to the collaborating institutions as follows: UMass Amherst (8%), Growing Places (8%) Lancaster senior center (1.2%), Lancaster agricultural commission (1%), Nashoba Regional School (6%), Rural coalition (2%). In addition, other federal offices and private firms have expressed their interest in supporting this collaborative project.

This project will provide outreach, training, technical assistance, and
mentorship to Hispanic and Veteran Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFRs)
in a 44-county border region of Texas and Southern New Mexico. 30% of
federal funds requested are allocated to NGOs and a CBO. 70% of project
funds are allocated to serving Hispanic BFRs; 30% to Veterans; 100% is
allocated to Limited Resource BFRs; and 20% to farm workers. This
project's service area has the highest numbers and greatest
concentrations of Hispanic farmers in the U.S. Strategic sub-award
partners include; Texas/Mexico Border Coalition CBO, La Semilla
FoodCenter, and National Center for Appropriate Technology. Additional
partners include an innovative partner with SCORE Chapters, as initiated
by the Secretary of Agriculture. Partners supporting farm-and-ranch
entrepreneurship include Small Business Development Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Center, and the Texas Rural Cooperative Center.This project is very relevant to the
primary goal of BFRDP: it will train, assist, and mentor
Limited-Resource Hispanic and Veteran BFRs to enter, and improve their
success, in farming and ranching.

Global Garden Refugee Training Farm (GGRTF) developed and delivered 2 six-week courses to
prepare displaced refugee farmers for farming and farm business management in the Midwestern U.S. Fifteen farmers participated in the training, which was a first stage toward preparing them to develop farm business plans in preparation for establishing successful vegetable farms. Lesson plans were developed for another two topics: Season Extension and Soil Management.Lesson plans Teaching materials were designed to be appropriate for displaced refugee farmers with limited or no English and potentially low literacy in any language. In-class interpretation was provided for all sessions. Course content addressed both the prior experience and knowledge gaps unique to newly arrived displaced refugee farmers.

Global Growers will develop a pipeline to opportunities in agriculture sectors for beginning farmers by providing direct assistance and leveraging strategic partnerships to create access to land, knowledge, and resources. It will also provide the tools necessary for beginning farmers to access both direct-to-consumer and wholesale market opportunities in order to ensure sustainable income-generation and to increase distribution of local foods across the community and especially within socially disadvantaged communities.

The project is divided into two tracks: 1) incubator farmer pipeline, and 2) independent farmer pipeline. The incubator track includes a full-season training program with access land, tools, and infrastructure required for diversified vegetable production, along with access markets to generate supplementary income. The independent farmer track includes access to incubator farm workshops, with the primary emphasis on individual consultations. The cumulative experience and expertise of participating organizations and their shared vision will enable the GG Farmer Development Initiative to efficiently achieve the outcomes detailed herein and to build capacity to sustain the program beyond the grant period. 

Project Goal is to increase the number, diversity, profitability, and environmental sustainability of beginning farmers in the central New York region. Prior BFRDP support established Groundswell as an outstanding regional center for new farmer training, technical assistance, and business incubation.  Having substantially exceeded all our target numbers of trainees and new businesses launched in that Project, we will expand programs and audiences to:
1. Increase technical, business management skills of BFs.
2. Provide intensive business incubation support to selected BFs; increase regional incubation capacity. 
3. Connect BFs to existing wholesale markets; develop new marketing opportunities.
4. Support cooperation among farm businesses; develop cooperative models for farm business ownership, management, and business transfer.
5. Increase impact of farmer-to-farmer mentoring.
6. Provide entry-level, on-farm learning experiences for diverse “Explorers,” with priority on immigrants, refugees, people of color, veterans, and limited resource trainees.

This Project contributes directly to BFRDP’s goal of enhancing food security, community development and sustainability and addresses multiple priority topics. Most programs will focus on BFs in the first 5 years of business and the year preceding start-up, for maximum impact on farm business viability in our region. Programs include: Farm Business Incubator, Farm Business Planning Course, Finger Lakes CRAFT, farmer-led technical courses, Work2Learn placements, enterprise-specific Farm Business Support Networks, Cooperative Farm Business Course, and individual mentoring in production, marketing and business management. We will also offer limited programs targeting diverse “Explorers” (not yet committed to farming) as an essential outreach and recruitment process for new farmer development.

Stone Barns Center's beginning farmer training prepares young farmers to pursue economically and ecologically resilient farm enterprises. The Growing Farmers Initiative is designed for beginning farmers with ten years or less farming experience. Our programs, situated in the lower Hudson Valley, NY, include apprentice training, workshops, conferences, and online learning.

Our farm apprenticeship exposes nine to twelve young farmers each year to farm culture through an intensive nine-month program that offers a mixture of hands-on and classroom-based training in resilient agriculture. Apprentices learn the nuts and bolts of our farm operation and leave with a full understanding of the practical principles of agroecological farming. Apprentice workshops meet weekly and cover essential topic including soil science and management, plant botany, landscape design and ecology, engine mechanics, animal husbandry, and farm business planning. These sessions, open to young farmers from throughout the region, are taught by Stone Barns staff and other experts.

Our conferences and online learning platforms expose farmers from across the U.S. to the principles of resilient farming. In total, the 2015 and 2016 Young Farmers Conferences welcomed 550 young farmers, 25% on scholarship, and covered topics on crop production, business management, animal husbandry, land access, and more. Each workshop is approximately 90 minutes and 98% of participants requested that the workshops be offered again the following year. One young farmer said: "It was such a pleasure to attend; the quality of the presenters and the participants were very impressive; and I really appreciated the welcoming and supportive vibe of the whole conference." In 2015 and 2016, we also hosted Poultry School, two-day conference offering 20 sessions around sustainable poultry production attended by 300 farmers total. 

Our E-Learning tools have also been a great success, with 60,000 unique views in the past two years (average 20 minutes viewing time).

The long-term goal of this project is to support the economic and ecological viability of the next
generation of diverse California farmers including urban, peri-urban and rural farmers and ranchers from diverse communities including Latino, Southeast Asian, and African American. Through in-depth training offered at established and emergent “agricultural learning hubs,” this project aims to build on the successes and lessons of two prior BFR projects. By partnering with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE), Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE), and Alameda County Resource Conservation District (ACRCD) and several local agricultural training hubs, RCDs and NRCSs, this project team is collaborating to offer a combination of in-depth, culturally and regionally appropriate workshops, develop and distribute educational materials and videos, host field days and farmer tours, and strengthen farmer to farmer networks and learning hubs in 10 counties in central California. The expected outcomes are to:

1) improve BFR access to sustainable farming information and technical support,

2) to increase adoption of organic and sustainable farming/ranching practices,

3) enhance the economic success of BFRs through business planning, value added, and marketing education and support,

4) provide referrals to agencies that provide access to land, financial and other services,

5) improve food safety among urban and peri-urban farmers, and

6) strengthen farmer-to-farmer learning networks via an innovative network of agricultural learning hubs.

The goal of the Hmong Agricultural Sustainability Training and Education (HASTE) Program is to enhance the long term viability and sustainability of Southeast Asian American beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) with a particular focus on Hmong American BFRs, and facilitate the success of the next generation of Southeast Asian American BFRs through education, training, and technical assistance. The program emphasizes stabilizing distressed farm operations, and advancing business practices to generate wealth. The program will provide education on best management practices, improving cash flow through reducing farm overhead costs, and providing farmers with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to leverage financial assistance opportunities to improve the profitability of their operations. HASTE is a collaborative effort by Hmong National Development (HND) and EnSave, Inc. (EnSave), who have over 40 years of combined experience serving BFRs.

Three main objectives of HASTE is to (1) increase awareness of financial assistance opportunities amongst Southeast Asian American BFRs, and provide them with the resources and knowledge necessary to utilize them, (2) enhance profitability and sustainability of southeast Asian Americans BFRs through improved natural resources planning and management relating to energy, water, fertilizer, and soil, and (3) strengthen communication and collaboration between Southeast Asian American BFRs and key agricultural stakeholders, and mitigate entry barrier for new farmers.

HASTE was designed to serve an estimated 400+ socially disadvantaged Southeast Asian American BFRs with a primary strategy of improving cash flow through reduction of farm inputs. Program activities include workshops, educational conference calls and webinars, developing curriculum and educational materials, and conducting farm energy audits. HASTE supports numerous BFRDP priority topics, including natural resource planning education, curriculum development, and providing resources and referrals.

With this project, Renewing the Countryside will complete a comprehensive, multi-year
project that addresses farmland access challenges facing beginning farmers in Minnesota,
Wisconsin and Iowa. We and our 16 partners will develop an integrated process that assists new,
resource-limited farmers in accessing farmland that is a good match for their operation and offers
secure terms. Our collaboration will:

• Offer 220 beginning farmers farmland access literacy training
• Convene 80 farmers to attend in-depth bootcamps to become better prepared for pursuing their
  land access goals
• Connect 400 beginning farmers and 200 people who work with farmers to resources,
• Launch a Farmland Access Hub that provides in-depth support to at least 36 beginning farmers
• Conduct a media campaign that reaches 40,000 people
• Hold a Farmland Access Summit, with at least 100 stakeholders attending.

Our long-term goal is: 75 percent of beginning farmers (27 of 36) served by the Navigators will
have secure land tenure (long-term lease or ownership) by 2022 and the Farmland Access Hub will
secure long-term funding in order to continue to provide new farmers land access services.

In the next two decades, more than two-thirds of privately held U.S. farmland will change hands, creating great potential opportunity for beginning farmers. Many of these are first-generation farmers from non-farm backgrounds, who need support to determine how land tenure decisions will impact the financial health of their farm businesses. Although there are a number of financial planning tools available, none are specifically focused on financial decision-making for land access.

The overarching goal for this BFRDP Standard Project is to enable beginning farmers and ranchers across the country to make informed financial decisions during the process of accessing land so that they will have a solid framework on which to build strong, sustainable farm businesses.

This project will allow farmers throughout the country to navigate land access options--including long-term leases, land trust partnerships, mission-driven farmland investor opportunities, and traditional farm loans. The project would create an interactive Land Affordability Calculator Tool (both online and print workbook versions), and include a series of 10 webinars and 8 in-person trainings. The project resources will reach thousands of beginning farmers through our extensive email, social media and partner networks. We will measure the success of the project by demonstrating improved financial literacy of project participants. Additional project partners include Fathom Information Design, Equity Trust, CA FarmLink, Dirt Capital Partners, the Carrot Project, Land for Good, Local Farms Fund, RSF Social Finance, Farm Credit East, the Farm Credit Council, as well as individual farmers, and others.

Sustainable Farms for Urban Markets' (SFUM) mission is to enhance food security and community development by providing beginning farmers and their families with the education and resources needed to make informed decisions to enhance their farming success and sustainability. The program seeks to build economic prosperity of farm businesses for New Americans, Immigrants and Refugee farmers in the greater Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan area, by achieving the following goals: Goal 1: Increase the number of immigrant and refugee beginning farmers in the greater Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area by engaging Southeast Asian farmers in culturally relevant farm educational opportunities; Goal 2. Enhance the long-term sustainability and success of Southeast Asian immigrant and refugee beginning farmers by building a community of farmer entrepreneurs; Goal 3. Improve the ability of Southeast Asian immigrant and refugee beginning farmers to provide for the food needs of the community by linking farmers with additional markets and resources for their farm businesses.

The long-term goals of the project are: (1) to increase the agricultural capacity (e.g., level of agricultural production and business development skills) of beginning farmer veterans with less than 10 years of experience farming: (2) to increase the number of beginning farmer veterans entering into farming or ranching, and: (3) to improve the economic viability of veteran-owned small- and medium-sized farm or ranch operations.

These goals will be achieved through the following objectives: (1) delivering education and outreach through veteran-to-veteran learning that provides a foundation of skills, knowledge, and tools in sustainable production and farm business development: and (2) building the Farmer Veteran Peer Network, a regional network that facilitates the creation of mentor relationships between beginning farmer veterans and seasoned farmers.

The aim of this project is to address the urgent problem in Puerto Rico agricultural system, specifically, two points of interest. Number 1: According to the 2012 Agricultural census, there are 13,159 farmers in Puerto Rico of which only 8.3 % are women,  35% have less than 9 years in business, the average age is 59, and only 14.2% are 35 years old or less. Number 2:  Over 85% of all the food consumed in the Island is imported and in terms of fish and seafood consumers depends on small, local restaurants and very few fisheries. The primary goal is to increase the number of beginning farmers, ranchers and fishermen and enhance their success and sustainability by providing them and their families with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to make informed decisions. These goals will be accomplished through the following objectives: (1) Design and implement a recruitment program for 120 beginning farmers, ranchers and fishermen of which 10% will be Military Veterans and 70% low-income, of which 60% will complete the program (72 participants) as designed for their specific business needs (not everyone has to complete all the subjects i.e. a rancher doesn’t have to attend the aquaponics courses and an aquaponics business might not have to complete soil management; (2) Develop knowledge and tools to entering, beginning and start up and managing a local agricultural or fishing business;  (3) Develop knowledge and tools to beginning and establishing a farm or fishing business with a vision of the use and conservation of natural resources. After Hurricanes María and Irma devastated the Island and its agriculture, the need for renewable power and water sources has become a priority that needs to be addressed and corrected. 

This project is a joint effort between “Corporacion Juvenil para el Desarrollo de Comunidades Sostenibles” Agroinnova and The University of Puerto Rico Humacao Campus. Finally, the project will engage approximately 120 limited resource farmers in the municipalities that we serve here in Puerto Rico. This will attract 160 new start-up and 70 plus new and beginning farmers will benefitted.

Hawaii has a unique set of needs for new farmers and farmer training. Extreme isolation,
lack of Winter kill, high input and land costs, and counties separated by the ocean make viable
farming a challenge for any farmer here. The dominance of plantation agriculture, now largely
gone, has resulted in concentrated land ownership and a lack of family farms and the knowledge and supporting systems that normally accompany them.

Thus, there exists a great need to create new farmers for Hawaii with a comprehensive
approach that capitalizes on the current interest in farming and develops them from the ground up--with fundamental science-based knowledge, hands-on experience, and marketing and business management skills for the real world. One that serves every county of Hawaii and innovatively fosters the confidence necessary for those trained to commit to becoming entrepreneurial commercial farmers. One that supports their transition into independent farmers with resources, networks, and business and production consulting.

GoFarm Hawaii is doing it, having grown to five locations in all four counties and, most
importantly, efficiently converting over 20% of participants (most of whom began with no farming experiences or connections) into real farmers. GoFarm Hawaii seeks USDA support to continue our success, improve the impact of some sites by adding missing advanced phases, and strengthen beginning farmer training Statewide by creating and maintaining a Statewide network of programs that focus on beginning farmer training.

Through a renewal of its standard BFRDP project, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest (WCH) will align multiple initiatives to support beginning farmers in Chicago. Buoyed by the initial investment from USDA, WCH is expanding at a fast clip and continues to develop new opportunities to better serve this constituency. The project will continue to refine the elements proposed in the previous award, which are 1) the Apprenticeship program, 2) Corps transitional jobs training, 3) Youth Farm, and Entrepreneurship & Careers training, which includes 4) courses in sustainable agriculture topics and 5) an incubator program for beginning farmers. In addition, WCH will 6) develop concrete connections with veterans organizations and community health providers to assist with recruitment, 7) implement a garden program for justice-involved youth and adults, and 8) explore partnerships to develop a food hub and commercial-scale aquaponics training facility for an expanding local industry. These components will raise the capacity of sustainable urban agriculture in the Chicago area to engage and train more beginning farmers.

The project will train 675 beginning urban farmers and other local food entrepreneurs and workers in the Chicago area, mentor beginning farmers past barriers to entrepreneurship, and create jobs for beginning farmers in food-insecure communities. Supporting objectives include the following:
1. Develop the skills of beginning farmers and skilled farm workers through formal training and internships in sustainable urban agriculture
2. Assist beginning urban farmers in overcoming barriers to urban farming through access to land, skills and opportunities, and a supportive business structure to market their products
3. Support the expansion of sustainable urban agriculture activities in and around Chicago, creating mentored jobs for beginning urban farmers and farm workers and supplying fresh produce to food-insecure communities while generating revenue through high-end market sales