Project Overview
The goal of Rural Action’s proposal Whole Farm Planning, Peer Learning & Income Diversification for Appalachian Beginning Farmers is to address current knowledge and technical assistance gaps among beginning farmers in southeast Ohio and northern West Virginia. We are achieving this by recruiting beginning farmers into a coordinated whole farm planning network to develop actionable business plans based on their goals and on-farm assets. Participants are brought into a support network of peer beginning farmers, as well as established farmers in order to set individual goals and develop their whole farm plans. Over a three year period these beginning farmers are receiving ongoing and responsive technical assistance from this network of peer educators and mentors, Rural Action staff, and regional experts focused on financial and legal guidance. This project structure is guided in its entirety by the self-identified needs of beginning farmers. These stakeholders are at the core of Rural Action’s asset-based approach to community development in the agriculture and forestry sectors. Farmers are the catalyst for new resource delivery in our work, are directly involved in planning, and are at the forefront of education and technical assistance delivery. In this project for beginning farmers, peer educators will be those most involved, including long time education partners like ACEnet and United Plant Savers, as well as new educators like Woodland Ridge Farm, Mayapple Farms, and Lucky Penny Farm - all beginning farmers.
Number of Participants: 582
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